5 Best Tricep Exercises To Build Arm Size & Strength

Some muscle groups end up being an afterthought in most gym trainees. I'm referring to triceps, which are always overshadowed by their little brother — biceps. The gym bros often give biceps a stardom reputation and leave their triceps a lagging one. If you are not aware, the triceps are a bigger group of muscles than the biceps. Focusing only on training your biceps will result in upper arm imbalances — having strong biceps and weak triceps will make your arms look strong from the front but weak from the back.

If you are aiming for sleeve-busting muscles, you need to incorporate tricep training into your current workout routine. Stronger triceps don't just enhance your aesthetics — they help build more resilient shoulders, have a major role in the extension of the forearm, and impact your pushing and pulling capabilities. Tricep power is associated with punch power, throwing a ball at speed, baseball pitching, basketball shooting, and shot putting.

In this blog, you'll learn how to build bigger triceps that assist in functional movements and make your arms look bigger and bulkier…

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Understanding The Triceps

Triceps are a group of muscles of the upper arm that get their name from the three muscle heads or points of origin. The triceps originates on the back of the humerus, extending downwards and ending at the ulna. It consists of three heads: the medial head located on the inside of your upper arm, the long head found along the midline on the back of your upper arm, and the lateral head that intersects your elbow and shoulder joint.

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1. Cable Overhead Tricep Extension

1. Set the pulley on a cable machine to the lowest setting.
2. Stand half a step away from the cable machine, plant your feet on the floor and turn your back away from the cable station.
3. Grip the rope handles in each hand using a neutral grip, with your palms facing inwards.
4. Fully extend your arms until your hands are directly above your head pointing to the ceiling.
5. While keeping your shoulders as still as possible, slowly lower the rope behind your head by bending at your elbows. Hold at this point for a count of one while squeezing your triceps.
6. Return to the starting position by flexing your triceps and extending your arms.

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2. Lying Tricep Extension / Skull Crushers

1. Pick the EZ-curl bar with inside grips, hold it with a forehand grip with both hands, and lay down on a flat bench with feet planted on the floor.
2. Make sure your arms are perpendicular over your chest, and your back and butt are in contact with the bench at all times.
3. Lower the barbell to your forehead by bending your elbows backward into the perpendicular position. You can create more tension in your triceps by pushing the bar away from your head. Your arm should be extended back until it's in a fully locked position.
4. Extend your arms back up using the tricep muscles to move the weight.

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3. Tricep Bench Dips

1. Choose a sturdy bench, chair, or low platform.
2. Begin by placing your hands on either side of your hips on the bench with palms facing down and your legs extended in front of you.
3. With your feet together, extend your legs out in front of you by bringing your butt off the bench.
4. Keeping your legs extended, your feet together, and your butt close to the bench, lower your body 2–3 inches down.
5. Continue performing dips by squeezing your triceps.

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4. Diamond Tricep Push-Ups

1. Get on all fours as in a normal push-up position.
2. Put your hands in a diamond position right underneath your chest. Your legs should be extended behind you so that your body weight is supported on your hands and toes.
3. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Keep your back straight — don't raise your butt while lifting your body, and don't sag your hips while moving down.
5. Keeping your core tight and elbows in, lower your chest to the floor. Make sure you don't flare out your elbows — keep them tight and close to your body.
6. Press into palms to push the body back up to starting position.

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5. Tricep Kickbacks

1. Begin by holding a dumbbell in your left hand, go over to a bench and position yourself in a split stance.
2. Place your right leg on the bench and the other leg on the floor, leaning over the bench with a slightly arched back.
3. Stiffen your torso by contracting your abdominals; your neck should be aligned with your back and your eyes gazing at the floor ahead of you.
4. Grab your dumbbell (you don't need a heavily weighted one for this) with your left hand. Keeping your upper arm parallel to the ground, kick your forearm back by squeezing your triceps at the top.
5. Bring the dumbbell back down to start.
6. Note: tricep kickbacks are not about flinging your arms — you'll create tension in your tricep muscles when you perform the kickback action with control.

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8–10 reps for each exercise is good to go. You don't have to dedicate a whole day to train triceps — do these isolation exercises as part of your daily training so that you train your biceps and triceps equally.

Incorporate these exercises into a regular training routine and build balanced, well-developed arms…

Get your triceps activated, moving in full range of motion, & create those sleeve-busting arms that every gym goer seeks…

Also Read: Build Bigger Arms With 6 Best Arm Strength Training With Dumbbells

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