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The Best Triceps Workouts [Office-Friendly]

Building strong triceps is essential for upper arm strength and definition. The triceps brachii, located at the back of the upper arm, plays a key role in many upper body movements, especially those that involve pushing. While many associate tricep workouts with the gym, there are plenty of office-friendly triceps exercises that can be done discreetly at your desk. 

In this article, we will explore the most effective and accessible tricep exercises that you can incorporate into your workday.


What Is the Most Effective Tricep Workout?

To effectively work your triceps, you need to understand the anatomy of this muscle group. The triceps brachii consists of three heads: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. Each of these heads contributes to the overall development and function of the triceps, and targeting all three is essential for balanced growth. Tricep exercises that maximize the range of motion and engage all three heads are typically considered the most effective.

An ideal tricep workout should include compound movements, such as push-ups, which engage multiple muscle groups, and isolation exercises, like triceps extensions, to specifically target the triceps. In an office setting, you can adapt these exercises to your environment, making them both practical and effective.


What Is the King of All Tricep Exercises?

When it comes to naming the most effective tricep exercise, the bench press is often considered the “king” of all tricep workouts. Although it primarily targets the chest, the triceps are heavily engaged during the pressing phase, especially when using a close-grip variation.

This is considered the best tricep exercise as his compound movement not only builds strong triceps but also strengthens the chest and shoulders. The close-grip variation emphasizes tricep activation and helps in achieving overall triceps growth.


What Triceps Exercise Builds the Biggest Triceps?

If your goal is to build muscle mass and size in your triceps, the best triceps exercises are isolation exercises that allow for a deep range of motion and target specific heads. One of the best triceps exercises is the triceps extension. The overhead position places significant tension on the long head of the triceps, which is the largest of the three heads. Regularly incorporating this triceps exercise will help enhance muscle growth in the upper arm.

Another excellent exercise for tricep workouts that can build size is the tricep kickback. This triceps exercise focuses on tricep activation and provides a strong contraction at the top of the movement, maximizing the muscle-building potential.


How Do You Hit All Three Heads of Triceps?

The triceps are composed of three distinct parts: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. To fully develop the triceps, it’s important to perform upper-body workouts that target all three heads. Incorporating a variety of movements ensures balanced development, leading to both strength and muscle mass gains. 

One triceps exercise that works for the long head is the overhead triceps extension. This works because the long head is more engaged when your arms are overhead, making this one of the most effective exercises for targeting this part of the triceps.

Another tricep exercise that you can include in your workout routine is tricep pushdowns. This exercise emphasizes the lateral and medial heads. Using a resistance band instead of a cable machine makes it office-friendly. Simply anchor the band to a stable surface and perform pushdowns to target these heads.

Other best triceps exercises that you can do are diamond push-ups and dips. Diamond push-ups work all heads due to the close-hand placement of the exercise. The dips work multiple heads of the triceps due to the large range of motion and the body weight load involved. They can be modified with chair dips in the office.


How Many Tricep Exercises Should I Do?

When designing a tricep workout, it’s important to strike a balance between volume and variety. Typically, performing two to three exercises per workout, with 3-4 sets per exercise, is sufficient to stimulate muscle growth without overtraining. This combination ensures that you’re targeting the major muscles in the triceps while keeping your routine quick and efficient.


Best Triceps Exercises

Effective tricep training is essential for building strength and definition in the upper arm. The triceps, which play a key role in extending the elbow joint, can be worked through a variety of movements. Some of the best tricep exercises include both body weight exercises and equipment-based moves, like those using a cable machine, to target the full range of the triceps muscle. 

Below are some common triceps exercises that can be easily incorporated into your routine to maximize strength and tricep growth.

Triceps Dip

Bodyweight exercises are the best to do, especially if you don’t have access to any gym equipment. Tricep dips will make you feel the burn in the lateral and medial heads of the triceps immediately.

To do this triceps exercise, start by sitting on the edge of your chair with your spine straight and tall, feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Grip the seat at the front edge of the chair. 

Next, scoot forward until you are off of the chair and only supported by arms. Keeping your back flat and core engaged, slowly lower your body as low as you can. Reverse the move by pushing yourself back up to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 10 reps.

Eccentric Triceps Pushup

This triceps workout is a close-grip pushup that hits all three heads hard. Start in a high plank position but with your hands directly beneath the chest instead of the shoulders and holding the dumbbells.

Bend your elbows straight back towards your feet to lower body until almost touching the floor. Keep your upper arms close to your sides. Shift hips back and reset in a plank position. Complete 8 to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

This overhead triceps extension hits the long head of your triceps hard and works the core. To perform this tricep exercise, start standing and holding one dumbbell between both hands overhead with straight arms. You may also hold two weights together overhead.

Next, keep your biceps by your ears, then bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head. Pause, then press the weight back up to straighten the arms, returning to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 10 reps.

Tricep Pushdown

Want to build bigger tricep muscles? Then this one’s for you. One of the most effective triceps exercises around is the pushdown as it’s for hitting the medial head and lateral head of the triceps muscle, depending on the cable machine attachment and grip position you use. 

To target the long and lateral heads, you’ll want to use the rope (neutral grip), straight bar (overhead grip), or v bar (partly-pronated grip, essentially a mix between overhead grip and hammer). To target the medial head, you’ll want to take an underhand grip (palms facing upwards) using a straight bar attachment to perform a reverse grip tricep pushdown. 

When doing this triceps exercise, keep your elbows tucked into your side and only move your forearms down. Keep your shoulders down and focus the load on your triceps. Lower the weight if you find that you have any movement at the shoulder joint or you’re swinging. If you don’t have access to the gym, you can still do this tricep exercise with a resistance band.

Skull Crushers

Also known as lying triceps extension, Skull Crushers target the long head of the triceps, taking the stress off your back and allowing you to focus on your arms. To perform this triceps workout, start lying on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor holding a pair of dumbbells so that your arms are extended toward the ceiling in line with the shoulders.

Without moving your upper arms, slowly bend at elbows to lower weights to frame your face. Pause, then slowly press weights back up overhead. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 10 reps.

Close-Grip Bench Press

Compound exercises are the best for progressive overload and muscle growth. The bench press is usually a chest exercise but a close-grip bench press hits the triceps muscle harder than wider grips. Furthermore, this triceps workout contributes to your overall upper body strength and functionality. It enhances elbow extension, and stabilizes your shoulder and elbow joints.

To perform a close-grip bench press, locate a flat bench station and lie down on it with your back flat against the surface. Place your feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Next, hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other and positioned over the middle of your chest. Keep your elbows tight and the dumbbells at chest level, ensuring your hands are close together but not touching.

Tighten your core, press your feet firmly on the ground and inhale. Then exhale, pushing the dumbbells straight up over your chest, arms straight. Hold and make sure you’re fully engaging your triceps and chest muscles. Inhale as you lower the dumbbells.

Triceps Kickbacks

This is one of the best long-head tricep exercises around. To perform triceps kickbacks, hold a dumbbell in your left hand and assume a split-stance position. Place your right leg forward, weight distributed evenly through the heels of your feet. Contract your abs as you place your right hand on your right thigh and lean forward. Position your left upper arm parallel to your torso. Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees.

Next, exhale and slowly extend your elbow by contracting your triceps muscles until your elbow is fully extended. Inhale, and slowly return the arm to the starting position. Keep the upper arm parallel and close to your torso.


Final Note

Incorporating the best triceps exercises is crucial for enhancing triceps growth, improving elbow joint strength, and building torso strength. Effective triceps training targets the entire triceps brachii muscle. By choosing exercises that stimulate each part of this muscle group, you can maximize muscle activity and promote balanced development. 

Whether you’re using compound movements like push-ups or isolation workouts like triceps extensions, focusing on form and intensity will improve tricep strength over time. Consistent, well-structured triceps workouts not only lead to stronger, more defined arms but also contribute to overall upper-body performance and muscular growth.

Tricia Montano

Tricia founded Pain Free Working in 2019 due to suffering from degenerative disc disease in her L5-S1 from working an office job for the past 18 years. She and her team strive on finding and reviewing the best office equipment to help fellow pain sufferers find relief and to enable people like her to do their jobs comfortably.