From classic triceps dips to isolating skull crushers, there are various exercises you can perform to build stronger and more defined triceps. Try these moves for effortless triceps growth!
When it comes to creating beautiful arms, many people focus on developing impressive biceps. However, developing striking triceps is just as essential in terms of arm strength and aesthetics.
1. Overhead Tricep Extensions
The overhead tricep extension is an excellent exercise to target the triceps brachii muscles, which make up much of the upper arm. This movement helps build their size up while simultaneously working other exercises targeting these same muscles – creating more defined, chiseled upper bodies when combined together with similar exercises targeting these areas. Furthermore, this movement also engages shoulders, core, hips and helps improve balance posture strength across your entire upper body.
Ensure a controlled movement when performing this exercise and choose a weight that challenges but doesn’t strain shoulder joints or elbows. Also important when performing this activity is maintaining neutral spine curvature throughout, and not pushing your neck forward to prevent overextending cervical muscles that could potentially put undue stress on spinal discs.
Correct execution of this exercise ensures maximum targeting of the triceps, and maximizes its benefits. According to research published in “The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research,” arms trained with triceps extensions at the end of a training program had higher muscle-building potential compared with arms trained using pushdowns alone.
Overhead tricep extensions can be done both standing or sitting on a bench. In either instance, the lifter hinges at their hips to press weight forward for this movement – making the latter version more manageable for lifters with mobility issues or wanting to add variety into their workouts.
A seated overhead triceps extension works not only the triceps muscle, but also deltoids and rotator cuff, providing overall shoulder strength and stability benefits. Furthermore, this variation offers an ideal way for those who struggle to lift overhead weights to engage all of these muscle groups in an accessible position.
When dealing with shoulder or joint injuries or issues, using the seated triceps extension as an alternative to overhead triceps extensions can be useful as it still allows you to work your triceps and surrounding muscles without placing too much strain on shoulders or joints.
2. Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the classic and effective bodyweight exercises. When performed properly, this exercise targets chest and triceps muscles as well as strengthening core and shoulder stability. Unfortunately, many people make common errors while performing push-ups which lessen its effectiveness; such as allowing their backs to sag while performing them or flaring out arms during push-ups which increase load on lower chest muscles while weakening triceps.
If you find it challenging to perform full push-ups with perfect form, begin by doing modified push-ups and gradually increasing them day by day – this will ensure your muscles adapt and avoid injury during exercise.
To perform a standard push-up, assume the plank position with hands stacked below shoulders and feet together. Tuck toes under, tighten abdominals, bend elbows to lower chest towards floor until just below bent elbows then press back up again for desired number of repetitions.
Other push-up variations designed to target the triceps include interlacing your thumbs and index fingers (a diamond push-up) or pushing with elbows pointed toward knees (t-rex push-up). Both these variations target either upper (minor) or lower (major) pectoral muscles respectively, with raising hands/feet on elevated surfaces increasing load on triceps while also contributing towards balance development and core stabilization.
Try switching up the traditional push-up by using two dumbbells placed vertically close together behind you. Assume a push-up position with both hands gripping on opposite handles of both dumbbells, and press your chest upward against their weight before slowly lowering down to 90-degree angles with your elbows before pushing yourself back up to the starting position for repetitions of any chosen number.
3. Rope Cable Push-Down
At your gym, this exercise may have become a staple move to build strength and definition in triceps. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t execute this movement effectively: by flaring out their elbows during this movement and shifting tension away from triceps muscle group toward other parts of their body instead, this movement loses effectiveness and stops being beneficial to strengthening triceps muscles.
To perform an effective cable rope push-down, begin by standing in front of a cable machine equipped with a high pulley attachment and grasping its straight bar or rope with an overhand grip (palms down), positioning your feet shoulder-width apart with knees slightly bent for stability. Push down weight by extending arms towards your thighs while keeping elbows close to sides while keeping elbows close together, pausing briefly at bottom then pushing back up slowly before repeating as directed for the desired number of repetitions.
This exercise offers an effective alternative to overhead triceps extensions by isolating the long head of the triceps brachii muscle. Furthermore, it strengthens and stabilizes elbow joints by targeting muscles responsible for contracting during push-down movements – plus provides lifters looking to increase triceps endurance with a challenging resistance training exercise!
An additional advantage of this exercise is its accessibility: you only require light to moderate weight for this routine and no special equipment or space is needed to complete it. Plus, it provides a great opportunity to warm up elbow joints before moving on to more challenging triceps extension exercises.
If you don’t have access to cable machines at the gym, resistance bands attached to stable surfaces like walls may still provide the movement described here. For an effective triceps pushdown using resistance bands at home, simply attach one end of one band to a pin or hook fixed in place on one wall at an appropriate height and perform as described above.
Regularly performing the Triceps Pushdown will help you develop thicker, more defined triceps to enhance the look of your upper body and boost aesthetic. In addition, this exercise engages additional muscles such as your lats, obliques, chest and shoulders for maximum results.
4. Tate Press
Strong triceps are key to performing heavier compound movements such as bench pressing, deadlifting and clean and jerking with efficiency and form. Furthermore, strong triceps also enhance your arms visually if you’re going for more of an aesthetic appearance. Olympic weightlifters may benefit from adding in isolation movements designed specifically to strengthen triceps – these exercises help increase lockout strength on overhead presses while simultaneously improving performance during snatching and clean and jerking sessions.
One of the best isolation exercises for triceps is known as the Tate press, named for powerlifter Dave Tate. This variation of lying tricep extension requires more hand-eye coordination because you must balance two weights at arm’s length while bending at your elbows to lower them to your chest, touching inner plates of dumbbells together at their lowest point and forcefully squeezing your triceps before pressing back up into starting position.
Movement should not be choppy and you should strive for perfect form throughout each exercise, which will promote maximum muscle growth while preventing injury to the elbow joint. High rep sets with this exercise may promote growth if they can be kept low enough so as to maintain proper form while performing them.
You can modify this movement to more evenly distribute the load towards your long head by keeping arms closer to the body, rather than flaring outward. A curl bar, dumbbells or resistance bands may help in this endeavor.
Bulging biceps may look great, but they won’t do much for your overall upper body strength and power unless your triceps are being targeted with isolated moves. Men’s Health Fitness Director BJ Gaddour recommends the Tate press instead – which isolates your triceps while mimicking bench pressing’s pattern by keeping shoulders and forearms in their positions simultaneously – although more balance and hand-eye coordination is required than skull crusher exercises; you can still do them using regular weights!
