The Friendly Guide to Best Tricep Exercises for Beginners

A strong set of triceps does more than fill out your sleeves. When you train this muscle group properly, you support every pressing move you do, including push ups, bench presses, and overhead lifts. The best tricep exercises for beginners focus on good form, controlled movement, and a mix of bodyweight and simple equipment.

This guide walks you through beginner friendly tricep exercises, how to do them safely, and how to build a simple routine you can repeat each week.

Understand your triceps first

Your triceps sit on the back of your upper arm and are made up of three parts, the long head, lateral head, and medial head. Together, they account for roughly two thirds of your upper arm size, which means if you want bigger, stronger arms, you need to pay attention to tricep training.

Strong triceps help you:

• Lock out your elbows in push ups and bench presses
• Press weight overhead more confidently
• Stabilize your elbows in everyday pushing movements

Dumbbell work is especially useful because it gives you a larger range of motion and lets each arm work on its own, which helps correct imbalances and improves overall symmetry.

Start with bodyweight tricep exercises

If you are new to strength training, bodyweight exercises are a safe entry point. You can practice the movement pattern, build joint strength, and learn to control your body before adding load.

Close grip push ups

Close grip push ups shift more work to your triceps by narrowing your hand position and keeping your elbows tucked.

How to do them:

1. Start in a high plank with hands slightly closer than shoulder width.
2. Brace your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
3. Bend your elbows, keeping them close to your torso, and lower your chest toward your hands.
4. Press back up, focusing on driving through your palms and squeezing your triceps at the top.

Keeping your abs tight through the whole movement gives you extra core engagement along with tricep work.

If this feels too challenging, you can drop to your knees, but keep the hand position and elbow path the same.

Chair or bench tricep dips

Tricep dips are a classic move you can do using a sturdy chair or bench. They target the back of your arms while also asking your core to help keep your hips off the ground.

To perform a basic dip:

1. Sit on the edge of a chair and place your hands next to your hips, fingers pointing forward.
2. Walk your feet out and slide your hips off the edge so your arms support your body.
3. Bend your elbows to lower your body in a straight line, stopping before your shoulders feel strained.
4. Press back up by straightening your elbows, but avoid snapping or locking them at the top.

You can bend your knees to make this move easier or straighten your legs to make it tougher. Aim to start with around 3 sets of 10 and increase volume gradually as recommended in many beginner guides.

If you have shoulder or elbow pain, be cautious with dips. A reduced range of motion or a switch to push ups is often a better option for sensitive joints.

Add simple dumbbell tricep exercises

Once you are comfortable with bodyweight moves, dumbbells let you challenge your triceps through a fuller range of motion and at different angles. This is where you can begin to see real changes in strength and muscle tone.

Dumbbell tricep kickbacks

Tricep kickbacks are unique because they place your upper arm behind your body, which allows your triceps to fully shorten and contract.

Try them like this:

1. Hold a light dumbbell in one hand and hinge forward slightly at the hips, keeping your back flat.
2. Bring your upper arm close to your side and then move it slightly behind your torso.
3. Bend your elbow so the weight hangs straight down.
4. Straighten your arm by driving the dumbbell back until your elbow is fully extended. Pause briefly.
5. Slowly return to the starting position without letting your upper arm swing.

Keeping your upper arm steady is the key. If your shoulder is moving a lot, the weight is probably too heavy.

Lying dumbbell tricep extension (skull crusher)

Lying tricep extensions, often called skull crushers, are one of the best tricep exercises for hypertrophy because they put the long head of your triceps under a deep stretch. Research cited in the European Journal of Sport Science suggests that training muscles in a lengthened position can boost growth.

Here is how to perform them safely:

1. Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your chest.
2. Angle your arms slightly back so the dumbbells are not directly over your face but slanted toward the top of your head.
3. Keeping your upper arms fixed, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells toward the sides of your head.
4. Stop just before the weights touch your head or the bench.
5. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position, focusing on the triceps doing the work.

Avoid bringing your arms straight up over your shoulders. A slight backward angle keeps tension on your triceps instead of passing it off to your shoulder joint.

Close grip dumbbell bench press

This variation of the bench press brings your grip closer in and shifts more emphasis to your triceps while reducing shoulder stress.

To set it up:

1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your chest.
2. Press the dumbbells up so they are over your chest and close together, palms facing each other.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides as you lower the weights toward your chest.
4. Press back up, focusing on squeezing your triceps hard at the top of the move.

According to coaching notes from Men’s Health UK, you can often handle nearly as much weight as with a barbell version, thanks to the more joint friendly elbow position.

Overhead dumbbell tricep extension

Overhead tricep extensions are especially effective for hitting the long head of your triceps because your arm is raised. Studies reported by the European Journal of Sport Science and summarized in Gymshark training content show that this stretched position often leads to more hypertrophy.

Try a single dumbbell version:

1. Sit or stand tall, holding one dumbbell with both hands by one end.
2. Press the dumbbell overhead, arms straight but not locked.
3. Keeping your upper arms close to your ears, bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head.
4. When you feel a stretch in the back of your arms, pause briefly.
5. Extend your elbows to bring the weight back overhead.

You can also do this as a single arm extension to address side to side strength differences.

Explore other helpful variations

Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can add a few more moves that keep your training fresh and help you hit your triceps from multiple angles.

• Tricep pushdowns with a rope attachment. Using a neutral grip and keeping your elbows tucked to your sides lets you target the lateral and medial heads of the triceps while limiting shoulder involvement.
• Dumbbell JM press. This hybrid between a close grip bench and a skull crusher starts by bending the elbows, which is useful for training power and explosive pressing.
• Rolling tricep extensions. Often done with dumbbells, this variation adds a small pullover like motion that challenges your triceps through a longer range.

You do not need all of these at once, especially as a beginner. Think of them as options you can rotate in when you want a slight change without overhauling your whole routine.

Build a beginner tricep workout plan

To get results from the best tricep exercises, you need a plan that balances effort, frequency, and recovery. Reviews of training research suggest aiming for 8 to 12 repetitions at about 60 to 80 percent of your one rep max, with a total of 12 to 28 sets for triceps per week spread over at least two sessions.

For a simple beginner setup, you can try:

1. Warm up
   Spend 5 to 10 minutes on light cardio and dynamic arm movements like arm circles and gentle band pull aparts. This increases blood flow and prepares your joints.

2. Main tricep work, 2 days per week
   Day A

• Close grip push ups, 3 sets of 8 to 12

• Dumbbell tricep kickbacks, 3 sets of 10 to 12 per arm

  Day B

• Chair or bench tricep dips, 3 sets of 8 to 10

• Overhead dumbbell tricep extensions, 3 sets of 10 to 12

1. Progress over time
   When you can complete the top end of the rep range with good form, increase the weight slightly or add a rep or two. This progressive overload is what drives strength and muscle gains over time.

2. Stretch and cool down
   After your session, gently stretch the front and back of your shoulders, your chest, and your triceps. This helps reduce muscle tension and can improve your range of motion.

Aim to fatigue your triceps near the last couple of reps in each set, but stop well before your form breaks down. Quality reps are more valuable than simply chasing heavier weight.

It also helps to revisit and slightly change your exercise selection every 3 to 4 weeks. For example, you might swap close grip push ups for rope pushdowns or replace skull crushers with a JM press variation. These small shifts keep your body from adapting too completely and support steady progress.

Stay safe and consistent

Strong triceps do not appear overnight. They are the result of consistent work, smart exercise choices, and enough rest for your muscles to recover and grow.

Keep these final pointers in mind:

• Prioritize form over load, especially around your elbows and shoulders.
• Increase weight or difficulty slowly instead of making big jumps.
• Train your triceps 2 to 3 times per week, then give them at least one rest day before working them hard again.
• Support your training with sleep, generally 7 to 9 hours per night, so your body has time to repair.

If you focus on a handful of the best tricep exercises, progress your weights gradually, and stick with your routine, you will notice pressing movements feeling easier and your arms looking more defined. Start with two moves from this guide in your next workout, then build from there as your confidence and strength grow.

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