The Ultimate Guide to the Best Tricep Exercises for Mass
Are you tired of doing endless arm workouts but still not seeing the growth you want? It's a common problem. Many of us focus on the wrong exercises or use sloppy form, which means a lot of wasted time and effort. If your arms have hit a plateau, I've got good news for you.
"Did you know your triceps make up about two-thirds of your upper arm mass? If you want bigger arms, you have to prioritize triceps. It's that simple."
This guide is your new game plan. We've looked at the science, including muscle activation studies, and combined it with tried-and-true advice from experienced lifters. We’ll rank the best tricep exercises, show you how to do them right, and even give you sample workouts. But remember, the best exercises are only part of the puzzle. Real muscle growth happens when you recover properly. To support your body's recovery process, managing stress and getting quality sleep is key. A supplement designed to promote relaxation can be a helpful tool in your arsenal. You can see the details on one we find useful.
Quick Comparison: The Top 5 Tricep Exercises for Muscle Growth
To make things easy, here’s a quick look at our top picks. This table will help you decide which exercises are right for you based on your goals and what equipment you have.
Exercise — Primary Benefit — Equipment Needed — Difficulty Level
Tricep Dips — Overall Mass & Strength — Parallel Bars or Bench — Intermediate
Close-Grip Bench Press — Heavy Overload & Strength — Barbell, Bench — Intermediate
Skull Crushers — Long Head Isolation — EZ-Bar or Dumbbells — Beginner/Intermediate
Overhead Triceps Extension — Deep Stretch & Long Head — Dumbbell or Cable — Beginner/Intermediate
Cable Pushdown — Definition & Isolation — Cable Machine — Beginner
Remember, your body builds muscle when it's resting, not when it's lifting. Supporting your recovery is crucial for seeing results from these exercises.
1. Tricep Dips (Best for Overall Mass & Strength)
If you could only do one tricep exercise, dips would be a top contender. It's a compound movement, meaning it works multiple joints and muscles at once. This allows you to lift heavy and put a ton of stress on all three heads of the triceps, which is exactly what you need for growth. EMG studies confirm that dips are one of the best exercises for muscle activation.
How to do it right:
- Grip the bars: Use parallel bars about shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your torso upright: This is key! Leaning forward turns it into a chest exercise. Stay as vertical as possible to keep the focus on your triceps.
- Lower yourself: Bend your elbows and lower your body until your shoulders are about level with your elbows. Keep your elbows tucked in, not flared out to the sides.
- Press back up: Drive through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position. Squeeze your triceps at the top.
If you're a beginner, you can start with bench dips, placing your hands on a bench and your feet on the floor. As you get stronger, you can add weight using a dip belt.
2. Close-Grip Bench Press (Best for Heavy Overload)
This is the ultimate strength and mass builder for your triceps. By simply moving your hands closer together on the barbell, you shift the emphasis from your chest to your triceps. This lets you move heavy weight, which is fantastic for building dense muscle. Plus, getting stronger at this will help your regular bench press and other pressing movements.
How to do it right:
- Grip width: Place your hands on the bar just inside shoulder-width. Going too narrow can strain your wrists. A good starting point is having your hands about 10-15 inches apart.
- Tuck your elbows: As you lower the bar, keep your elbows tucked close to your body. Don't let them flare out. This protects your shoulders and maximizes tricep engagement.
- Lower to your chest: Bring the bar down to your lower chest or upper stomach, then press it back up powerfully, focusing on locking out your elbows to squeeze the triceps.
3. Skull Crushers / Lying Triceps Extension (Best for Targeting the Long Head)
To get that impressive hang on the back of your arm, you need to develop the long head of the triceps. Skull crushers are one of the best isolation exercises to do just that. Because you're lying down with your arms perpendicular to your body, you put the long head in a unique position to do most of the work.
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The key here is strict form. Lie on a bench and hold an EZ-bar or dumbbells above your chest. Keeping your upper arms completely still, hinge only at your elbows to lower the weight towards your forehead. Go for a good stretch, then use your triceps to extend your arms back to the start. If you feel elbow pain, try using dumbbells with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip, which is often more comfortable. Intense isolation exercises like this create a lot of muscle damage, which is why recovery is so important. Ensuring you're in a relaxed state with quality sleep helps your body repair and grow. See our recommended support for recovery here.
4. Overhead Triceps Extension (Best for a Deep Stretch)
This is another fantastic exercise for hitting the long head. Why? Because the long head is the only part of the tricep that crosses the shoulder joint. When you lift your arm overhead, you put the long head into a deep stretch. Training a muscle in a stretched position is a powerful trigger for growth. Studies have even shown that overhead extensions can lead to more long-head growth compared to pushdowns.
You can do this exercise standing or seated, using one or two dumbbells. The most important thing is to get a full range of motion. Lower the weight slowly behind your head, feeling a deep stretch in your triceps, then extend all the way to the top. A great alternative is using a cable with a rope attachment, which provides constant tension throughout the entire movement.
5. Cable Pushdown (The Ultimate Finisher for Definition)
Walk into any gym, and you'll see someone doing cable pushdowns. There's a reason they're so popular. This isolation exercise is perfect for the end of your workout. It's great for pumping blood into the muscle and carving out that classic "horseshoe" look, which comes from developing the lateral head of the tricep.
The secret is form. Pin your elbows to your sides and don't let them move. Use only your triceps to press the bar or rope down—don't use your body weight or momentum to cheat. You can use different attachments to slightly change the focus. Research suggests a rope may activate the triceps slightly more than a straight bar because it allows you to separate your hands at the bottom for a stronger contraction.
6. Triangle Push-Up (Best Bodyweight Tricep Exercise)
No equipment? No problem. According to a study from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the triangle push-up (also called a diamond push-up) is the single most effective bodyweight exercise for triceps, showing the highest muscle activation. It's tough, but it works.
To do it, get into a push-up position but place your hands close together on the floor directly under your chest. Touch your index fingers and thumbs together to form a triangle or diamond shape. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels and lower your chest toward your hands. If it's too hard, you can perform them on your knees to build up strength.
How to Build Your Ultimate Triceps Workout (Sample Routines)
Now, let's put it all together. Here are three sample routines you can use, depending on your experience and equipment.
Workout A: Beginner Mass Builder
- Bench Dips: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Cable Pushdowns: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Workout B: Advanced Strength & Size
- Close-Grip Bench Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Tricep Dips (Weighted if possible): 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Overhead Cable Extensions: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Workout C: At-Home Dumbbell & Bodyweight
- Triangle Push-ups (or on knees): 3 sets to failure
- Overhead Dumbbell Extensions (Seated): 4 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps per arm
To get the most out of these workouts, you need to focus on recovery. That means getting enough sleep and managing stress so your body can rebuild the muscle you've worked so hard to break down.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tricep Training
How often should I train triceps?
For most people, training triceps directly 1-2 times per week is plenty. They also get worked during chest and shoulder exercises, so they need time to recover. A good approach is 10-20 total sets per week.
Why are my elbows hurting during tricep exercises?
Elbow pain is often a sign of using too much weight with poor form or not warming up properly. For exercises like skull crushers, make sure you're controlling the weight and not letting your elbows flare out. If it hurts, stop, lower the weight, and focus on perfect technique.
What's better for triceps: cables or free weights?
Both are excellent! Free weights (barbells and dumbbells) are amazing for heavy overload on exercises like the close-grip bench press. Cables are fantastic for maintaining constant tension on the muscle, which is great for isolation exercises like pushdowns and overhead extensions. A complete triceps workout uses a mix of both.
My triceps still aren't growing, what am I doing wrong?
If you're training hard and your triceps still won't grow, it usually comes down to three things: technique, volume, or recovery. Make sure your form is perfect on every rep. But most often, the issue is outside the gym. Are you eating enough protein? Are you getting enough quality sleep? Is stress holding you back? If your growth has stalled, it's time to fix your recovery strategy. This supplement is designed to help with that.
Conclusion: Combine Smart Training with Smart Recovery
Building impressive arms isn't complicated. The plan is simple: prioritize compound movements like Dips and the Close-Grip Bench Press to build a foundation of strength and mass. Then, add in isolation exercises like Skull Crushers and Overhead Extensions to target the long head and pushdowns to carve out detail. But remember, the hard work you do in the gym is just the stimulus. Real growth happens when you rest, recover, and sleep. Don't let poor recovery undermine your efforts.
You have the exercises. Now, master your recovery. To support relaxation and high-quality sleep, a dedicated supplement can be a powerful tool. Click here to unlock your full recovery potential and finally build the arms you've been working for.