The triceps brachii, more commonly known as the triceps, are located on the posterior (back) of the upper arm. The triceps are composed of three bundles of muscle (hence the "tri" in triceps), whose key function is to extend the elbow joint (i.e. straighten the arm).

A lot of people focus on their biceps muscles (front part of the arm that gives the nice peak when you flex) at the expense of their triceps, for aesthetic reasons. However, the triceps muscles constitute approximately 60% of the total muscle mass of the upper arm (with the biceps the remaining 40%), and so for proper postural balance the triceps need at least as much attention as the biceps.

There are several types of triceps exercises you can do at home, and each of them can easily be progressed in terms of difficulty to continually challenge you.

When working out at home, triceps extensions can be done with either dumbbells or tubing. They can be done with both arms at the same time or each arm individually. My preference is to do them one arm at a time, as it allows me to better focus on my form.

Here is the basic movement for a single arm dumbbell triceps extension in a standing position:

1. With dumbbell in hand, point your elbow towards the ceiling and let your hand fall back towards the ground behind your body.
   
   

   Start Position

   
   
2. Make sure you have a firm grip on the dumbbell so it doesn't slip from your grasp and fall on you during the exercise. Your thumb should be across your fingers, which locks your grip in place.
   
   

   Right Way Thumb locking fingers into place	Wrong Way Weight of the dumbbell could force your fingers open and slip from your grasp

   
   
3. Your wrist should remain straight and rigid at all times. If you relax your wrist at any time during the exercise and the weight of the dumbbell causes your wrist to bend you could strain the tendons or perhaps even break your wrist!
4. Tighten your triceps muscle and lift the dumbbell up towards the ceiling in a smooth, controlled motion and stop just before your elbow is fully extended. (If you fully extend your elbow you remove stress from your triceps muscle, which you don't want to do.)
   
   

   Finish Position

   
   
5. Barely pausing, lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Don't let gravity do the work, for two reasons. The first is safety - letting the dumbbell simply drop can damage your elbow joint, which will take the brunt of the stress when the dumbbell abruptly comes to a halt. In addition, if you don't retain full control of the dumbbell, it could end up bouncing off the back of your head! Second, you want to keep as much stress as possible on your triceps muscle during the downward motion so it doesn't get a chance to recover between reps.
6. Breathe out as you lift the dumbbell towards the ceiling and breathe in as you lower it back to the starting position.
7. Complete only as many repetitions as you can perform in a safe and controlled manner. Push yourself, but try not to go to complete failure. If your triceps muscle were to suddenly give out and the weight of the dumbbell forced your hands to drop quickly, you could injure your elbow joint, or the back of your head.

Helpful Tips

• Starting position on the triceps extension is key to maximizing the effectiveness of this exercise. You want to properly pre-stretch the triceps muscle with resistance. (Refer to Basic Workout Guideline #6.) To do so, you need to lower the dumbbell as far back as you can into the start position.
• Once you begin your set, keep your elbow position fixed at all times. Be careful not to bring your elbow forward during the extension movement, because then you are using your shoulder to help your triceps lift the weight. Use a mirror to make sure your elbow remains in a fixed position.
• Try to keep your shoulder stationary throughout your entire set. Once you can no longer prevent your shoulder from engaging, the set is effectively over.
• When returning to the start position after each rep, try to lower your forearm as far as possible. The further you lower the dumbbell behind you, the greater the range of motion and the harder your tricep is worked. Note that the greater your range of motion, the harder you will find this exercise. But you will achieve better results using low weights with full range of motion rather than heavier weights with limited range of motion.
• Do not pause appreciably at the top of the movement before lowering your arms back to the start position. Your entire rep should be a single smooth and controlled movement. The only reason you do pause somewhat is to prevent yourself from incorporating momentum to swing the weights up and down. The same logic applies upon return to the start position; begin your next rep as quickly as you can without allowing momentum to do the work for you.
• To avoid excessive strain on your neck and upper back, make sure you are standing (or sitting) straight up and that your upper arm remains vertical. When you are doing single arm triceps extensions, your free hand can be used to support your mid section or upper back if required.

Triceps Extension - Standing

Start Position	Finish Position

Triceps Extension - Seated
If you don't have a weight bench you can sit down crossways on a regular chair so that the chair back is to one side rather than directly behind you. (If you have the chair back directly behind you the dumbbell may strike the back of the chair as you lower it into the start position. Not only will this jar your shoulder, it will likely damage the back of your chair.) Be sure to keep your back straight and feet firmly planted on the ground so that you maintain a strong posture throughout the exercise.

Start Position	Finish Position

Triceps Extension - Lying Down
Lie down on a weight bench with your feet either up on the end of the bench as shown in the picture, or flat on the floor. (Placing your feet up on the bench will force your upper body to keep you stable throughout the exercise. Keeping your feet flat on the floor allows your lower body to assist with the stabilizing. There's no right or wrong way per se, it's a matter of choice. Traditional bodybuilders tend to keep their feet up to more specifically work their upper body, while power lifters keep their feet down to achieve greater stability and thus lift heavier weight.)

Do not extend your head very far past the end of the bench as your neck and head need proper support throughout the exercise. Extend your arm behind you as far as you can so that the dumbbell does not strike the end of the bench as you lower it or graze the back of your head as you lift it up. This can also be done off the edge of your bed if you don't have a weight bench, but you will need to ensure your arms are extended as far as possible so that the dumbbell does not strike the edge of the bed. However, if your arms are fairly short, you may find using a bed won't work for you.

Start Position

Finish Position

Triceps Extension - Lying Down - Alternate Version
Often done with a standard barbell or an E-Z curl bar, this version of the triceps extention can also be done using a dumbbell. The movement is similar to the standing and seated triceps extension exercises shown above, but both hands are used to grip a single dumbbell. Be sure to maintain a firm and even grip on the dumbbell at all times throughout the entire set, so that you are able to work both arms equally.

Start Position

Finish Position

Cross Chest Lying Triceps Extension
Rather than position a single dumbbell behind your head, this exercise positions it near the top of the opposite side of your chest so that you are lifting at about a 45° angle.

Start Position

Finish Position

Standing Triceps Extension - With Tubing
The key advantage of tubing is that it keeps resistance on the triceps muscle all the way through the entire movement. Even when your arm is stretched back in the start position, your triceps muscle is still fighting the tension on the tubing.

Tubing extensions can add extra challenge and spice to your triceps workout. With tubing, as your triceps muscles tire, you can continue stepping back slightly to ease up on the resistance and keep on going until you honestly can't go any further. It's a great way to really push yourself with no fear of dropping a dumbbell on your head as you approach failure.

This is similar to what is known as a "strip set" in body building terms, where you do the same thing on a machine by setting the weight pin at your maximum weight and doing as many reps as you can before progressively lowering it one weight bar at a time. A properly executed strip set will take several minutes to complete, and believe me, it's truly exhausting.

Another advantage of tubing is that it allows you to do extensions from multiple angles, working your triceps muscle differently with each variation.

Standing Triceps Extension - From Low Position
By standing on the tubing you can simulate the more traditional standing triceps extension. If you need more or less tension, shorten or lengthen the tubing by changing where you stand on it.

Start Position	Finish Position

Standing Triceps Extension - Alternate Low Position
By fastening the tubing behind you near floor level, you can change the level of tension on the tubing by moving either forwards or backwards. Depending on your personal set up, tubing extensions from low position can be done as single arm, both arms simultaneously or even alternating.

Start Position	Finish Position

Standing Triceps Extension - Middle Position
By positioning the tubing around your mid-height, you can change the angle of your extension. Depending on your personal set up, middle position triceps extensions can be done as single arm, both arms simultaneously or alternating.

Single Arm Tubing Extensions

Start Position

Finish Position

Dips are a simple but effective triceps exercise that can be done off the edge of a weight bench, or even a solid coffee table or couch. In a pinch the edge of a bed or counter will also do, although the higher the angle of your body, the less effective the exercise.

Here is the basic movement for the triceps dip:

1. Place your arms on the edge of an exercise bench (or alternate surface) and keeping your arms straight (without locking your elbows) walk your feet out using your heels until your body is in a smooth straight line.
   
   

   Note how the body is in a straight line from shoulders to heels

   
   
2. Keeping your legs straight, slowly lower your butt towards the floor by lowering your elbows back behind you. Drop as far as you can go without putting undue stress on your shoulders, but to avoid undue risk of injury your upper arms should not drop below parallel to the ground. This is the start position.
   
   

   Start Position

   
   
3. Again keeping your legs straight, tighten your triceps muscles and lift your butt by pushing up with your arms until your arms are straight up and down, but your elbows are not locked. Your body should be in a straight line from shoulders to heels.
   
   

   Finish Position (Same position as shown in point #1 above)

   
   
4. Barely pausing, lower your body back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Don't let gravity do the work, for two reasons. The first is safety - letting your body simply drop can damage your elbow joint, which will take the brunt of the stress when it abruptly comes to a halt. Second, you want to keep as much stress as possible on your triceps muscle during the downward motion so it doesn't get a chance to recover between reps.
5. Breathe out as you push your body up and breathe in as you lower it back to the starting position.
6. Complete only as many repetitions as you can perform in a safe and controlled manner. Push yourself, but try not to go to complete failure. If your triceps muscles were to suddenly give out you will fall straight on your butt. Tailbone injuries take a notoriously long time to heal and some people never completely recover from them. Aside from injuring your tailbone, you could also seriously damage your elbow joints.

Helpful Tips:

• To adequately pre-stretch the triceps muscle with resistance (refer to Basic Workout Guideline #6), for the start position you should drop only as low as you comfortably can without unduly stressing your shoulder joints. As this is an unnatural position for the shoulders, you do not want to risk shoulder injury by placing excessive stress on them. Therefore, you should never drop past the point where your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
• Do not use an overly wide grip, as this will also add greater stress to your shoulders and chest muscles. Your hands should be no more than a few inches to either side of you.
• Your wrists should remain straight and rigid at all times. If you relax your wrists at any time during the exercise and the weight of your body causes your wrists to bend you could strain the tendons or perhaps even break a wrist!
• As you raise your body up, tighten your core muscles so that you finish up in a straight line from shoulder to heel.
• Do not pause appreciably at the top of the movement before lowering your body back to the start position. Your entire rep should be a single smooth and controlled movement. The only reason you do pause somewhat is to prevent yourself from incorporating momentum to help lift your body up and down. The same logic applies upon return to the start position; begin your next rep as quickly as you can without allowing momentum to do the work for you.

Triceps Dips

Start Position

Finish Position

Triceps Dips with Stability Ball

To progress this exercise and challenge your sense of balance, you can try placing your heels on a stability ball. This will also give your core muscles a bit of a workout, because you need to keep your body extremely tight to maintain your balance as you lift yourself up and down. Keeping your balance on the stability ball can be quite challenging at first, so you need to be careful you don't hurt yourself by rolling off of it. The more inflated the ball, the greater the challenge. (Note that due to the raised position of your feet, you will no longer be able to keep your body in a straight line from shoulders to heels.)

Start Position

Finish Position

As an interim step, you can substitute a bosu ball in place of the stability ball. You still still achieve some additional core training benefits, with less chance of rolling off the edge of the ball and hurting yourself.

Bosu Ball - Step One

Start Position

Finish Position

Bosu Ball - Step Two

Start Position

Finish Position

By positioning tubing above your head, you can simulate the triceps pushdown exercise normally done on a multi-station or machine at the gym.

1. Fasten the tubing at a point above your head. Grip the handle using an overhand grip (palm faces down). Your elbow should be close to your body, pointing towards the floor.
   
   

   Start Position

   
   
2. Keeping your elbow locked into position, push the tubing down and towards the back of you.
   
   

   Finish Position

   
   
3. Your wrist should remain straight and rigid at all times. If you relax your wrist at any time during the exercise and the resistance of the tubing causes your wrist to bend you could strain the tendons or perhaps even break your wrist!
4. As you push down and back, do not fully straighten your arm so that you lock your elbow joint at the end of the motion - not only do you risk injuring the joint, you also take the stress off your triceps muscle and allow it to rest - a big no-no, see Basic Workout Guideline #6.
5. Barely pausing, lift your forearm back up to the starting position in a controlled manner. Fight the tension on the tubing, keeping as much stress as possible on your triceps muscle during the upward motion so it doesn't get a chance to recover between reps.
6. Breathe out as you push the tubing down and breathe in as you raise it back to the starting position.
7. Complete only as many repetitions as you can perform in a safe and controlled manner. Push yourself, but try not to go to complete failure.

Helpful Tips:

• Starting position on the triceps pushdown will depend on the angle of the tubing. You need to find the point where you have maximium range of motion yet still feel the tension of the tubing on your triceps muscle throughout the entire movement.
• Your upper arm should remain close to your body, but not come into contact with it. If your arm touches your body it will give you extra leverage to push, and then your triceps muscle won't have to work as hard.
• You can reverse your hand position from an overhand to an underhand grip to hit the triceps from a different angle. Note that it will be easier to "push down" on the tubing using an overhand grip than it will be to "pull down" on the tubing using an underhand grip.
  
  

  Overhand grip	Underhand grip

  
  
• Your upper arm (from shoulder to elbow) should remain in position at the side of your body (close to but not touching your body) throughout the entire exercise. If your elbow changes position during the set, then your shoulder muscle is being recruited to help your triceps muscle move the tubing.
• Once you can no longer push down (overhand grip) or pull down (underhand grip) the tubing without recruiting your shoulder muscle to help, the set is effectively over.
• Each rep should be a single smooth and controlled movement. Once you return to the start position, pause briefly before you start your next rep, but only long enough to ensure you do not incorporate momentum to push (or pull, depending on hand grip) down on the tubing. As you return to the start position, fight the tension on the tubing as much as possible so that your triceps muscle has minimal chance to recover before starting the next rep.
• To avoid excessive strain on your back, make sure you are standing straight and in a solid, strong stance. Your free hand can be used to support your mid section or lower back if required.

Triceps Pushdown - Overhand Grip

Start Position	Finish Position

Kickbacks are not the most efficient or effective way to train your triceps muscles, since they work the triceps through only a 45° range of motion. I am including them here for the sake of variety, but I do not recommend you use kickbacks as one of your main triceps exercises.

The triceps kickback exercise is traditionally done using dumbbells, but it can also be done using tubing and so both options are demonstrated below.

Triceps Kickbacks - Using Dumbbells

1. Place the same side arm and knee along the length of a workout bench (or other firm, flat surface). Your back should be flat as opposed to rounded. Pick up a dumbbell with your free hand and extend your arm back alongside your body, with elbow pointing straight back behind you. Your upper arm should be parallel to the floor. Lower your forearm and position it so that it comes slightly forward towards the front of you. This is the start position.
   
   

   Start Position Upper arm parallel to the floor, back flat

   
   
2. Make sure you have a firm grip on the dumbbells so they don't slip from your grasp and fall on you during the exercise. Your thumb should be across your fingers, which locks your grip in place.
   
   

   Right Way - Thumb locking fingers into place	Wrong Way - Weight of the dumbbell could force your fingers open and slip from your grasp

   
   
3. Your wrist should remain straight and rigid at all times. If you relax your wrist at any time during the exercise and the weight of the dumbbell causes your wrist to bend you could strain the tendons or perhaps even break your wrist!
4. Tighten your triceps muscle and straighten your forearm so that the weight comes up and your entire arm is now in a straight line. Do not lock your elbow joint - not only do you risk injuring the joint, you also take the stress off your triceps muscle and allow it to rest - a big no-no, see Basic Workout Guideline #6.
   
   

   Finish Position Entire arm parallel to the floor, but elbow joint is not locked

   
   
5. Barely pausing, lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Don't let gravity do the work, for two reasons. The first is safety - letting the dumbbell simply drop can damage your elbow joint, which will take the brunt of the stress when the dumbbell abruptly come to a halt. Second, you want to keep as much stress as possible on your triceps muscle during the downward motion so it doesn't get a chance to recover between reps.
6. Breathe out as you lift the dumbbell up and breathe in as you lower it back to the starting position.
7. Complete only as many repetitions as you can perform in a safe and controlled manner. Push yourself, but try not to go to complete failure. If your triceps muscle were to suddenly give out and the weight of the dumbbell forced your hand to drop quickly, you could injure your elbow joint.

Helpful Tips:

• To more effectively pre-stretch the triceps muscle with resistance (refer to Basic Workout Guideline #6) in the start position, swing the dumbbell forward slightly rather than allow it to hang loosely at 90°. (Note, however, that once you move your arm past the 90° mark, your biceps muscle takes over from the triceps. So all you are doing by swinging the dumbbell forward slightly is placing an extra little pre-stretch on your tricpes muscle prior to executing each rep.)
  
  

  Start with your forearm slightly forward to pre-stretch the triceps muscle

  
  
• Your upper arm should remain parallel to the ground at all times and only your elbow should move throughout the exercise. If your upper arm moves at all, you are no longer isolating your triceps muscle and you are instead using your shoulder muscle to do much of the work.
• Do not pause appreciably at the top of the movement before lowering your arm back to the start position. Your entire rep should be a single smooth and controlled movement. The only reason you do pause somewhat is to prevent yourself from incorporating momentum to help swing the weights up and down. The same logic applies upon return to the start position; begin your next rep as quickly as you can without allowing momentum to do the work for you.
• If you do not have a weight bench or other suitable flat surface in your workout area, an alternate body position for this exercise is to brace your body off the side of your weight rack or perhaps a counter top. Keep your back straight and your upper arm in line with the length of your body. When using heavier weights, this position will be easier on your shoulder, but you must still hold your upper arm stationary at all times thoughout the exercise and ensure it is only the elbow which moves.

Triceps Kickback - Using Dumbbells

Start Position

Finish Position

Triceps Kickbacks - Using Tubing

1. Position your tubing at about waist height in front of you. Grasp the tubing in one hand and bend over so that your back is parallel to the floor. Keeping your upper arm parallel to the floor, bend your elbow so that your hand comes forward. Step backwards until your feel an appropriate amount of tension on the tubing
   
   

   Start Position Upper arm parallel to the floor, elbow bent

   
   
2. Keeping your upper arm stable, fully extend your elbow until your entire arm is parallel to the floor. Do not lock your elbow joint.
   
   

   Finish Position Entire arm parallel to the floor, but elbow joint is not locked

   
   
3. The principles for tubing extensions are identical to those for dumbbell triceps, so the same basic procedure and helpful tips apply. Note, however, that with the tubing exercise you have two different grip options:
   
   

   Overhand grip	Underhand grip

   
   

Although pushups primarily work the chest muscles, the closer your hands are together the more your triceps muscles are recruited to assist the chest muscles. So close grip pushups can be an effective triceps exercise. However, rather than repeat this exercise in multiple places on this site, I have chosen to list it on one page only and you will find this exercise in the chest workout section.