If you are looking to get bigger arms, there is AN INSIDER TIP you may have never considered.
On arm day, most people place more emphasis on biceps. No surprise. Who doesn’t want those nice big bicep peaks?
But if you want balanced, bigger arms, your triceps need just as much (if not more) attention as your biceps.
You can not neglect your triceps if you want big arms.
Triceps take up a large portion of your arm. So if bigger arms are your goal, start giving your triceps the attention they need to grow!
To help you out, we are giving you our 5 FAVORITE TRICEP EXERCISES.
These are the exact tricep exercises that Vince has incorporated into his arm days over the past few years that have helped him go from skinny arms that wouldn’t grow no matter what — to a strong, balanced and sculpted upper body!
But it wasn’t only these 5 tricep exercises that helped him build big arms.
You have to be consistent, focus on FULL body training and not only the individual body parts you struggle to build.
But just as important, you have to make sure you are eating the right foods and macros for your goals and body type.
Most people have no clue what their body type is — exactly why we created a free BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take for free!
Knowing your body type and then training and eating in a way that is best for your genetics and goals will help you get there faster and easier!
It is only 6 questions, and you will instantly get your results and some helpful information! Take it for free HERE!
Alright, back to tricep training for bigger arms!! Before we give you our 5 favorite tricep workouts, we want to make sure you understand the anatomy of this small but significant muscle.
When it comes to your triceps, you have to keep in mind that they are made up of THREE different heads.
1: The long head
2: The lateral head
3: The medial head
If you don’t do exercises that hit ALL THREE heads equally — you will never get the bigger arms you desire!
Some tricep exercises favor one head more than the other. Whatever tricep exercises you choose, just make sure you have a variety of exercises that hit all three heads on every arm day!
We made sure to do that for the exercises below. You’ve probably performed most, if not all, of them.
But if you can’t get your arms to grow, hit a plateau, or are experiencing any kinds of unusual pinches, aches, or pains. — chances are you’ve been doing them wrong.
We wrote out some basic form tips and cues below, but it is probably best to take a couple of minutes and watch THIS VIDEO before you get started. We filmed a step-by-step instructional that shows you everything below in detail!
5 BEST TRICEP WORKOUTS FOR BIGGER ARMS
1: TRICEP DIPS
People tend to do these as a finisher with only bodyweight. But these are a great resistance exercise for working all 3 heads of the triceps.
It’s a great idea to do an exercise that hits ALL heads off the bat for your first exercise.
Add resistance and try doing these at the beginning of your tricep workout instead of the end.
The way you execute these is crucial if you want to actually work your triceps.
One slight lean, and you will work your chest or even your shoulders more than your triceps. To favor your triceps, make sure you keep your torso upright!
Proper form for a tricep dip:
- Keep shoulders rolled back and pressed down.
- Keep your head straight.
- Drive elbows back and tucked into sides.
- Lower body down until your arms form 90-degree angles.
- Press back up to starting position.
Once you have your form nailed down, add resistance! You can do this by placing a DB between your feet, or even better, use a dip belt with weights if your gym has it!
2: TRICEP KICKBACKS
These are an excellent exercise for triceps, but most people do them wrong. They perform them almost like a “curl” instead of a kickback. You may feel a slight burn in your tricep doing them this way, but really all you are doing is creating momentum.
Instead, get on a bench and follow these cues:
- Bend your knee and lean on a flat bench.
- Place your hand on the bench for support and keep your back flat.
- With a DB in your opposite hand, drive your elbow back and up.
- “Kick” your arm back until it fully extends behind you.
- Pause and squeeze your tricep in that fully extended position.
- Lower DB back down to starting position.
Do not try to go heavy with these! Use light weight and focus on slow, controlled, proper form!
3: OVERHEAD TRICEP EXTENSION
Any tricep exercise where elbows are elevated, be it DB or cables, will favor the long head of your tricep.
For this one, you can go a little heavier than with the kickback. As always, only go heavy enough that you can use proper form.
Proper set-up and form for an overhead tricep extension….
- Put a high-back bench in the fully upright position. Using a high-back bench is important because that will help keep you from flaring your elbows out.
- Place a DB on your shoulder.
- Lift DB overhead with both hands until your arms are fully extended.
- Keep your elbows locked in place for the entire movement.
- Slowly lower the DB behind you and the top of the bench.
- Extend your arms back up to the starting position and squeeze your tricep.
The most important cue you can remember is to keep your elbow tucked in for the entire movement and never flared out. Only let your arm bend.
4: SKULL CRUSHERS (Vince’s favorite)
You have several options for how to do these. Flat bench, incline bench, floor, etc. With an ez curl bar, flat bar, or even dumbbells. Find what works best for you and your body, or whatever your gym has accessible. Vince’s favorite is on an incline bench with an ez-curl bar.
Proper set up and form for skull crushers …
- Set up a bench of your choice. Vince prefers an incline bench because he believes it allows for a better stretch and constant tension on the tricep.
- Grab your weight and get into your starting position, which is arms up above you and fully extended. Make sure your starting point is back by your ears, not straight above your face/torso..
- Tuck your elbows
- Slowly lower the weight down by bending your arms back behind the bench until just past 90-degrees.
- Power up to the starting position while squeezing your triceps.
Do not let your elbows flare! Keep them tucked for the entire movement.
Focus on keeping tension throughout the entire movement. Especially at the top of the exercise! Keeping little “form cues” like this in mind may not sound like a big deal, but doing these exercises properly from beginning to end is what leads to big changes in muscular development.
5: CABLE ROPE PUSHDOWN
This is probably the most common tricep exercise. It favors the lateral head of your tricep and proper form, and using an appropriate weight is KEY.
Do not attempt to use a heavy weight for these! Heavier is not better!!
Using proper form where you can push down without momentum and SLOWLY return to your starting position … is better!
- Grip the rope and take a big step back.
- Keep your elbows locked into the side of your body for the entire movement. Do not let them flare out!!
- Push the rope back until your arms are fully extended.
- Squeeze your triceps
- Slowly return to the starting position!
Don’t stay under the cable. Make sure you step back slightly to keep tension on your tricep in the fully extended position. This makes the exercise harder from beginning to end, instead of only at the beginning.
On your next arm day — Pick 3 or 4 of the exercises above and perform 4 sets of 12-15 reps of each! That is plenty enough volume assuming you are using all of the proper form cues we mentioned!
And don’t forget about that FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ we mentioned earlier.