Your triceps muscles run down the back of your upper arm between your shoulder and your elbow. If you're not exercising regularly and working to tone your triceps, you can quickly develop "bat wings" -- flap-like skin that hangs below your arms when you extend your arms. To tone up your triceps, perform strength training exercises two to three times a week that target your upper arms.
Triceps Kickback
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, your knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in your left hand. Step your right foot forward in a split stance with both of your knees slightly bent. Lean your torso forward over your extended knee and place your right hand on your right thigh for balance. Start with your left upper arm close in to your side, your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle. Extend your elbow, pressing the dumbbell backward as you keep your upper arm in at your side. When you've fully extended your elbow reverse the movement, bending your elbow back to 90-degrees. Continue pressing against the resistance of the dumbbell as you extend your elbow for 12 to 15 repetitions. Switch arms and perform the exercise on your right side.
Cable Triceps Pushdown
Using a cable pulley machine, adjust the pulley to its highest allowable extension point and attach a short, straight bar to the empty carabiner. Select a resistance level from the weight stack. Grip the short bar with both hands and pull the bar down toward your body until your upper arms are in at your sides and your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Adjust your legs so that one foot is slightly in front of the other, feet shoulder-width apart. Press the bar down as you extend your elbows, keeping your upper arms in at your sides. When your elbows fully extend, reverse the movement and return your elbows to a 90-degree angle. Repeat the exercise 12 to 15 times.
Triceps Bench Dip
Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands gripping the bench's edge right next to your hips. Extend your legs, placing your heels on the floor, your toes pointing up. Press through your palms and lift your butt off the bench, shifting your weight forward until your torso is slightly in front of the bench. Bend your elbows and lower your torso in front of the bench until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Push through your palms and extend your elbows, lifting your body back up from its lowered position. Continue lowering and lifting your body eight to 12 times.
Barbell Skullcrushers
Sit on a bench with a fixed barbell resting on your thighs. Grip the barbell so that your palms face down. Lie back on the bench and lift the barbell over your chest with your arms extended so that your arms are perpendicular to your body. Keeping your upper arms fixed, bend your elbows, lowering the barbell toward your head. When your elbows form a 90-degree angle, press through the barbell and lift the weight away from your head until you've fully extended your elbows. Continue lowering and lifting the weight for 10 to 15 repetitions.
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