Tricep Exercises
Looking for a great tricep workout? Today we are discussing exercises for all three muscles of the tricep brachii: the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head. Whether you include triceps with your chest day, or they have their own special day, you're going to love these exercises. Click the image below to watch exercise demos for the ultimate tricep workout. Or, keep reading to learn more about different exercises for different parts of your tricep.
Joint Actions
As the name would indicate, the TRICEP muscle has three sections. We're going to give you exercises for all three of muscles: the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head. All three heads are responsible for elbow extension, but the long head, also crosses the shoulder joint. Because the long head is bi-lateral, you may also feel tricep stimulation when doing back exercises like the lat pulldown.
And because we believe in muscular balance, we also think you should be performing elbow flexion at some point during the week. You can easily accomplish elbow flexion by working out your biceps. Click the image below to watch a video about the BEST exercise for your biceps. Or, you can click this link to read more about the biceps.
The Lateral Head
The lateral head of the tricep sits on the outermost part of the posterior upper arm. The lateral head is mainly responsible for elbow extension. The best exercise for the lateral head is tricep pressdowns (pictured below). Keep your elbow against your torso and press the handle down against a challenging resistance. Rest and repeat for 2 to 3 sets.
Not sure how long to rest between sets? Click this link to read more about Resting Between Sets for Your Goals.
The Medial Head
The medial head of the tricep is hidden in between, and beneath, the other two heads. Like the other two heads, the medial head also performs elbow extension; but, a unique characteristic of the medial head is that it assists with forearm extension. Therefore, when you have a supinated grip like the one used with reverse grip pressdowns (pictured below), you will target the medial head a little more than the other two heads.
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The Long Head
The long head of the tricep is located on the inner most part of the posterior upper arm. Just like the other two muscles, the long head of the tricep brachii is also responsible for elbow extension. However, the long head of the tricep also crosses the shoulder joint, which makes it an assistor muscle for shoulder adduction and shoulder extension. This means that the long head of the tricep is also worked during pulldown exercises. Now you know why your tricep is occasionally sore after a back workout.
Speaking of back exercises, did you know the lat pulldown is one of the best exercises for your back? There are several hand grips for the lat pulldowns and we've studied all of them. Click the image below to see which lat pulldown exercise is rated #1.
Therefore, if you want to target the long head of the tricp, it's best to setup with your elbow anterior to your torso, like in skull crushers. You can also use cables to target the long head by performing overhead cable extensions. See the video for more info a variety of tricep exercises.
And, if you have more questions on tricep exercises, or, you need help with an exercise and/or nutrition plan, click the image below to consult with a PFTA certified personal trainer.
Dips
You can do any of the exercises above and get a great workout for your triceps; but, if you did several more movements, you may get a better workout. For example, not all dip exercises are created equal.
Dips are a very popular tricep exercise; but, are you doing them correctly? If you lean your torso too far forward, then you will emphasize more chest and less triceps. In fact, dips done in this manner are a great addition to your chest day. Therefore, if you want to emphasize your triceps more than your pec muscles, keep your torso more vertical (pictured below). Using a bench to help keep your torso more vertical will emphasize more tricep brachii and less pectoralis major. Exercise demos in the tricep video above.
Kickbacks
Kickbacks are another popular exercise; but, I see them done incorrectly almost on a daily basis. When performing dumbbell kickbacks, make sure you are not using momentum. Using momentum will lessen the intensity on your triceps. In fact, swinging the weight back and forth really alternates the work between your bicep and your tricep. In order to emphasize the triceps brachii, you should stop the movement just short of perpendicular to the floor. Or, you can use cables to keep a constant tension on your tricep. Using cables will eliminate the bicep muscles, and cables will also lessen momentum.
Knowledge is Power
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Deltoids
Like the tricep muscle, the deltoid muscle also has three distinct heads that require different exercises. Click this link to learn more about Exercising All 3 Deltoid Muscles.
Summary
All the above are wonderful tricep exercises, and just one of them would be great addition to your tricep workout! But, it would be even better if your did several exercises for your triceps to make sure you attack your triceps with different angles and different movements. If you have any questions on triceps or any other muscles, make sure you contact a PFTA certified personal trainer. If you want to learn more about personal training, set up your visit today! Happy health and happy training!!
Written By
RAEscobar, PFTA instructor and personal trainer