The Best Triceps Exercises

The triceps are the largest muscle in the arm, making up two-thirds of the total mass. They are also one of the easiest muscles to work because they are used in a lot of compound exercises and can be isolated relatively easily with a wide range of motions and angles. If you want to get huge arms, working your triceps is one of the best ways to do it. They may not be as impressive as the biceps, but they are much more functional and can be menacing if build correctly.

Here are a few compound lifts that utilize the triceps extensively:

Bench press: The bench press is one of the basic compound lifts and is great for building up your pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. The closer your grip is, the more it'll work your triceps. A medium grip bench press is ideal for working all three muscle groups, while a really close grip will almost isolate the triceps. This is a great lift, but you have to make sure you maintain strict form. Don't arch your back and make sure that you lower the weight down all the way.

Dips: You can modify your dips so that you isolate the triceps more effectively. To do this, all you need to do is keep your body, specifically your hips, out straight. If you lift your knees up, a lot of the stress will switch to your chest. Either form of dip is fine, but straight form is recommended for building up the triceps.

Shoulder press: The shoulder press puts a good amount of stress on the triceps, although less than the other two lifts. The long head of the triceps works as a stabilizer and the other ones assist with the push. The main muscle that the shoulder press works is the anterior deltoid.

And some isolation lifts:

Lying Triceps Extension: This exercise places a significant amount of stress on the medial and lateral head of the triceps, creating the coveted horse-shoe shape. I prefer to do this exercise with a dumbbell, but a barbell is also acceptable. The main issue a lot of people encounter with the barbell is excessive stress on the wrists that can lead to pain.

Cable Push Downs: Cable push downs are good because they don't stop offering resistance at peak contraction, meaning you're working the muscle through the entire range of motion. This exercise, like the tricep extension, will work the medial and lateral head of the triceps. This is a good exercise and is best used in conjunction with the triceps extension.