Try these moves to give your arms' three-headed monster some extra attention.
YOU CAN'T BUILD big arms with a narrow focus on just one type of movement. To be more specific, you'll need more than just dumbbell curls to sculpt the type of fully-formed, 3D muscles you're aiming to achieve. The issue is that most guys just fall back on the classic curl (which is a great exercise for one specific purpose). When you do that, you'll be targeting your biceps alone. That will only get you so far on your path to gains, especially since those muscles aren't even the biggest show in town. That title goes to the triceps. Like the biceps, you'll have the most success when you dial in with isolation moves—so you'll need to know about the best exercises you can do to target your triceps. 15KV Joints Cable Termination
The triceps are so consequential for two main reasons. First, they're the largest muscle of the arm, so you're working with a ton of real estate when you target your triceps. This might surprise you, since most people get caught up on the biceps. The difference here is in the positioning—the triceps are posteriorly positioned, on the backside of your arm, while the biceps are on the anterior, or front.
Secondly, the triceps are responsible for elbow extension, making them essential for movements like pressing. Whenever you straighten your arm, the triceps are working. Whether you're training to build mass, gain strength, or just to be generally healthy, you'll need to train your triceps.
Think of your triceps as the three-headed monster that will make your arms pop. The muscle takes its name from those three heads—the long head, the medial head, and the lateral head—and is essential for elbow extension.
That means just about any time you straighten your arms, whether you're pressing or doing extensions, your triceps are going to be involved. All three heads connect to your elbow and humerus (your upper arm bone), while long head alone connects to your shoulder blade, which makes the muscle involved in overhead pressing movements.
Your triceps muscles are integral for arm function. Benefits of triceps training include:
There are plenty of ways to train your tris, too, although finding just the right muscle contraction isn't always easy. Remember that locking out your elbow and straightening your elbow are two different things; focus on keeping tension on your triceps and actively flexing them when you're in the straight-arm position.Any movement that has you straightening your arm at the elbow will train your triceps, but there are plenty of ways to vary up that arm-straightening motion.
Changing the angle of your arm relative to your torso can place different levels of stretch on the triceps muscle, and adding pauses, both at the top of reps and halfway through reps, can emphasize different phases of the contraction.
For the best results, start with these triceps stretches before jumping into your workouts.
The following exercises are the best picks you have to train your three-headed monster muscles. Pay close attention to the form cues, focus on elbow extension, and add them to your routines to hone strength and add more mass.
Why: Pressdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises, for good reason. The move is all about isolating the muscle as it performs its main function (elbow extension), and using a cable machine or resistance bands allows you to load up to challenge yourself.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: Few bodyweight moves are as effective as the close-grip pushup. First off, this is a move you can take anywhere, a bonus triceps pump whenever you can drop and do a quick set. Secondly, you're also loading with your bodyweight—and sure, other muscles are assisting you in pressing up, but you're still getting plenty of triceps activation under load. And remember: diamonds are not your friend.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Why: This bodyweight movement will look familiar to just about anyone who has tried their hand at training—after all, it appears to be as basic as finding a bench or platform and pumping yourself up and down. But if you're looking to train your triceps effectively while also protecting your shoulders, there's more that you need to know.
How to Do It: Firstly, don't even approach the bench if you have any shoulder pain or mobility issues. If your shoulders are in good shape, follow this form exactly:
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Why: The bench press is a great exercise to work your chest and core. But a change in grip can help expand your arms.“Placing your hands closer together makes it so your triceps have to work harder,” says Craig Ballantyne, Owner of Turbulence Training. “That can lead to new growth and more strength.” (It's also one of the 3 Secrets to a Bigger Bench Press.)
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Why: The skull crusher is a go-to tricep move because it gives you a chance to isolate the muscle. The lying position allows you to kill any momentum you use to cheat in other moves.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: You don't need any weights for this skull crusher variation, which takes you off the bench and uses the ground to isolate your triceps. This particular version has one specific advantage to the standard bodyweight skull crusher: the rocking motion allows you to get a better stretch than just extending your arms would.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: The overhead triceps extension is one of the most common exercises you'll find in a workout program, and people usually do it from a standing or seated position. Unfortunately, you might be putting your shoulders and low back in a bad spot with this approach. You'll get more out of the movement if you add a bench, according to MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: The JM press is a hybrid movement combining two of the best triceps builders in the game, the skull crusher and the close-grip bench press. You'll put yourself in a great position to kickstart growth using whichever implement you want, but dumbbells are a great place to start.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: This simple movement gives you a gentler variation of an overhead extension, which usually uses some form of free weight and might be difficult for those with shoulder issues. You'll need a straight bar set below eye-level—and you can scale the difficulty by changing the angle—so you'll need a rack and bar, a Smith machine, or some other stable straight bar that can bear your weight.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Why: While you might not be targeting the tris as directly as with the close-grip variation above, the standard bench press absolutely uses the triceps to help your chest move the weight from point A to B.
Using dumbbells allows for you to have a larger range of motion, since the weights aren't fixed on a barbell.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: One of the most basic ways to train your triceps is the pressdown, which has you keeping your elbows in line with your torso and driving your hands down while holding a band or cable. Level that move up by kneeling on the ground, engaging your abs and glutes.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm
Why: What if you could train your abs and triceps at once? You get to do that on the half-bench skull crusher, thanks to the fact that half your torso is off the bench (and thus must stay contracted to keep you level and in control).
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per arm
Why: The triceps kickback is one of the most basic exercises for triceps development, when done correctly, forcing you to straight your arm so it's parallel with the ground.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Why: As noted above, there are some shortcomings with the dumbbell triceps kickback. Namely, your muscles aren't under tension for most of the exercise's range of motion. Use a cable machine to address those issues and finish off your triceps.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Why: Suspension training allows you to work against your own body weight, which can be a novel way to use resistance for upper body exercises. If you're stuck in a small space without room for weights, a set of straps is all you need to get your triceps burning.
Sets and Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Build showstopping arms and get stronger with invigorating training plans designed by pro trainer David Otey and the Men’s Health team. This is the ultimate program to transform your biceps, triceps, and shoulders—in 90 days!
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men's Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He's logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
Brett Williams, a senior editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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