50% launch offer on every online course +91 84474 31421neeraj.gffi@gmail.comWhatsApp +91 99100 47204BlogStudent login

A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Triceps Exercises and the Proper Form

Written by Dr. Neeraj Mehta, PhD · · 7 min read

By Dr. Neeraj Mehta (Director GFFI Fitness Academy & facility at American Sports Fitness University)

If you appreciate this post, please share it with your friends and leave a comment if you think it’s useful. I’ll be describing some of the most efficient triceps workouts and their errors in the table below. – Neeraj Mehta (Ph.D.)

The data in this table comes from a research done by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to activate the triceps muscle.

UNDERSTANDING THE ANATOMY

Tricep is a big, thick muscle on the upper arm’s dorsal side. The form of a horseshoe is most often seen on the back of the arm. This muscle, the triceps Brachii (TB), is an important extensor muscle of the upper limb. It has been characterised as a single muscle unit that is composed of three heads (medial, lateral, and long heads).

Triceps brachii is mostly responsible for:

The triceps muscle works as a stabilizer for the humerus head when the arm is adducted. The humerus will not be displaced as a result of this motion. The shoulder joint’s extension and adduction are made easier by the arm’s long head.

There are many exercises that target the triceps in a specific way. In all triceps workouts, the elbow joint is extended, and this is the thread that ties them all together. Elbow joints are hinge joints, which means they can only move in one direction. The elbow joint extensors are the muscles responsible for any elbow joint extension activity involving a concentric contraction.

The triceps and anconeus are the extensors of the elbow joint. 

The triceps have three heads: the long, medial, and lateral heads. Below, you see in a study conducted at the Strength and Conditioning Research Center, when the shoulder is lifted, the internal moment arm lengths of the long head of the triceps demonstrate that it is significantly less engaged in elbow extension. This calls into question common wisdom about how to build this muscle.

Both the elbow and the shoulder joint may be extended by using this muscle, as well as the adduction and hyperextension of the triceps. The triceps’ long head, which originate on the scapula, is primarily responsible for the movements of the shoulder joint.

The lateral head of the triceps is second in importance as an elbow extensor, behind the medial head. Elbow joint extension requires the use of all three heads if substantial resistance is encountered.

Triceps tend to be employed for speed movements rather than power movements due to their insertion near to the elbow joint.

The anconeus is the muscle that aids the triceps. Slow, controlled motions are the primary function of this elbow extensor muscle. This serves to prevent the synovial membrane from being crushed by the advancing olecranon when the elbow joint is fully extended.

Types of Muscle Fiber

The lateral head is utilized for high-intensity force, whereas the medial head is used for precise, low-force movements.

Medial Head: Small type I muscle fibers and motor units (69 fibers/MN) dominated the medial head.

Lateral Head: More than 179 fibers/MN, large type IIb fibers, and motor units were found in the lateral head.

Long Head: The fibers and motor units in the long head were more evenly distributed (99 fibers/MN).

According to a study, Tricep Muscle Activation in different exercises:

The following exercises (according to a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse) are listed in order to verify the activation of the triceps long head and lateral head muscles:

In the following, an electromyographic analysis of the Triceps brachii muscle is shown, which was subjected to various triceps exercises.

1. Triceps Triangle Push Ups

One hundred percent of the overall muscle activation (Long Head: 100, Lateral Head: 100) was accounted for by the triangle push-ups, which generated the largest average EMG activity in both the long and lateral heads.

MISTAKE:

Triangle push–ups / diamond push-ups,” engage the triceps muscle at 100%, but they also encourage shoulder, elbow, and wrist ailments.” However, remember that putting your hands in for a diamond might jeopardize your shoulder health.

Close-grip pushups, on the other hand, will save your shoulders as well. The diamond pushup urges you to bend your elbow pits toward each other, which is a more comfortable posture when your hands are so thin, but doing so also reduces stress from your lats and puts your shoulders in internal rotation, which invites damage to your shoulder joint. By slightly widening your wrists, you can preserve tension in your lats and keep your shoulders in external rotation while still blasting your tris. 

2. Triceps Kickback

The triceps kickback is the second most effective triceps exercise, with around 87% muscular activation (Long Head: 88 ± 33.3, Lateral Head: 87 ± 23.7). Diamond push-ups, the most effective triceps exercise, aren’t too far behind either.

MISTAKE:

To effectively do a triceps kickback, you must also lean forward to ensure that the resistance is directed at the triceps. There are two common mistakes that individuals make while doing the movement: tightening their traps (raising their shoulders up near their ears) and employing too much momentum.

3. Triceps Dips

When it comes to triceps workouts, the third most effective and challenging one is the dip. The knees are bent in this variation, making the exercise more manageable. Increase the difficulty of the workout by extending your feet out in front of you. Combined muscle activation is 87% (Long Head: 87% ± 21.3; Lateral Head: 88% ± 20.0).

MISTAKE:

Keeping your elbows too widely apart and not dropping low enough.

You’re not working your triceps; instead, your legs are doing the work. It’s also dangerous to do the exercise too quickly without locking your arm at the conclusion of each repetition.

4. Overhead Triceps Extension

The fourth most effective triceps exercise is the overhead triceps extension, which activates roughly 76% of the muscle (Long Head: 81 ± 21.4, Lateral Head: 72 ± 16.5). As you drop the weight behind you, keep your arms close to your ears. Avoid arching your back by making sure your abs can contract.

MISTAKE:

When the elbows are pointing outward, and your back is arched while performing the overhead triceps extension, which will have an impact on the elbow joint. The range of motion is also limited or excessive, and the action itself is choppy.

5. Rope Push Down

74 percent of the muscle activation (Long Head: 81 ± 32.3, Lateral Head: 67 ± 15.7) during a rope pushdown, which is typically performed on a cable machine with a rope attachment. At the bottom of the exercise, the goal is to widen the rope so that the triceps muscle is truly activated.

MISTAKE:

At the bottom of a rope push-down, twisting your wrists out, returning to the top, and doing it again will work your wrist and forearm muscles even more, resulting in less activation of the major muscle. When executing this push down exercise, if the weight is overloaded, additional muscles will be activated, which will interfere with the primary muscle activation.

6.Bar Push Down

The bar pushdown is quite similar to the rope pushdown, but it is significantly less effective at 67% (Long Head: 75 ± 29.3, Lateral Head: 59 ± 14.3). You can execute this exercise with an exercise band and a little pole or bar threaded through the grips at home, but most gyms use a small bar attachment on a cable machine.

MISTAKE:

The act of letting go of control of the burden when it has become very heavy. The scapula is raised, the elbows are flared, and the arms are moved to complete the exercise. It’s vital to maintain the wrist in a neutral or slightly flexed position when doing this exercise, but not extended.

7. Lying-down Triceps Extension

Seventh place goes to lying-down triceps extensions (also known as skull crushers), which activate the muscles by roughly 62% (Long Head: 70 ± 20.9, Lateral Head: 55 ± 14.1). Even though this exercise is well-known for its difficulty, some people will be surprised by its relatively low activation rate.

MISTAKE:

Loosely lowering weight to face. A too-narrow or too-wide grip stresses the elbow. After overloading, let go of the weight. Raise your scapula, flare your elbow, and move your elbows. Extending the elbow instead of a neutral or slightly flexed wrist. 

8. Close Grip Bench Press

In eighth place is the close grip bench press, which activates the triceps around 62% (Long Head: 61 ± 16.9, Lateral Head: 63 ± 15.5) of the time. The triceps may not be working as hard as in previous workouts because of the large amount of chest involved in this maneuver.

MISTAKE:

When you grasp the bar too narrowly, your wrists are pulled into an uncomfortable, hyper-adducted posture, putting extra stress on them. The act of letting go of control of the burden when it has become very heavy. If aiming to touch the bar to the upper or mid chest, it will place stress on the elbow joint.

Some useful links:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-10-best-muscle-building-triceps-exercises.html

https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/3008/ace-study-identifies-best-triceps-exercises/

https://muscularstrength.com/article/Three-Triceps-Exercises-Skinny-Guys-Hardgainers

https://www.ntcc.edu/athletics/live-athlete/exercises/tricep-exercises

https://manofmany.com/lifestyle/fitness/best-tricep-exercises-for-men

https://www.thebarbell.com/science-says-the-best-and-worst-triceps-exercises/
The 5 Best Triceps Exercises for Building Mass & Strength

https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a759179/tricep-exercises-best-build-muscle/

https://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/triceps-exercises

https://barbend.com/best-triceps-exercises/

Written by

Dr. Neeraj Mehta, PhD

Clinical Biomechanics Scientist · Founder of GFFI Fitness Academy · Principal Investigator, MMSx Authority

Online course queries

Write to Dr. Neeraj Mehta, PhD directly

For every online course question, message Dr. Neeraj Mehta on WhatsApp or by email. WhatsApp is for messages only — please do not call this number.

Email neeraj.gffi@gmail.com

To speak to someone, call the campus office: +91 84474 31421

Turn reading into a qualification

Every GFFI course is available online in four languages, with a verifiable certificate.

See every course

Back to all articles

Keep reading

· 2 min read

Biomechanics of Overhead Single-Arm Farmer Carry

The overhead single-arm farmer carry is commonly treated as a shoulder or core exercise. This view is limited.

Read article →

· 5 min read

Why ‘Knees Out’ Is Silently Destroying 87% of Lifters’ Knees (And the 5-Line Fix That Adds 9 cm Depth Instantly)

Fifteen years ago, the fitness industry declared war on “Dynamic Knee Valgus” (knees caving in). The mission was noble: protect the ACL. The weapon of choice was a simple cue: “Push your knees out.”

Read article →

· 39 min read

From Pain to Performance: A Comparative Analysis of RICE versus MOVE Protocol in Elite Indian Athletes — A Multi-Center Retrospective Study (2023)

Protocol created by : MMSX AUTHORITY INSTITUTE FOR MOVEMENT MECHANICS & BIOMECHANICS RESEARCH, INC, USA

Read article →
Direct messageDr. Neeraj Mehta