Triceps Exercises with Weights

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Barbell Tricep Exercises

Tricep Extensions - EZ Bar Plus Progression

This is a triceps exercise, strength based.

1. Feet hip width apart as you lie down on the bench.

2. Elbows are facing forward and the humorous is facing the ceiling.

3. Nice stable position, elbows drawn in.

4. Draw your core in.

5. Upper arm is facing the ceiling as you lift.

6. If the load is too heavy, you will drive up through the leg and arch the back. Do not do this because this will lose the purpose of this exercise.

7. Increase the intensity by lifting arms back over head and there is much more tension through the movement.

8. Keep stability with spine flat on the bench and hips neutral. The movement is from the triceps.

Barbell French Press (mouseover photo)

Use the EZ Bar if you have any wrist issues. See above.

1. Push barbell up above chest (usually at nipples). Tuck elbows straight in front of you, parallel to ground.

2. Lower weight only from elbows with shoulders in the same fixed position.

3. Stop when barbell is one or two inches from forehead and reverse.

4. Don't lock elbows at the top of the movement.

Muscles Benefited: Triceps.

Narrow Grip Barbell Bench Press

This is a strength exercise for the chest and triceps, but primarily the triceps.

1. Use a safe spotting technique with four hands on the bar – you will have your spotter assist you with lifting the bar off to you.

2. Hands should be shoulder width apart.

3. Try not to use the old school method of hands close together on the bar because this stresses the wrists.

4. The upper body has the shoulders down and the lumbar spine presses into the bench.

5. Be careful to not lift with your legs and spine off the bench. The spine should remain flat on the bench and the hips neutral. In other words, do not lift your hips off the bench when pressing the bar up.

6. Knee over the second toe, neutral hips and feet slightly apart on the ground.

7. Forearms stay in a nice and still position as you lift the barbell up and down.

8. Use a spotter to hand the barbell back up.

Triceps Dumbbell Exercises

Standing Dumbbell One Arm Overhead Triceps Extension

1. Feet hip width apart.

2. Gently raise the hand up, with core engaged.

3. Couple of compensations we might see: head moving over the shoulder, chin moving forward.

4. Good form with hand up and a good extension through the shoulder maintaining the neutral position.

Prone Ball Alternate Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension

The focus of this exercise is on stability and strength.

1. Lying across a stability ball with your chest down and centered over the ball. Use a dumbbell in each hand and start with a lower weight when beginning this exercise.

2. Keep legs extended out behind you in a straight line.

3. Hips are kept neutral and feet are apart. Watch out for excessive curvature of the spine.

4. Good form should be shoulders inline with back and hips neutral.

5. Elbow extensions alternating with a dumbbell in each hand.

6. Extend elbow back slowly and well controlled.

7. Make sure that the spine remains straight and does not arch as you work through each repetition.

Supine Dumbbell Alternate Arm Triceps Extensions

Use of bench and dumbbells.

1. Knees inline with toes (second toe).

2. Elbows facing forward.

3. 90 degrees through the humorous and the body.

4. Do not curve the spine.

Supine Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Use of bench and dumbbells. (0 digress between body and humorous.)

1. Maintain good alignment.

2. Possible compensations we may see: chin poking up or possible excessive extension of the lumbar.

3. Good form: Core drawn in, neutral form, elbows facing forward, good extension, follow all the way through.

Seated Single Overhead Triceps Extension

Targeting triceps.

1. Seated with knees over the second toe.

2. Good alignment with hips in neutral and ears aligned with the shoulders.

3. Keep shoulders pulled back slightly.

4. Lift dumbbell behind the head and slightly turned out.

5. Keep a smooth arch position (spine).

6. Core remains drawn in with head in neutral position and not out of line. Do not allow the head to move forward. Do not deviate from the correct position by allowing the head to move towards the arm.

7. During this movement, keep spine neutral.

Gym Machines

Extension Machine Tricep Pushdown

Movement is isolated through the triceps.

Use triceps extension machine.

1. Seated on machine with back neutral – pressed flat against machine.

2. Remain stable. Feet are flat on the floor with knees lined up with the second toe. Spine remains neutral. Ears are inline with the shoulder.

3. Match elbow with machine height at the pivot point.

4. Isolate through the elbow during the lift and avoid movement through the shoulder.

5. Maintain an open shoulder during the lift and the lift is controlled.

6. Do not flex the spine during this movement or use the abdominals.

Machine French Press (mouseover photo)

1. Sit forward with chest up and maintain natural curve of spine.

2. Set seat height, so that pivot arm of machine aligns with elbow joints. This is usually specified on the right side of the machine.

3. Elbows flush on pad, turned comfortably in.

4. Push weight away and reverse motion before full extension or locking joints.

Muscles Benefited: Triceps.

Cable Machine Triceps Exercises

Standing Cable Pushdowns Using a Rope

This exercise targets the triceps.

1. Feet are hip width apart and the hips remain neutral and elbows are tucked in.

2. As you pull the rope back, keep a slight extension in the shoulders.

3. Keep shoulder blades down and squeeze together when pulling rope down.

4. During the exercise, keep ears inline with the shoulders.

Standing Cable Pushdowns - Straight Bar

This exercise targets the triceps.

Use of cable machine and straight bar.

1. Begin with feet hip width apart and knees over second toe. Hips remain neutral.

2. Take a secure grip with thumbs under the bar.

3. Maintain good posture when bringing bar down to body. Shoulders remain down and relaxed and we are using the core of the body.

4. Chin should be tucked in and elbows remain in a fixed position.

5. Remember to not allow shoulders to move away from the body when pulling bar down. Also, don’t lean forward and try to use Bodyweight to pull the bar down. If you need to do this, you should reduce the amount of weight you are using.

Standing Cable Pushdowns - V Bar

This works the triceps. Lowered traps are working as well.

Use of cable machine and V bar.

Good for people who have limited range of movement.

1. Hips in neutral and feet hip width apart and ears in alignment with the shoulder.

2. Shoulders are nice and relaxed.

3. Elbows are tucked into the body. Note that the elbow goes just above 90 degrees.

4. Make sure that elbows do not move away from the body or that the spine arches.

The Best Tricep Exercises?

Best Triceps Exercises

Watch this video from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). It's all about a research study they funded to determine the best triceps exercises.

In summery, the winners or most effective were: the triangle pushup, dips and triceps kickback. Thank you, ACE!

Tricep Exercises at Home without Weights - Try Tricep Band Exercises

Resistance Band Tricep Pushdown

1. Stand upright with feet spaced shoulder width apart or with one in front of the other (staggered). Do not lockout knees.

2. Keep chest up, shoulder girdle relaxed and spine naturally curved.

3. Turn elbows in next to sides before pushing down.

4. Reverse motion before arms are completely straight (no joint locking).

Muscles Benefited: Triceps.

Resistance Band French Press (mouseover photo)

1. Rap tube around seat of chair. For more resistance, loop again.

2. Sit up, relax chest, pull abs in and push handles above shoulders to full extension.

3. Rotate elbows forward (parallel to ground) and lower hands from elbows without shoulder movement.

4. Stop when your arms reach a 90 degrees angle and reverse.

5. Do not lock joints at top.

Muscles Benefited: Triceps.

Matthew Johnson (Google+) is a certified personal trainer, nutrition expert and an on-line fitness consultant that started ChangingShape.com back in 2001.

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