9 Tricep Workouts For More Defined Arms | Evertrain (2024)

If you want bigger and more defined arms, check out the line-up of tricep workouts we have for you here!

In this article:

1. The Triceps Muscle
2. 9 Tricep Workouts for Bigger Arms
3. Other Tips to Improve Your Tricep Workouts

Tricep Workouts to Pump Up Your Arms

The Triceps Muscle

The triceps are a three-headed muscle that makesup most of the muscles on the back of your upper arm. These heads, the long head, lateral head, and medial head, are attached to the tendons connectedto the upper arm and shoulder joint.

The triceps are responsible for supporting your elbow and stabilizing the shoulder and scapula. Exercises like push-ups, flyes, and lat pulldowns require a lot of work from the tricepmuscle.

The long head makes up most of the visibility of this muscle and a bigger long head means bigger triceps. On the other hand, working on all three heads will give yourarms a more defined appearance. To build this muscle, you need compound isolation exercises that target these heads.

9 Tricep Workouts for Bigger Arms

1. Tricep Workout for Beginners

Beginners should start with tricep exercises that engage all three heads to quickly get used to the movements of future exercises. Use the machines to help your body rehearse these movements safely. They will also help you do the exercises with proper form.

Exercises:

• Muscle triceps extension (3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Triceps pushdown with V-bar attachment(3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Dip machine(3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)

2. Once a Week Tricep Workout

Setting one dayfor your triceps every week can be enough to build your arms. This workout needs to rack up in volume and reps during your 1-day tricep workout. The ideal amount of heavy reps you need to have is at least 40 to be able to stimulate additional growth withoutovertraining.

Exercises:

• Close-grip bench press (3 sets of 6 reps, 80% body weight)
• Weight dip (3 sets until failure, body weight)
• Dip (3 sets of 6 reps, no weights)
• Cable overhead tricepextension (3 sets of 10 reps, 80% body weight)

3. 2-Day Tricep Workout

If you want to spend more than a day at the gym doing tricep exercises, you can split it into two days. Make sure you dedicate 1-2 days of rest between each workout day to give your triceps muscle time to recover. Follow the same workout for the first day and do this for the next:

Exercises for Day 2:

• Barbell bench press (3 sets of 6 reps, 80% body weight)
• Close-grip bench press (3 sets of 6 reps, 80% body weight)
• Cable triceps extension (3 sets of 8 reps, 75% body weight)
• Cable triceps kickback (3 sets of 8 reps, 75% body weight)

4.Workout for Bigger Triceps

Building bigger triceps is all about doing the difficult movements with the heaviest weights you can lift. These multi-joint exercises allow youto carry greater loads without compromising the number of reps you need to build muscle.

Exercises:

• Close-grip barbell bench press (4 sets of 8 reps, 60-second rest)
• V-bar pulldown (2 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Seated dumbbell press (3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Dip machine (3 sets of 10 reps, 60-second rest)

5. Defined Arms Tricep Workout

To have more defined arms, you still need heavy weights but with a lot more reps. Every time you’re on your last set for each exercise, drop off a quarter of the weight and continue until muscle failure. These straight-sets multi-joint exercises are great for stimulating muscle strength and size.

Exercises:

• EZ-bar skull crusher (3 sets of 10 reps, no rest)
• Close-grip barbell bench press (4 sets of 8 reps, 60-second rest)
• Triceps overhead extension with rope (3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Triceps pushdown with rope attachment (3 sets of 12 reps, no rest)
• Dip machine (3 sets of 10 reps, no rest)

6. Tricep Workout with Dumbbells

Dumbbell exercises are lighter alternatives to barbells, but they can let you get in more reps per set. If you don’t have access to the gym, you can do your tricep workout at home with these dumbbell tricepexercises and body weight exercises.

Exercises:

• Dip (3 sets until failure, bodyweight)
• Dumbbell bench press (3 sets of 6 reps)
• Dumbbell overhead tricep extensions (3 sets of 10 reps)
• Dumbbell skull crusher (3 sets of 10 reps)

7. Long Head Workout

Working on your long head is one of the most important parts about building bigger arms. The best way to engage this part of the tricep muscle is through overhead movements.

Exercises:

• EZ-bar skull crusher (3 sets of 8 reps, 60-second rest)
• Standing overhead barbell triceps extension(3 sets of 10 reps,60-second rest)
• Cable rope overhead tricep extensions (3 sets of 10 reps)
• Standing one-arm dumbbell triceps extension (3 sets of 12 reps, no rest)

8. Lateral Head Workout

Your lateral head is positioned along the outer part of your upper arm and is the largest of the three. You can isolate the lateral head using single or multi-joint exercises that force your arms to stay at your side.

Exercises:

• Close-grip barbell bench press (3 sets of 8 reps, 60-second rest)
• Parallel bar dip (3 sets of 10 reps,60-second rest)
• Decline EZ bar triceps extension(3 sets of 10 reps,60-second rest)
• Tricep dumbbell kickback (3 sets of 12 reps,60-second rest)

9. Medial Head Workout

The medial head is located in between and the middle part of the arm. It is responsible for stabilizing the elbow joint extension which makes it less likely to be engaged in most exercise. To work on the medial head, you need single-joint exercises that specifically target this muscle head.

Exercises:

• Reverse-grip barbell bench press (4 sets of 8 reps,60-second rest)
• Reverse-grip cable press-down (3 sets of 12 reps, 60-second rest)
• Reverse-grip cable kick-back(3 sets of 12 reps,no rest)

Other Tips to Improve Your Tricep Workouts

Rest in Between Sets

Building muscle is not about doing the most reps in a short amount of time but about performing well for every movement. You need to take time to rest between sets so that you can continue to do each exercise in proper form. Rest gives your muscles time to regain their strength and force.

Try Double-Progression

Double-progression is one way to fulfill progression overload during each set. After the last rep of your set, add a little bit more weight for the next set.

However, if you’re doing fewer reps because of this, you need to decrease the weight. You should always prioritize the number of reps per set instead of the weight.

Take EVERTRAIN POST after your workout for muscle repair, decreased inflammation, and reduced recovery time between training sessions – clean, quality, and effective!

Tricep workouts focus on engaging the three heads of the muscle that aren’t often contracted in other workouts. You can easily dedicate a single day for your triceps and still achieve bigger arms without compromising workouts for the rest of your body. You can also do your tricep workouts along with your chest workouts to target more muscle groups in a single gym session.

What other tricep workouts do you have in your upper body program? Share them with us in the comments section below!

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