Triceps

About the Triceps

Your triceps straighten your elbow joint, like when you do a push-up. They work opposite to your biceps. When you push something away from you, your triceps are working.

Long Head: Runs along the inside of your arm. It's the only triceps head that also helps move your shoulder.
Lateral Head: On the outside of your arm. It's the most visible part of your triceps.
Medial Head: Deep muscle under the other two heads. It's the first triceps head that activates when you start straightening your arm.

Best Triceps exercises

Triceps extend the elbow and are most of your upper-arm mass. Overhead extensions bias the long head; pressdowns and close-grip presses add load.

Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press (barbell)
Bench Press - Powerlifting (barbell)
Reverse Band Bench Press (barbell)
Reverse Triceps Bench Press (barbell)
Bench Press with Chains (barbell)
Bench Dips (body only)
Body Tricep Press (body only)
Cable Incline Triceps Extension (cable)

Common mistakes

Flaring elbows on skull crushers until the bar drifts over the face.
Cutting the lockout because the weight is too heavy.
Only doing pressdowns and never stretching the long head overhead.

Log Triceps work in Easy Reps

Open the lift in the app library, log weight and reps, and PRs update when you earn them. No account and no subscription. Download Easy Reps or browse the full exercise library.