If you want big strong powerful arms, the simple fact is that you must devote time and focus to training your triceps!
There is a tendency for people to focus a disproportionate amount of time on training the biceps as they tend to be the prominent muscle we see when we look down at our arms or stand facing the mirror but turn to the side and it’s a different story!
Look at any well-developed arm and it’s the triceps that dominate the visual. And why is that? Well, my friends, that is because the triceps make up approximately 70% of the upper arm.
So hopefully you get it – If growing your arms is one of your fitness goals, you’ll need to make sure that your triceps are getting suitably blasted.
The good news is that we have carefully selected the 4 best dumbbell exercises for triceps to help you get the results you’re looking for!
ANATOMY OF THE TRICEPS
The triceps, short for triceps brachii, is a three-headed muscle located at the back of the upper arm
It is responsible for extending the elbow joint (straightening the arm) and is useful in everyday life as well as many exercise movements, particularly those that require a pushing movement.
The three heads of the triceps are:
- Long head: This is the largest and outermost head of the triceps that runs from the shoulder to the elbow and is used during movements that straighten the arm.
- Lateral head: The middle head of the triceps, the lumpy muscle you can see on well-developed arms.
- Medial Head: The smallest and innermost head of the triceps
Together, these three heads coordinate to allow the arm to extend fully at the elbow
Developed triceps can enhance your ability to push objects, perform various upper body exercises, and increase overall upper body strength
CAN YOU TRAIN TRICEPS WITH JUST DUMBBELLS?
The short answer to this is YES!
In order to grow any muscle, the science remains the same and in simple terms, we need to find a way to overload the muscle using a weight with sufficient repetition to damage the muscle such that it repairs and grows back stronger
So, with a mix of compound and isolation exercises, we can hit each of the 3 triceps muscles with enough intensity to promote muscle hypertrophy i.e. growth
ADVANTAGES OF TRAINING TRICEPS WITH DUMBBELLS
Asymmetry Correction – Unlike a barbell where you have one bar operated by both arms, with dumbbells each arm works unilaterally so a dominant side cannot take over and do most of the work which can lead to muscle imbalances
Perform Compound & Isolation Exercises: The beauty of dumbbells when it comes to training triceps is that you can replicate the equivalent compound barbell exercises like a close grip bench press as well as a multitude of targeted isolation movements to ensure you hit all 3 triceps heads.
Variety – There are many more variations of triceps exercises that can be performed with dumbbells as opposed to barbells or machines.
Home Workouts: Dumbbell are easier to incorporate into a triceps workout at home where space might be limited. The cost of purchasing dumbbells is also a lot cheaper than barbells or specialist equipment like cable machines.
Joint Health: Dumbbells allow for natural movement and reduce the stress on the joints compared to some of the popular barbell exercises
THE 4 BEST DUMBBELL EXERCISES FOR TRICEPS
So, our carefully selected best dumbbell exercises for triceps are:
- Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press
- Incline Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Dumbbell Skullcrushers
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
We’ll now take a closer at exercise to explain how they work the triceps and how to perform the movement
1. NEUTRAL GRIP DUMBBELL PRESS (TARGETS: ALL 3 HEADS)
This compound movement is a great mass builder which works all 3 heads of the triceps as well as the inner chest
You should aim to lift some heavy weight here as this is a great strength builder
The close grip with elbows tucked into your sides shifts the emphasis to the triceps, the exercise is similar to a close grip barbell bench press with the advantage of allowing for a bit more freedom of movement as well being a bit more forgiving on the wrists.
HOW TO PERFORM
- You’ll need a flat bench and a pair of relatively heavy dumbbells
- Lie on the bench holding a dumbbell in each with a neutral grip (palms facing each other)
- Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level, elbows bent and wrists neutral. Your upper arm should be parallel to the floor
- Press the dumbbells upwards by extending the arms, keep pushing until the arms are fully extended
- Feel the triceps contracting at the top of the movement
- Lower the dumbbells in a slow controlled manner by bending your elbows until your arms return to the starting position.
2. INCLINE OVERHEAD DUMBBELL TRICEP EXTENSION (TARGETS: LONG HEAD)
Overhead extensions are staple for many triceps training programs and can be performed in a variety of different positions including seated, standing and our particular favorite which is using an incline bench
By using the incline not only do you get a better extension of the long head at the bottom of the movement but you get the added benefit of support for the back which can help to mitigate any injury risk if you have mobility or lower back issues
HOW TO PERFORM
- You’ll need a flat bench and a single dumbbell
- Sit on the bench and raise the dumbbell so it is above your head with your arms fully extended. The dumbbell should be positioned just behind your head and neck
- Lower the dumbbell by bending your elbow, keep lowering the dumbbell until your forearms are slightly below parallel to the floor
- Engage your triceps to push the dumbbell back up to the starting position (the extension phase) until your arms are fully extended
- Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps
AF Tip – If you are training at home and do not have an incline bench, a variation I like to do from time to time is a standing or seated one arm dumbbell overhead extension, this is one of the best one arm tricep exercises i have found where I can go super light and really feel the triceps muscle contracting.
3. DUMBBELL SKULLCRUSHERS (TARGETS: ALL 3 HEADS)
This is one of my favourite triceps exercises, you can get an insane pump with a really lightweight and I find that I can get a really strong mind-muscle connection as the long head works extra hard to control the weight as it is stretched through a full range of motion
HOW TO PEFORM
- Select a pair of light dumbbells (if new to the exercise start super light!)
- Lie down on a flat bench, raise the dumbbells up so they are just above your chin.
- Lower the weight over the top of your head by flexing your elbow, keep the elbow fixed in place and move the dumbbell slowly through a full range of motion.
- Raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.
4. DUMBBELL TRICEP KICKBACKS (TARGETS: LONG HEAD)
This exercise gets a bit of a hard time with some critics but when performed correctly this isolation exercise is a great way to hit the long head of the triceps to add further muscle definition and separation.
This is not an easy movement to master, to be effective the dumbbell must move through a full range of motion at the right angle to ensure you get a full and effective contraction of the muscle. It is therefore vitally important to use a dumbbell weight that allows you to follow the steps list below to complete movement with the correct form.
HOW TO PERFORM
- You’ll need a flat bench and a light dumbbell
- Use the bench to support the non-working arm, bend over at a 90-degree angle so your chest faces the bench and place your non-working hand on the bench
- Hold the dumbbell against your chest, this is the starting position
- Fully extend your elbow until your arm is straight and squeeze the triceps
- Slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position, keep the upper arm still and just let the elbow hinge enable the movement.
EXAMPLE TRICEP WORKOUT
This triceps workout with dumbbells is designed to increase strength and muscle mass. When you are able to perform the maximum suggested number of reps for a given exercise, increase the weight to bring your max output back down to the lower end of the rep range. This style of training is known as “progressive overload” and is recommended to maximise your results from your training.
The workout can be integrated into your regular program alongside other muscle groups. If your are specifically prioritising triceps at the moment then train triceps at the beginning of your session when your energy levels are at peak levels.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Close Grip Dumbell Press | 4 | 5-8 |
| Incline Overhead Tricep Extensions | 4 | 10-12 |
| Lying Dumbbell Skullcrushers | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Kickbacks | 3 | 10-15 |
HOME WORKOUT OPTIONS
Another benefit of training triceps with dumbbells only is that you can do so from home without having to kit out a high spec gym or using up a significant amount of floorspace.
Generally, you’ll need dumbbells that range from light to workout can be performed at home, you just need a bench and a set of dumbbells we would recommend adjustable spinlock dumbbells for beginners which are relatively cheap and will allow you to increase the weight as your strength picks up or some more advanced adjustable disc style dumbbells for those of you need a wider weight range to work with.
Many of the exercises can be tweaked to reduce the equipment needed , for example –
- Incline Overhead Tricep Extensions to Seated Overhead Extensions
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks – Use the arm of a chair or a bed for support instead of a flat bench
- Half the speed of your reps – This will allow you to keep using lighter dumbbells for longer
WRAP UP
If you’re looking to add size to your arms then do not just focus bicep curls. The triceps account for over 2/3 of the upper arm so must be prioritised and adding the 4 best dumbbell exercises for triceps that we have discussed here or using our sample triceps workout will have your triceps burning bulging in no time whatsoever!
Related Post: The 7 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Biceps
0 Comments