To grow your triceps, combine a heavy press (close-grip bench or dips) with an overhead extension that stretches the long head, and finish with a pushdown. Aim for 6–12 hard sets of direct triceps work per week on top of your normal pressing, and add weight or reps over time. The overhead part is the one most people skip, and it’s the one with the strongest evidence behind it.
The three heads of the triceps
| Head | Position | Crosses the shoulder? | Best trained by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long head | Inner back of the arm, the biggest head | Yes | Overhead extensions, skull crushers |
| Lateral head | Outer back of the arm, the “horseshoe” | No | Pushdowns, close-grip pressing, dips |
| Medial head | Deep, near the elbow | No | Works in every triceps exercise |
All three straighten the elbow. Only the long head also attaches to the shoulder blade, so it also helps pull your arm down and back. That’s the key to training it well: its length depends on where your arm is.
The triceps matter a lot for arm size. An MRI study measured the triceps at about 372 cm³ on average, compared with about 144 cm³ for the biceps (Holzbaur et al., 2007). For the full arm picture, see how to get bigger arms.
Why overhead extensions matter most
When your arm is raised overhead, the long head is stretched before you even bend the elbow. Training it in that stretched position seems to be a strong growth signal.
The best evidence comes from a 12-week study where each participant trained one arm with overhead cable extensions and the other with extensions in a neutral arm position, similar to a pushdown. The overhead arm grew about 1.4 times more in total triceps size, with the long head benefiting most, even though the overhead exercise used lighter loads (Maeo et al., 2023).
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension with RopeAttach a rope to a low pulley. After selecting an appropriate weight, grasp the rope with both hands and face away from the cable. Position your hands behind your head with your elbows point straight up. Your elbows should start out flexed, and you can stagger your stance and lean gently away from the machine to create greater stability. This will be your starting position.How to do the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension with Rope →
Good overhead options:
- Overhead cable rope extension: constant tension, easy on the elbows, easy to load.
- Dumbbell overhead extension: one dumbbell held with both hands, seated or standing.
- EZ-bar overhead extension: heavier loading, seated with back support.
- Single-arm cable overhead extension: good for evening out sides.
Technique: keep your elbows pointing forward (not flared wide), lower until your forearms are at least parallel to the floor or as deep as your elbows tolerate, then straighten your arms fully. Brace your midsection so your lower back doesn’t arch.
Pressing vs isolation: you need both
Close-grip presses and dips let you use heavy weights, which build lots of triceps strength and size, especially the lateral and medial heads. For beginners, pressing alone does a lot. One study in untrained men found that adding single-joint arm exercises to a compound program didn’t increase arm growth over ten weeks (Gentil et al., 2013). As you advance, though, the long head needs its own work, and isolation exercises let you push the triceps close to failure without your chest or shoulders giving out first.
Barbell Close-grip Bench PressLie on the bench and grip the bar at shoulder width or slightly narrower. Lower the bar to your lower chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.How to do the Barbell Close-grip Bench Press →
The best triceps presses:
- Close-grip bench press: hands about shoulder-width, elbows tucked. Doesn’t need to be ultra-narrow; very close grips stress the wrists.
- Dips with an upright torso: more triceps than the lean-forward chest version. See the dips exercise guide.
- JM press: a hybrid of a close-grip press and a skull crusher, for experienced lifters.
Then the classic isolation moves:
- EZ-bar skull crusher: lower the bar behind your head rather than to your forehead for more long head stretch.
- Cable pushdown or rope pushdown: lateral head focus, very elbow-friendly.
- Kickbacks: fine as a finisher; hard to load heavily.
EZ Bar Skull CrusherLie on a flat bench holding the EZ bar with straight arms over your chest. Keep your upper arms still and angled slightly toward your head.How to do the EZ Bar Skull Crusher →
How many sets for triceps?
Your triceps already work in every bench press, overhead press and dip. On top of that, for direct work:
| Level | Direct triceps sets per week |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 2–4 (pressing does most of the work) |
| Intermediate | 6–12 |
| Advanced | 10–16 |
At least half of those sets should be overhead extensions. Split them over two or three sessions.
A weekly triceps routine
Session 1 (upper or push day)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Close-grip bench press | 3 × 6–10 | 2 min |
| Overhead rope extension | 3 × 10–15 | 90 s |
Session 2 (second upper or push day)
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| EZ-bar skull crusher (to behind the head) | 3 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| Cable pushdown | 2 × 12–15 | 60 s |
That’s 8 direct sets a week, plus your regular pressing, with the long head trained in a stretch in both sessions. It pairs neatly with the biceps routine in how to grow biceps.
Cable Triceps PushdownAttach a straight bar or V-bar to a high pulley and grab it with palms facing down. Stand close to the pulley with your elbows pinned to your sides.How to do the Cable Triceps Pushdown →
How to progress triceps exercises
Use double progression: pick a rep range, work up to the top on every set, then add the smallest weight step. Close-grip presses progress like your bench press, in 2.5 kg (5 lb) steps. Cable extensions progress one plate at a time. A stronger close-grip bench also tends to carry over to your regular bench; how to increase bench press covers that connection.
Keeping your elbows happy
Triceps training loads the elbow joint heavily. A few habits prevent most problems:
- Warm up the elbows with a light set of pushdowns before heavy pressing or skull crushers.
- Use EZ bars, ropes and dumbbells instead of straight bars when extensions feel sharp.
- Keep isolation work in the 8–15 rep range. Very heavy skull crushers for sets of 5 are a common source of elbow pain.
- Don’t add triceps volume all at once. Add 2 sets per week at most.
If you already have elbow trouble, the guide on elbow pain from lifting has specific adjustments.
Common triceps mistakes
- Only doing pushdowns. Add an overhead extension.
- Flaring elbows on extensions. Turns them into a shoulder exercise and reduces the load on the triceps.
- Half reps on skull crushers. Lower the bar all the way behind your head (under control) for the full stretch.
- Ignoring heavy pressing. Isolation work builds on a strong close-grip bench or dip, not instead of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best exercise for the triceps long head?
An overhead extension, with a cable, rope, dumbbell or EZ bar. Raising your arm overhead stretches the long head, and a 12-week study found overhead extensions produced clearly more triceps growth than pushdown-style extensions.
Do pushdowns build the triceps?
Yes. They're a good exercise for the lateral and medial heads and easy on the elbows. They just shouldn't be your only triceps exercise if you want the long head to grow.
Is bench press enough for triceps?
For beginners, pressing builds a lot of triceps. As you advance, adding direct triceps work, especially overhead extensions, usually leads to more growth, because the long head isn't fully trained by pressing.
How many sets for triceps per week?
About 6 to 12 hard sets of direct triceps work a week for intermediates, on top of your pressing. Spread them across two or three sessions.
Why do skull crushers hurt my elbows?
Heavy skull crushers put a lot of stress on the elbow, especially with a straight bar. Switch to an EZ bar, lower the bar behind your head rather than to your forehead, use a slightly lighter weight, or swap to cable overhead extensions.
Sources
- Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T (2023). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science
- Holzbaur KR, Murray WM, Gold GE, Delp SL (2007). Upper limb muscle volumes in adult subjects. Journal of Biomechanics
- Gentil P, Soares SRS, Pereira MC, Cunha RR, Martorelli SS, Martorelli AS, Bottaro M (2013). Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
