A smart tricep workout does more than build bigger arms. When you train your triceps correctly, you press more weight, stabilize your shoulders, and make every push-up, bench press, and dip feel stronger and more controlled.
Below, you will find a simple structure for a proven tricep workout, how to do each exercise with confidence, and small form tweaks that protect your joints while helping you grow real strength.
Understand your tricep muscles
If you want your tricep workout to work, it helps to know what you are actually training.
The triceps sit at the back of your upper arm and are responsible for straightening your elbow. They have three heads, or sections, and each one responds slightly differently depending on your arm position. As the 2024 Gymshark guide explains, the three heads are the long head, lateral head, and medial head, and effective tricep workouts target all three for complete development (Gymshark).
The long head is the largest and crosses both your shoulder and elbow. The lateral head creates that outer “horseshoe” look when it is well developed. The medial head is smaller and helps with stability and lockout strength. Since the triceps make up around 70% of your upper arm mass, your tricep workout is actually the main driver behind bigger, more sculpted arms (Gymshark).
Avoid common tricep training mistakes
You can work hard on triceps and still see slow progress if your technique is off. Jeff Cavaliere highlights several common mistakes that drain results, including poor grip on skull crushers and sloppy form on tricep pushups (ATHLEAN-X). Small errors like these add up. The cumulative effect of little mistakes in training, nutrition, and recovery can drastically limit your arm growth over time (ATHLEAN-X).
A few red flags to watch for in your own tricep workout include letting your shoulders roll forward, turning extensions into full body swings, using only partial range of motion, and chasing heavy weights at the expense of elbow health. Cavaliere also points out that triceps are rarely truly “stubborn” muscles. They usually respond well if you choose the right exercises and execute them correctly (ATHLEAN-X).
If you already follow a structured plan such as the ATHLEAN-X system, every tricep workout in that program is filmed and coached to help you avoid these pitfalls from the beginning (ATHLEAN-X).
Build a balanced tricep workout
You get the best results when you combine a heavy press, a mid range movement, and a long stretch position exercise. This lets you load all three heads of the triceps in slightly different ways.
Here is a sample tricep workout that fits well on a push or chest day:
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Close grip bench press
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Skull crushers with dumbbells
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Overhead tricep extensions
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Optional: dips or diamond pushups as a finisher
For muscle growth, aim for 3 working sets of 8 to 12 reps for each main exercise. Gymshark recommends this 8 to 12 rep range at about 60 to 80% of your one rep max for hypertrophy, combined with progressive overload over time (Gymshark).
You can train triceps 1 to 2 times per week if your elbows feel good. Research summarized by Gymshark suggests that 12 to 28 total sets per week for triceps is effective for growth, and pairing them with biceps in supersets is a smart way to build balanced arms without extending your workout too much (Gymshark).
Master key tricep exercises
Close grip bench press
The close grip bench press is one of the most efficient ways to load your triceps with heavier weight while also helping your chest and shoulder pressing strength.
Lie on a bench with your feet planted and your back lightly arched. Place your hands just inside shoulder width on the bar, not so close that your wrists feel twisted. As you lower the bar to the lower part of your chest, keep your elbows tucked at about a 45 degree angle from your body. Press the bar back up by driving through your palms and finishing with a strong elbow lockout.
Focus on controlled lowering and powerful but smooth presses. If your wrists or shoulders complain, widen your grip slightly or reduce the weight until the movement feels secure.
Skull crushers
Dumbbell skull crushers target all three tricep heads by challenging your elbow extension under a deep stretch. According to PowerBlock, this variation works best when you keep your upper arms steady and only move at the elbow (PowerBlock).
Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your shoulders, palms facing each other. Without letting your upper arms drift forward, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells toward the sides or slightly behind your head. You should feel a strong but comfortable stretch along the back of your upper arms. Then extend your elbows and return to the starting position.
If you feel stress in your elbow joint instead of your triceps, lighten the weight, slow down the lowering phase, and keep the reps smooth. You can also angle the dumbbells slightly behind your head instead of directly above your face to reduce joint strain.
Overhead tricep extensions
To really hit the long head of the triceps, you need at least one overhead movement in your tricep workout. The single arm overhead tricep extension is especially useful because it lets you address strength imbalances side to side. PowerBlock notes that this exercise stretches and strengthens the long head when you keep the upper arm close to your head as you extend the elbow (PowerBlock).
Stand or sit tall with a dumbbell in one hand. Press it overhead and lock your elbow straight. Keeping your upper arm near your ear, bend at the elbow and slowly lower the weight behind your head until you feel a stretch. Then straighten your arm again and squeeze the triceps at the top before repeating.
Start light here. Overhead work can be demanding on the shoulder, so you want complete control before you increase the load.
JM press
If you already have some experience and want an intensive tricep builder, you can add the JM press to your routine. PowerBlock describes this move as a hybrid between a skull crusher and a close grip press, which lets you keep constant tension on the triceps throughout the lift (PowerBlock).
Lie on a bench with dumbbells or a barbell in a close grip. Lower the weight toward your shoulders with your upper arms tucked close to your torso, mixing a slight elbow bend like a skull crusher with a short range press. Then press the weight back up, finishing as you would in a normal bench press.
Keep the range of motion controlled and moderate. You are not lowering all the way to the chest or all the way to behind the head. This partial path focuses stress on the triceps instead of your chest or shoulders.
Try a structured dumbbell tricep session
If you prefer to keep your tricep workout simple and dumbbell based, you can follow the structure suggested by PowerBlock. They recommend one focused session that includes single arm overhead extensions, skull crushers, and the JM press, with 2 warm up sets of 5 reps and then 3 working sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise, done 1 to 2 times per week (PowerBlock).
In practice, that might look like this:
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Single arm overhead tricep extensions
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Dumbbell skull crushers
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JM press
Warm up first with light sets and easy band pushdowns or knee pushups. Then move into the 3 working sets per exercise. Choose a weight that makes your final 2 reps of each set challenging but still controllable. If you finish a set feeling like you could do 5 more reps, you are ready to increase the weight slightly next time.
Progress and recover for steady gains
Muscles grow when you challenge them, then let them recover. To keep your tricep workout productive over the long term, apply progressive overload and respect your joints.
You can progress in a few simple ways: add a small amount of weight, add 1 or 2 reps per set, or reduce your rest periods slightly while staying in the 8 to 12 rep range that Gymshark recommends for hypertrophy (Gymshark). Rotate which variable you focus on so you are not pushing only heavy loads every single session.
Recovery is just as important. If your elbows feel achy or your lockout feels weak and shaky, take that as a sign to pull back a little. Reduce the volume, avoid very heavy skull crushers for a week, or swap in pushdowns if you have access to cables. Remember that according to Cavaliere, your triceps are not naturally unresponsive. They will grow if you give them solid form, smart loading, and enough time to adapt (ATHLEAN-X).
With a thoughtful plan and consistent execution, your tricep workout becomes more than a few random sets tacked on at the end of chest day. It turns into a targeted routine that helps you unlock real pressing power, stronger arms, and better performance across your entire upper body.
