What it lets you do
- Pushing yourself up out of a deep armchair on the armrests.
- Closing a car trunk that's packed too full.
- Throwing a ball far enough that the dog actually has to run.
Back to the muscle map
Triceps
Two-thirds of the upper arm and the lockout on every press.
- 22
- Primary muscle
- 52
- Secondary muscle
Two thirds of your arm's total size sits on the back of it. If you want bigger arms, this is the one, not the biceps.
Where you feel it
The back of your upper arm, hardest right at the point where your elbow locks out straight. Stop short of straight and you skip the part where it works most.
If you skip it
Your arms quit on anything that pushes your bodyweight upward. Out of a low chair, up off the floor, back onto your feet.
Anatomy and function
The triceps brachii has three heads: long, lateral and medial. All three extend the elbow. The long head also crosses the shoulder joint and attaches to the shoulder blade, so it is stretched most when the arm is overhead. The lateral head gives the arm its outer shape and the medial head works on every rep, especially near lockout.
The triceps make up most of the upper arm mass and finish every pressing movement: bench press, overhead press, dips and push-ups. Strong triceps are the difference between a rep that stalls halfway and one that locks out.
How to train it
The volume and frequency below are programming starting points for the triceps, to be adjusted to each person's level and recovery.
- Rep ranges
- 6-10 reps on close-grip presses and dips, 10-15 reps on extensions and pushdowns
- Frequency
- 2 sessions per week, often paired with chest or shoulders
Key movement patterns
- Close-grip press or dip for heavy loading
- Overhead extension for the long head
- Pushdown (cable, rope, bar) for the lateral and medial heads
- Skull crusher or lying extension
Common mistakes
- 01
Flaring the elbows on pushdowns so the chest and shoulders help.
- 02
Never training the arm overhead, which leaves the long head under-stretched.
- 03
Using so much weight on skull crushers that the elbows hurt.
- 04
Stopping short of full extension, where the triceps contract hardest.
Exercises for this muscle
74 matching exercises
Primary muscle22
MET 4.5
Bench Triceps Dip
MET 3.5
Overhead Cable Rope Tricep Extension
MET 4.5
Dip Machine
MET 4
Assisted Dip Machine
MET 5
Close Grip Push-Ups
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Triceps Extension
MET 3.5
Cable Triceps Pushdown – Rope
MET 3.5
Cable Triceps Pushdown – Straight Bar
MET 3.5
Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdown – Straight Bar
MET 3.5
One Arm Cable Triceps Pushdown – Straight Handle
MET 3.5
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension – Rope (High Pulley)
MET 3
Cable Tricep Kickback
MET 3.5
One Arm Raw Cable Triceps Pushdown – No Handle
MET 3.5
Overhead Bar Triceps Extension – Low Pulley
MET 5
Bench Triceps Dip – Legs Extended
MET 3.5
Two-Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
MET 3.5
One Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
MET 3
Dumbbell Bent Over Kickback
MET 5.5
Weighted Bench Dip – Dumbbell
MET 4.5
Dumbbell Tate Press
MET 3.5
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Secondary muscle52
MET 8
Mountain Climber – Cross Body Dynamic
MET 3.5
Elbow to hand plank
MET 6.5
Bear Crawl
MET 6
Crab Kick
MET 8
Mountain Climber – Dynamic
MET 7.5
Mountain Climber – Cross Body
MET 7.5
Mountain Climber
MET 5
Dumbbell Turkish Get-Up
MET 5
Barbell Bench Press
MET 5
Decline Bench Press
MET 4.5
Incline Dumbbell Press with Rotation
MET 5
Incline Barbell Bench Press
MET 4.5
Seated Chest Press Machine
MET 4.5
Seated Incline Chest Press Machine
MET 4
Knee Push-Up
MET 4.5
Push-Ups
MET 9
Burpee – With Push-Up
MET 5
Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 5
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Pullover
MET 5
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 4
Incline Push-Ups
MET 4.5
Decline Push-Ups
MET 4.5
Wide Push-Up
MET 8
Dumbbell Burpee with Push-Up
MET 4.5
Alternating Incline Dumbbell Press
MET 4.5
Dumbbell Reverse Rotational Bench Press
MET 4.5
One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 4.5
Dumbbell Press with Rotation
MET 4.5
Incline Dumbbell Press – Alternating
MET 4.5
Single-arm incline dumbbell bench press
MET 4.5
Incline Reverse-Grip Dumbbell Press
MET 4
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
MET 4.5
Reverse Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 4.5
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
MET 4.5
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
MET 4.5
Bench Press Machine
MET 4.5
Incline Chest Press – Machine
MET 8
SkiErg
MET 9
Burpee – Lateral Jump
MET 6.5
Dumbbell Thruster
MET 7
Dumbbell Clean
MET 5
Seated Overhead Press – Barbell
MET 4.5
Seated Shoulder Press – Machine
MET 5
Dumbbell Arnold Press – Seated
MET 5
Dumbbell Z Press
MET 9
Dumbbell Devil Press
MET 5.5
Z Press – One Arm Dumbbell
MET 5
Seated Alternating Arnold Press – Dumbbells
MET 5.5
Push Press with Dumbbells
MET 5
Barbell Overhead Press
MET 5.5
Barbell Push Press
Frequently asked questions
Are triceps more important than biceps for arm size?
For sheer size, yes. The triceps are the larger muscle of the upper arm, so adding a few sets of extensions and dips usually does more for arm measurements than extra curls.
Why do my elbows hurt on triceps exercises?
Usually from heavy skull crushers or pushdowns done with too much load and too little warm-up. Reduce the weight, slow the eccentric, and start the session with cable work before free-weight extensions.
Do I need direct triceps work if I bench press?
Pressing hits the triceps, but overhead extensions are the only way to fully stretch the long head. One or two direct movements per week rounds out development.
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