Triceps Exercises: The Best Exercises for Triceps [2026]

Many who start with us who already have some training experience have followed training programmes where there was a big focus on arm exercises. Three to four different exercises, a lot of sets, and different repetition protocols. It can feel really productive and advanced, and give the feeling that you're optimising and hitting all parts and regions of the arm's muscles. But in reality, you end up using far too much energy and time on something that takes focus away from all the other things in your training that give the best overall results. And you could get the same or better results with far less complex arm training.

Jonas, 36, works as a Supply Chain consultant and lives in Ørestad. When he came to us, he was doing 3 different triceps exercises with 3-4 sets per exercise as a fixed part of his programme. He had watched YouTube videos and Instagram posts with very well-trained people who talked about the importance of several different triceps exercises, since the muscle consisted of several different heads and regions — more on this later.

And all of that is correct. But for the vast majority, it's just noise and a far too complicated approach to something that benefits from being done more simply in the context of training a couple of times per week — not competing in bodybuilding competitions. We therefore cut it down to one triceps exercise, 4 sets per week — and focused instead on him getting really good at it and following a simple plan for getting stronger over time.

After 24 weeks, he saw better results with his entire training, not just triceps, compared to the complicated programme he followed before. Not because several different exercises that hit the muscle slightly differently is bad, but all those exercises became unmanageable and disruptive to what was important. Doing the same thing, every week, with a little more weight or a few more repetitions than the previous one — and being able to keep doing it.

"Triceps is one of the muscles that's already trained hard enough for most people if they have the basic compound exercises such as a chest press in their programme. We therefore only add isolated triceps exercises when there's a good reason for it. For the vast majority, they achieve their desired result anyway, because a programme is easier to stick with and execute effectively the fewer exercises it involves — as a general rule, exercises are only added if you know you'll get it done every week and can keep it up. Personally, beyond what I get from chest press, I do 2 sets 2 times per week of the same triceps exercise — 4 sets total per week. I've done that for 3 years. And I continue to get a tiny bit stronger week by week." — Kasper Vinther, physiotherapist at Nordic Performance Training

This guide covers the most important triceps exercises, how to do them correctly, and when it even makes sense to add them to your programme.

What is triceps — and why train it in isolation?

Triceps brachii — the three-headed upper arm muscle — sits on the back and outside of the upper arm. It consists of three heads: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. All three extend the elbow, but the long head also crosses the shoulder joint and contributes to retraction (extension) of the upper arm as well as stabilisation of the shoulder joint itself.

It's precisely that detail that makes isolated triceps training relevant — even if you already have one or more of the big pressing exercises, such as chest press or overhead press, in your programme. In these compound exercises, triceps works hard and it provides an effective training stimulus. But the part of triceps called the long head is not fully activated, because it functions both as a shoulder extensor and elbow extensor — two conflicting roles at once. That's what's called the two-joint muscle problem. The result is that pressing exercises over time develop the lateral and medial heads more than the long head.

It's precisely the same logic as with the part of the quad (quadriceps) that crosses both the hip and knee joint — rectus femoris — in a squat movement, where the hip and knee move at the same time. Despite a squat training most of the quadriceps, rectus femoris is not fully activated for the same reason. If you want to include it, you need to do leg extension. The same applies if you want to include the long head of triceps — then you need to do triceps extensions. It's by no means a must — but it's simply a condition if you want to train those muscles.

Triceps isolation exercises solve that problem. When the shoulder joint is removed from the movement, the long head can finally contribute fully.

When does isolated triceps training make sense?

If you train once per week, direct triceps training is not necessary, because your time is better spent on the big pressing and pulling exercises.

If you train two or three times per week, 4-6 sets of direct triceps work per week is an effective addition to your routine. It takes 8-10 minutes at the end of the session and hits precisely the spot pressing doesn't deliver full stimulus. It's far from all our clients who have isolated arm exercises in their programme — and for those who do, there's always a specific reason that justifies the time and surplus it requires to do them consistently, every week.

Triceps extension — our preferred variant

Virtually all our triceps training takes place in cables. It's not a stylistic preference — there are three concrete reasons.

Firstly, the friction in the cable reduces the load in the eccentric phase — that is, the part of the movement where you lower the weight and the muscle lengthens. It's precisely that phase that produces the most muscle soreness and requires the most recovery. With cables, you get good muscle-building stimulus without the body having to spend unnecessary energy recovering from too much muscle damage.

Secondly, we can more easily adjust where in the movement the resistance is heaviest, as well as how the cables' direction of pull matches the elbow and shoulder joint. It's far easier to adjust your body position relative to the cable as well as the cable height and angle — and thereby both place the heaviest part of the load where triceps can actually produce the most force, and where it feels best for the joints.

Thirdly, cable exercises are extremely quick to set up. That's important when triceps training typically takes place in the last 8-10 minutes of a personal training session. No barbells that need plates loaded and no dumbbells that need fetching. You simply adjust the cable, set the weight, and you're going.

EZ-bar cable triceps extension

Our standard exercise. It's simple and easy to learn and suits virtually everyone. It hits the long head well because it's a single-joint exercise — the shoulder remains in the same position while it's the elbow joint that moves — and the cable setup gives good control over the resistance profile.

Setup: Stand in front of the cable machine with an EZ-bar handle — or a straight bar if you don't have an EZ. Find the elbow position that feels strongest and most natural for you. Most people have the elbows slightly flared outward, and that's perfectly fine — it's the position the body intuitively finds because the long head works best there. Start there rather than fighting against it.

Execution: Bend the elbows in a controlled manner to full elbow extension upward. At the top: a short hold before you press the weight in a controlled manner back downward. The upper arms are stable — they may move a little, but it's primarily the forearms that move.

Tempo: Controlled up in 2-3 seconds, press hard but controlled downward.

Overhead cross cable triceps extension

A good supplement to the EZ-bar variant. The resistance can easily be adjusted by changing the cable's height — as a starting point, we place the cable so the resistance is greatest at approximately 90 degrees of elbow flexion. This hits a good balance between being hardest where triceps is strongest, without unnecessary loading in the fully lengthened position.

By using the cable, we can position ourselves so the cables' direction of pull matches precisely with the elbow and shoulder joint's movement. For most people, it's easier to stabilise the arms in this position compared to other triceps exercises. Together, this makes this exercise the one that feels best for many — but it requires a bit more practice time than the EZ-bar variant.

Single arm cable triceps extension

For more experienced clients. When both arms work simultaneously, they collectively can't produce as much force as they can individually — that's called the bilateral strength deficit. Single arm removes that problem and provides the opportunity to address any imbalances between the sides. Requires more shoulder control and is not a beginner exercise — but a natural progression for clients who have built a good foundation.

Triceps pushdown

Triceps pushdown is a popular triceps exercise — and a good one. But it differs from extension in one important way: in a pushdown, the shoulder moves simultaneously with the elbow. It's precisely the same pattern as in chest press. The long head is therefore still limited by the two-joint muscle problem — when the elbow flexes in the eccentric phase, the shoulder extends simultaneously, and vice versa in the concentric phase. The long head's length therefore doesn't change throughout the movement, and it's primarily the medial and lateral heads doing the work. Just like with chest press, only to an even greater degree, since the nervous system doesn't also have to send signals to the chest and shoulder to the same extent.

For most of our clients, pushdown is therefore not necessary. Chest press already covers the lateral and medial heads, and triceps extension closes the gap with the long head. Pushdown is relevant for advanced clients who specifically want to maximise all three heads of triceps and have the time and surplus to add yet another exercise.

Variants: Cable triceps pushdown with a straight bar or EZ-bar — or as a single-arm variation with a D-handle for the most advanced. All follow the same principle: stand in front of the cable machine and extend the elbows in a controlled manner downward while the upper arms remain stable.

The most common mistakes

Too heavy weight and use of momentum. The upper arms move back and forth instead of remaining stable. This reduces the triceps work markedly and makes it difficult to standardise. Reduce the weight and keep the upper arms stable.

Lack of eccentric control. The weight is "released" on the way up instead of being moved in a controlled manner. The eccentric phase is important for injury prevention and standardisation — always lower in a controlled manner in 2-3 seconds.

Too limited range of motion. The elbow is not fully extended in the concentric phase or not fully bent in the eccentric. Full range of motion is the prerequisite for real progress and standardisation of the repetitions.

Too large weight jumps. Isolation exercises require small weight jumps — preferably 0.5 kg at a time. A jump from 15 kg to 17.5 kg is almost a 17% increase in one week. That's far too much. You just train harder — you don't get stronger — and you'll guaranteed hit a plateau. Use double progression with small, systematic jumps. Then you get stronger week by week, while the training feels consistently hard but manageable.

Do you need isolated triceps training?

For most who train once per week: no. Chest press trains triceps effectively enough as part of a complete and simple full body programme, and your time is better spent on the other big exercises in your programme.

For those who train two or three times per week: 4-6 sets of direct triceps work per week is an effective supplement that addresses precisely the spot pressing exercises don't deliver full stimulus — the long triceps head. It takes just 8-10 minutes at the end of the session and makes a noticeable difference over time.

It's important to emphasise, however, that most clients who have specific goals of stronger or more defined arms achieve them anyway without isolated arm exercises — it perhaps goes slightly slower, but the programme is easier to stick with with fewer exercises. Less is more when it comes to consistency. Prove to yourself first that you can keep up a simple programme for a longer period before you add more exercises.

Jonas is a good example. He got better results from four sets of triceps training per week than from three different exercises and 16+ sets — not because volume doesn't matter, but because quality, structure, and consistency mean you need far less than you might initially think.

Read more about how triceps is involved in our pressing exercises in our bench press guide and shoulder press guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Triceps Exercises

Which exercises train triceps?

The best triceps exercises in cable are EZ-bar cable triceps extension, overhead cross cable triceps extension, and cable triceps pushdown. Triceps is, however, already trained hard in all pressing exercises — chest press and shoulder press. For most people, isolated triceps exercises are a supplement, not a foundation.

Where is your triceps located?

Triceps is located on the back and outside of the upper arm. It consists of three heads — long head, lateral head, and medial head — that all extend the elbow. The long head also crosses the shoulder joint and is best activated in isolated single-joint exercises like triceps extension.

Can you train triceps with dumbbells?

Yes — overhead triceps extension and lying triceps extension can both be done with dumbbells. Cable is, however, preferable because the friction reduces the eccentric load, the resistance profile can be adjusted, and the setup is faster. With dumbbells, physics determines the resistance, and that doesn't always match where triceps is strongest.

What's best to train together with triceps?

Triceps is naturally trained together with chest and shoulders in pressing exercises. If you want to add isolation, it's placed last in the session after the big pressing exercises — so triceps is warm and activated. Read more in our Full Body programme guide.

Triceps exercises with resistance band — what works at home?

Overhead triceps extension and pushdown can both be done with a resistance band. Attach the band at the top of a door for pushdown, or hold it behind the neck for overhead extension. Resistance bands provide increasing resistance through the movement — functional as home or holiday training, but with a different resistance profile than cable.

Is there a difference in triceps exercises for women and men?

No — the anatomy is the same and the same exercises apply for everyone. The only difference is starting weight and progression, which is always adapted individually.

Want to train with us?

If you want a programme that works — without unnecessary complexity — we're ready to help.

Book a free start-up conversation and hear how personal training in Copenhagen can look for you — either in our private gym or as a call, if that suits you better.

References

Maeo, S., Wu, Y., Huang, M., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2023). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(7), 1240–1250. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279

Haugen, M. E., Vårvik, F. T., Larsen, S., Haugen, A. S., van den Tillaar, R., & Bjørnsen, T. (2023). Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance — a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 15(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00713-4

Schoenfeld, B. J., & Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE Open Medicine, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559