Best Triceps Exercises

The best triceps exercises are the close-grip bench press for heavy loading, the triceps dip for loadable bodyweight work, the rope overhead extension for the long head, the triceps push-down for cheap volume, and the skull crusher for isolation you can add small weight jumps to. Work elbows-at-side and elbows-overhead positions in the same week.

The 5 best triceps exercises

  1. Close-Grip Bench PressHeavy compound

    The heaviest triceps-biased press: shoulder-width grip, elbows tucked, and small weight jumps week to week.

  2. Triceps DipLoadable bodyweight

    Start at bodyweight, add a dip belt later, and keep the torso near-vertical to bias triceps over chest.

  3. Rope Overhead ExtensionLong-head stretch

    Elbows overhead and pointed forward stretch the long head, and the cable holds tension in that stretched position.

  4. Triceps Push-DownHigh-rep isolation

    Cheapest place to add sets: elbows pinned to your ribs, no balance demand, easy to push near failure.

  5. Skull CrusherEZ-bar isolation

    Lower the bar behind your head, not to your nose, and the EZ bar keeps wrists comfortable.

Every triceps exercise (9)

Below is every triceps movement in the FORMA library, with demos, form cues and the mistakes that show up most. Filter by equipment if you are training at home or waiting on a cable stack.

Triceps Dip demonstrationTriceps DipTriceps · BodyweightTriceps Push-Down demonstrationTriceps Push-DownTriceps · CableSkull Crusher demonstrationSkull CrusherTriceps · EZ BarClose-Grip Bench Press demonstrationClose-Grip Bench PressTriceps · BarbellOverhead Triceps Extension demonstrationOverhead Triceps ExtensionTriceps · DumbbellRope Overhead Extension demonstrationRope Overhead ExtensionTriceps · CableTriceps Kickback demonstrationTriceps KickbackTriceps · DumbbellDiamond Push-Up demonstrationDiamond Push-UpTriceps · BodyweightBench Dip demonstrationBench DipTriceps · Bodyweight

Common questions

How many sets of triceps work do I need per week?

Ten to twenty hard sets a week covers most lifters, and your pressing counts toward that total. If you bench and overhead press twice a week, four to eight direct triceps sets on top is usually enough. Split them across two sessions and keep most of those reps between 8 and 15.

Do I need overhead triceps work, or are push-downs enough?

You need both. Push-downs train the triceps with the upper arm at your side; the long head crosses the shoulder, so it only reaches full stretch when your elbows are overhead. Pick one overhead movement, like the rope overhead extension or a skull crusher lowered behind your head, plus one elbows-at-side movement each week.

What can I do for triceps with no equipment?

Diamond push-ups and bench dips. Diamond push-ups put the hands close under the chest with the elbows tracking near the ribs, which shifts load off the chest and onto the triceps. Bench dips get harder the further you walk your feet out; stop lowering when the upper arms reach about parallel to the floor. Slow the lowering to three seconds once reps get easy.

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