Building a pair of sleeve-stretching arms is on the brain of many gym-goers, but nobody approaches it the same way: Some guys head straight for the cables to perform all manner of push-downs, while others embark on a 90-minute tour of every exercise they know. Alas, the result of either method is lackluster growth.
Never confuse activity with achievement. The best intentions can be undone first and foremost by making poor exercise choices. So let’s be perfectly clear: Some movements are better than others when it comes to building muscle. If you want to build titanic triceps—which make up roughly two-thirds of your arm mass, by the way—then you should check out the 10 exercises below. They’re the best for building solid back-arm mass.
Some of these exercises are validated by research, notably EMG studies, which measure the electrical activity of working muscles. Other choices are based on factors that include how difficult a movement is, how easy it is to overload, how unique it is compared to other movements, and where it fits best into your workout.
If you don’t see your favorite on this list, don’t fret! These 10 exercises aren’t enough to complete your entire triceps toolkit; they’re just the beginning. We welcome your input in the comments section for any other recommendations you may have!
SKULLCRUSHER
Why it’s on the list: The guys who literally wrote the book on how to optimize training with EMG-based exercise selection point to this as the best overall triceps activation exercise.1 While this move—also known as a French press or lying triceps extension—doesn’t necessarily isolate the lateral or long-triceps head more than the other exercises, the arm position perpendicular to your body combines the activity of the two heads to catapult this movement to the top of the list.
Why it’s on the list: The guys who literally wrote the book on how to optimize training with EMG-based exercise selection point to this as the best overall triceps activation exercise.1 While this move—also known as a French press or lying triceps extension—doesn’t necessarily isolate the lateral or long-triceps head more than the other exercises, the arm position perpendicular to your body combines the activity of the two heads to catapult this movement to the top of the list.
Why it’s on the list:If you’ve read any of our previous best-exercise articles, like those for chest and back, then you already know that we love compound (multijoint) exercises because they’re the best for muscle growth. Even though the three-headed triceps is a fairly small muscle group, there are a handful of multijoint movements that target it.
We’re big fans of bench pressing for triceps, because extending the elbows during those presses is a triceps workout in itself. Powerlifters have been doing this movement for ages, and they’re known for having some mighty large bazookas. One of the first EMG studies on pressing angles and muscle activation discovered that flat bench with a narrow grip activates the long head of the triceps to a greater extent than an inclined bench.1
To really torch your triceps, use a close grip, but keep your hands around 8-10 inches apart. Going with a closer grip doesn’t put any more stress on your arm, but it does increase the strain on your wrists. Tuck your elbows to decrease the amount of stress on your pecs and shoulders while increasing the demand on your triceps.2
In your workout: Place this movement first or second in your workout. Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps.
WEIGHTED PARALLEL-BAR DIP
Why it’s on the list: This is another multijoint movement for triceps, so it’s toward the front of the line—especially weighted, which makes it more ideal than bodyweight dips for building mass. Attaching a belt around your waist with plates can increase the resistance so you fail within the target rep range of 8-12 ideal for muscle growth.
To focus your dips on the triceps, keep your body as vertical as possible—don’t lean forward, which hits your chest—and keep those elbows tight to your sides. Think dips don’t work for you? Take a look at any male gymnast; that’s the definition of horseshoe triceps!
In your workout: While there’s a pretty high degree of muscle recruitment with dips, it’s oftentimes best to push them later in your workouts. Start your triceps training by slinging big weights with presses, and then use dips in the middle of your workout to flush those arms with blood. Load up your dip belt and shoot for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps!
WEIGHTED BENCH DIP
Why it’s on the list: Another dip? Yep. EMG evidence suggests that there’s substantial triceps activation during a bodyweight bench dip.3 How can we make this even better? By bumping up the load with added weight! Any time we increase the mechanical load, metabolic stress, and mechanical stress to a muscle fiber, we can increase the recruitment of repair proteins normally present.
This multijoint movement is similar to the machine dip, but it requires a partner to place weights across your thighs and positioning two flat benches the right distance apart. Dropsets are easy to do; just remove a plate to extend your set.
In your workout: Put this in the middle or end of your workout. If you are feeling super fatigued, this may not be the best exercise, since your shoulders could end up in a compromised position rounding forward. Shoot for 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
TRICEPS DIP MACHINE
Why it’s on the list: This compound exercise makes it especially easy to find a weight that targets your desired rep range. If you’re training for strength, simply move the pin to a heavier load than if you’re training for hypertrophy (8-12 reps). You’ll likely need to strap yourself in, but this move also makes it easy to do forced reps (with a partner), dropsets, or even rest-pause to boost your intensity.
In your workout: Do this early or in the middle of your workout for 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps. You can also finish with this movement to flush the triceps with high reps. Most trainees mess up here by failing to go to full extension and stopping short of fully bending their elbows, so keep full range of motion in mind.