Lower Triceps Exercises

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Push-ups are a great triceps exercise.
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If you're looking to tone up the back of your arms, your lower triceps muscles are your target. Perform a lower triceps workout at the gym with free weights or specialized equipment — or work out at home using your body weight as resistance to tone these muscles.

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Read more: 3 Triceps Stretches to Complement Your Upper-Body Workouts

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Lower Triceps Exercises

According to the American Council on Exercise, there are three top exercises that strengthen your triceps — triangle push-ups, triceps kickbacks and dips. However, you can add some variety to your routine by including other exercises, as recommended by ExRx.net, in your list of triceps exercises.

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According to the American College of Sports Medicine, strengthening exercises targeting all your major muscle groups should be performed at least two days per week.

Move 1: Triangle Push-Ups

  1. Begin in a plank position, supporting your body on your toes and straightened arms.
  2. Walk your hands toward each other, bringing your thumbs and forefingers together to form a triangle.
  3. Keeping your torso and legs tight, bend your elbows and lower yourself down toward the floor as far as is comfortable.
  4. Press back up into the starting position.
  5. Repeat 10 times or for a set amount of time, such as 20 to 30 seconds. Increase as strength improves.

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Tip

Make this exercise easier by performing triangle push-ups on your knees instead of your toes.

Move 2: Triceps Kickbacks

  1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Kneel on a weight bench with the opposite leg.
  3. Lean forward and place your hand on the bench to support your upper body.
  4. Keeping your back flat, bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Hold your elbow against your side. This is the starting position.
  5. Lift the dumbbell by straightening your elbow until your arm is parallel to the floor.
  6. Hold for two to three seconds; then return to the starting position.
  7. Perform 10 repetitions on each arm, working up to three sets in a row.

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Move 3: Bench Dips

  1. Sit on the long edge of a weight bench.
  2. Place your hands next to your knees and grip the edge of the bench.
  3. Straighten your elbows to lift your hips and walk your feet forward until your knees are straight.
  4. Bend your elbows and hinge at the hips, lowering your backside toward the floor.
  5. Press back up into the starting position.
  6. Repeat 10 times, working up to three sets.

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Read more: Workouts for the Medial Head Tricep

Move 4: Close-Grip Bench Press

  1. Lie on a weight bench.
  2. Grip the barbell with your hand shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the bar off the rack and position it over your chest.
  4. Lower the barbell toward your chest while keeping your elbows by your sides.
  5. Press back up into the starting position.
  6. Repeat 10 times.

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Move 5: Cable Triceps Push-Down

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Grasp the bar with a pronated or palms-down grip.
  3. Position your elbows by your sides.
  4. Bend your elbows fully so that the bar is at chest-height. This is the starting position.
  5. Keeping your elbows tight by your sides, straighten your arms.
  6. Hold for two to three seconds at the bottom. Then slowly return to the starting position.
  7. Repeat 10 times.

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