The triceps brachii is a muscle group with three muscles heads, most commonly called simply the triceps. These muscles, which are below the biceps, straighten your elbow. There are many exercises that work the triceps to some degree while also targeting other major muscles, but to build up your triceps you need to perform targeted exercises.
Skull Crushers
Skull crushers are an effective exercise that trains your triceps using a barbell and an exercise bench. A barbell holds a lot of weight so you can build mass. To perform a skull crusher, lie face-up on an exercise bench and hold a barbell above your chest with your arms straight and your hands shoulder-width apart. Next, lower the barbell toward your forehead by bending your elbows. The skull crusher works your triceps from a different angle than other exercises.
Triceps Dips
The basic triceps dip is a body-weight exercise that works all three muscles of the triceps. You need parallel bars or a dip machine to execute this exercise. To perform a triceps dip, hold the two bars with your palms facing each other and your arms straight. Your body is in a straight line between the bars with the knees bent, ankles crossed. Next, bend your elbows until your triceps are parallel to the bar. When you straighten your arms back to the starting position, you do so with your triceps. Once you can perform five dips without weight, wear a belt with a weight attached via a chain to perform weighted dips.
Close-Grip Bench Press
The close-grip bench press is a variation of the bench press exercise that works your chest. By narrowing your grip and tucking your elbows, you emphasize the triceps. To perform a close-grip bench press, begin in the starting position of the skull crushers, but move your hands in slightly from shoulder-width apart. Then, lower the barbell toward your sternum, bringing your elbows in toward your sides. Pressing the elbows to lift the barbell up again activates your triceps. This exercise lets you lift more weight than the skull crushers, but does not completely isolate the triceps.
Tricep Pushups
Tricep pushups are one of the best triceps exercises because they are simple and require no equipment. You can change the difficulty level by dropping to your knees to make it easier or putting your feet on a chair to make it harder, which still allows you to do the exercise anywhere. To perform a triceps pushup, get into pushup position with your hands shoulder-width apart. As you lower toward the floor, squeeze your elbows toward your body and keep them in as you push back up. Vary this exercise by turning your fingers inward and touching your thumbs together to form a diamond shape. Adding a clap also adds work for the triceps.
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