Triceps

The Complete Guide to Training Triceps

Want bigger, stronger arms? Since the triceps make up about two-thirds of your upper arm, targeting them effectively is the key to building serious arm size. Here's everything you need to know to maximize your triceps training. Prefer visuals? Check out the video linked below for a quick demo!

Essential Triceps Exercises & Movement Patterns

To fully develop your triceps, you need to target all three heads of the muscle:

Lateral Head Isolation
Long Head Isolation
(Optional) Medial Head Emphasis

Focusing on these areas ensures balanced growth and a well-rounded, powerful look.

1. Lateral Head Isolation

The lateral head gives your triceps that horseshoe shape on the outer arm. It's the part that really pops when your arms are flexed.

Best Lateral Head Exercises:

Cable Pushdowns (with rope, straight bar, or V-bar attachment)
Diamond Push-Ups
Bodyweight Dips (higher reps for isolation focus)

If you don’t have access to a cable machine, exercises like diamond push-ups or close-grip bench press can be great alternatives—but be mindful that these also involve the chest and shoulders.

2. Long Head Isolation

The long head is the largest part of the triceps, contributing to overall arm size. To effectively target it, you need exercises that place your arms in an overhead position.

Best Long Head Exercises:

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
Skull Crushers
Cable Overhead Extensions
Leaning Cable Overhead Extensions

Overhead movements are crucial for fully stretching and contracting the long head, leading to better growth.

3. What About the Medial Head?

The medial head is small and hard to isolate directly. Luckily, it gets worked in almost all triceps exercises. However, if you really want to emphasize it:

Medial Head Emphasis Exercises:

Pin Press
Floor Press

These exercises focus on the lockout portion of pressing movements, where the medial head plays a major role. But unless you're an advanced lifter, you can skip these and focus on more comprehensive triceps exercises.

Are Dips and Close-Grip Bench Press Good for Triceps?

Yes, but there’s a catch.

Both exercises are technically compound lifts because they involve your chest and shoulders in addition to your triceps. This means they create more overall fatigue compared to strict isolation exercises like pushdowns or extensions.

When to Use Dips & Close-Grip Bench Press:

If you treat them as compound lifts, count them as part of your chest or pushing volume.
If you want to use them for triceps isolation, stick to higher reps (12-20) and lighter weight to minimize chest and shoulder involvement.

Example:

Weighted Dips (5-8 reps) = Compound movement
Bodyweight Dips (12-20 reps) = Isolation focus

How Often Should You Train Triceps?

Triceps recover quickly, so you can train them multiple times a week—as long as it doesn’t interfere with your pressing movements (like bench press or overhead press).

Recommended Frequency:

2-4 times per week, depending on your goals and recovery.
Be cautious if you have heavy pressing sessions planned the next day—don’t annihilate your triceps right before!

Recommended Sets Per Week

For optimal growth, aim for 9-15 sets per week of direct triceps work.

You can push beyond 15 sets if triceps are a priority, but keep an eye on overall recovery and fatigue.

Choosing the Right Rep Ranges

Since triceps exercises are mostly isolation-based, stick to moderate to high rep ranges for the best results.

Lateral Head Isolation:

12-20 reps per set (e.g., cable pushdowns)

Long Head Isolation:

12-20 reps per set (e.g., overhead extensions)

General Rule:

Stay between 12-30 reps for most triceps exercises.
Never drop below 8 reps—lower reps tend to shift more focus to your shoulders and chest.

Structuring Your Triceps Workouts

A balanced triceps workout should include at least one exercise for both the lateral head and the long head.

Example Triceps Workout (2 Days per Week)

Workout 1:

Cable Pushdowns – 4 sets of 12-15 reps (Lateral Head)
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – 4 sets of 12-15 reps (Long Head)

Workout 2:

Diamond Push-Ups – 3 sets of 15-20 reps (Lateral Head)
Skull Crushers – 3 sets of 12-15 reps (Long Head)

If You Want to Include Dips or Close-Grip Bench Press:

Close-Grip Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps (count as a compound movement)
Cable Overhead Extensions – 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Or:

Bodyweight Dips – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Techniques for Maximum Triceps Growth

Focus on Full Range of Motion:
Fully stretch your triceps at the bottom of each rep and fully contract them at the top. This maximizes muscle fiber recruitment.
Control the Movement:
Don’t just throw the weight up and down. Use controlled, deliberate motions to keep the tension on your triceps.
Pause at Full Contraction:
Hold the contraction for 1-2 seconds at the top of exercises like pushdowns and extensions to maximize the pump.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overloading on Compound Movements:
If you’re already doing heavy bench presses or shoulder presses, adding more heavy pressing (like dips or close-grip bench) can lead to overtraining. Balance your workout with isolation exercises.
Neglecting the Long Head:
Many lifters focus too much on pushdowns and neglect overhead movements. The long head contributes significantly to arm size, so don’t skip it!
Poor Form on Isolation Exercises:
Keep your elbows stable during pushdowns and extensions. Letting them flare out reduces tension on the triceps and increases shoulder involvement.

Final Thoughts

Building strong, defined triceps is all about targeting each head of the muscle, using proper form, and ensuring balanced volume throughout your training week. Whether you're looking to improve arm size, strength, or aesthetics, focusing on the right mix of exercises will help you get there.

Stick to these principles, track your progress, and you’ll see your triceps grow over time. Ready to put this into action? Add these tips to your next workout, or check out one of my custom training plans for even more triceps gains! 💪