Strength training
Tricep Workout: 8 Best Exercises for Bigger Arms (Gym & Home)
Published October 20, 2026
For bigger arms, train your triceps hard: they make up most of your upper-arm size. The best tricep workout combines one heavy pressing move (close-grip bench press or dips) with extensions, including at least one overhead extension, which stretches the long head and produced more growth in a recent study.
The three heads
| Head | What makes it special | Best exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Long head | Also crosses the shoulder; stretched with arms overhead | Overhead extensions |
| Lateral head | The "horseshoe" visible from the side | Pushdowns, dips |
| Medial head | Deep, works in every extension | All |
The 8 best tricep exercises
| Exercise | Where | Key cue |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead cable or dumbbell extension | Gym / home | Elbows forward, deep stretch |
| Skull crusher (EZ bar) | Gym | Lower toward the top of your head |
| Close-grip bench press | Gym | Shoulder-width grip, elbows tucked |
| Parallel bar dips | Gym / park | Upright torso for triceps |
| Cable pushdown | Gym | Elbows pinned to your sides |
| Diamond push-ups | Home | Hands in a triangle under your chest |
| Bench dips | Home | Shoulders down, moderate depth |
| Band overhead extension | Home | Band under your foot |
Why overhead extensions
In a 12-week study, overhead elbow extensions produced substantially more triceps growth (about 1.4 times more for the whole muscle) than the same exercise done with arms at the sides (Maeo et al., 2022). Include one overhead movement in every arm session.
8-week tricep workout (2 sessions per week)
| Weeks | Session A | Session B |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Close-grip bench 3 × 8 · Overhead extension 3 × 12 | Dips 3 × max (−2) · Pushdown 3 × 15 |
| 3-4 | 4 × 8 · 3 × 12 | Weighted dips 3 × 8 · Pushdown 4 × 12 |
| 5-6 | 4 × 6 · 4 × 10 | 4 × 8 · Skull crusher 3 × 10 |
| 7 | Deload (half the sets) | Deload |
| 8 | Test 6RM close-grip bench | 3 × 12 of each, 1-2 reps from failure |
Rest 2 minutes on heavy presses, 60-90 seconds on extensions. When every set hits the top of the range, add 2.5-5 lb (1-2.5 kg).
Home version
Diamond push-ups 4 × max · Bench or chair dips 3 × 12-15 · Overhead dumbbell (or loaded backpack) extension 4 × 12 · Band pushdown 3 × 20.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Flaring elbows | Keep them tucked, lighter weight |
| Shoulders rolling forward on pushdowns | Slight lean, shoulders down |
| Short range overhead | Full stretch behind the head |
| Only training biceps | Triceps are the bigger muscle |
Complete arms: bicep workout, forearm workout. Full-body programming: push pull legs.