The triceps muscle is one of the most critical muscles in the upper body. Located on the back of the arm, it helps to straighten and extend the elbow and plays a crucial role in many exercises. Here are seven of the best triceps exercises, all of which can be done at home without equipment.
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1. Diamond Push-Ups
Diamond Push-Ups are an advanced exercise, but don’t let that intimidate you! This challenging move strengthens your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s also great for improving stability in the upper body and core.
To perform Diamond Push-Ups:
- Start in a plank position with your hands in a diamond shape.
- Lower your torso until the tops of your shoulder blades touch the floor while simultaneously keeping a straight line through your body.
- Press up, returning to a plank position with your hands in a diamond shape–that’s one rep!
As always, it’s essential to protect yourself by starting slow and increasing repetitions as you feel comfortable. Give them a shot if you’re ready to take on Diamond Push-Ups and build strength quickly!
2. Triceps Kickbacks
Triceps kickbacks are a great way to build strength in your arms. This exercise is easy to do at home or in the gym and just requires some dumbbells! All you have to do is hold a weight in each hand and stand with one foot forward and slightly bent. Then, bring both of your hands up, so they are behind you at shoulder height with your palm facing away from you. From there, move your elbow back while ensuring it stays close to your torso.
Keep going until both arms are extended behind you and return to start, then switch legs. It’s a simple but effective mar that can really help you tone and strengthen your triceps muscles!
3. Triceps Dips
Triceps dips are an excellent exercise for toning your arms and getting a good triceps stretch! It’s simple to do and doesn’t require any gym equipment. All you need is a sturdy chair or even just a couch or bench around the house. To perform the exercise, sit on the chair with your hands gripping the edge and walk your feet out so that only your heels make contact with the ground.
Then lower your body weight towards the floor until your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle, then lift back up. You’ll notice improved strength and tone with regular practice in no time!
4. Overhead Triceps Extensions
Overhead triceps extensions are an effective exercise to help strengthen the back of your arms. They can be done with a dumbbell, barbell, resistance band, or cable machine at the gym. In each case, you want to keep your elbow close to your head and the palm of your hand facing up while lifting.
Make sure you’re doing slow and controlled reps to really feel that burn in the triceps muscle. Slow, controlled reps will also minimize stress and potential injury to other areas of your body during this exercise. With some practice, overhead triceps extensions can help shape those coveted Triceps muscles!
5. Rope Pushdowns
Rope pushdowns are a great way to hit those back and shoulder muscles that are often neglected. This simple exercise uses just one piece of equipment: the rope attachment. To begin, start by gripping the handles at chest level, then extend your arms until they’re fully extended, and ensure your elbows remain close to your body.
The movement should be slow and controlled to maximize the engagement of the muscles. Next, pause for a moment at the top before returning to chest level, making sure to keep your arms tight throughout each rep.
Performing multiple reps of this exercise effectively builds strength while toning out those trouble spots that can be difficult to reach with other workouts!
6. Bar Pushdowns
Bar pushdowns are an easy-to-master exercise that is ideal for building muscle in your arms. By using a bar attached to a cable, you can do both single-arm and double-arm variations of the pushdown. The exercise will help build up your upper arm muscles, but it’s also practical enough to target specific areas, like the triceps and deltoids, to make them stronger without adding bulk.
Performing bar pushdowns consistently over time can help you develop toned arms, making them look more aesthetically pleasing and strengthening them overall..
7. Lying Triceps Extensions
Lying triceps extensions are one of the best exercises for toning up and strengthening your triceps. Easily done at home, this move is an efficient way to add intensity to your upper arm workouts and build more muscular arms. To start, lie on your back with a weight in each hand so that your arms extend straight up, then lower your arms until they are in line with your chest, elbows pointed towards the ceiling.
Feel the burn as you use only the strength of your triceps to push them back up again. If you want to take this exercise up a notch, add more weight or create more reps for an even more significant challenge.
Benefits of Triceps Exercises
A strong set of triceps muscles are a vital component for ensuring other parts of your body can move correctly, especially if you do activities like running, weightlifting or playing sports. Strong triceps can also help to improve posture and reduce the risk of injuries. Performing regular triceps exercises will help you to reap the following benefits:
Increased upper body strength:
As your triceps muscles become stronger and better conditioned, you’ll be able to lift heavier weights and increase your overall upper body strength.
Improved posture:
Strengthening and conditioning the triceps helps them to support the shoulder blades better, aiding in establishing a good posture throughout daily activities.
Reduced chance of shoulder injury:
Stronger triceps provide additional stability for shoulder movement, reducing the risk of straining it during physical activity.
Protection from tendinitis:
Strengthening triceps muscles can avoid some cases of elbow pain caused by chronic tendinitis and strengthen other muscles around them.