The Best and Worst Triceps Exercises for Muscle Growth: A Full Guide
If you’re serious about sculpting bigger, stronger arms, training your triceps is non-negotiable. Comprising nearly two-thirds of your upper arm mass, the triceps brachii is made up of three distinct heads: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. Each plays a unique role in arm extension and aesthetic development. But not all triceps exercises are equally effective—and some may even be holding you back.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll rank the most popular triceps movements based on effectiveness, safety, and progression potential. You’ll learn which movements belong in every serious training program—and which ones are better left out.
What Makes a Great Triceps Exercise?
Before diving into specific movements, it’s important to define what we’re looking for in an effective triceps exercise:
- Strong resistance in the stretched position: Exercises that load the muscle while it’s fully lengthened tend to stimulate more growth.
- Joint-friendly execution: A good triceps movement should feel smooth and not irritate the elbows or shoulders.
- Scalable overload: You should be able to progressively increase the load or reps over time.
With those criteria in mind, let’s evaluate which exercises check all the boxes—and which fall short.
Elite-Level (S Tier) Triceps Exercises
1. Overhead Cable Extensions
Arguably the king of triceps isolation, this movement maximally stretches the long head of the triceps—the only head that crosses the shoulder joint. Performing extensions with a cable from an overhead position maintains tension throughout the entire range of motion. This constant resistance, combined with the stretch-based stimulus, makes it one of the best exercises for long-term hypertrophy. Clinical research even shows superior growth compared to traditional pressdowns.
2. Skull Crushers (EZ Bar)
Performed lying on a bench and extending the arms backward, skull crushers effectively target all three triceps heads, with particular emphasis on the long head. Using an EZ bar reduces wrist strain, while adjusting your elbow angle can improve tension. When executed with proper form, this is one of the best free-weight options available.
Excellent Choices (A Tier)
3. Bar Pressdowns
A staple in many lifters’ routines, the bar pressdown delivers consistent tension throughout the movement. It’s easy to progress with more weight or reps, and it’s highly joint-friendly. While it doesn’t place the triceps under a deep stretch like overhead movements do, it remains one of the most effective exercises for targeting the lateral and medial heads.
4. One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
This unilateral movement offers better control, making it easier to adjust elbow position for comfort and proper alignment. It’s a great alternative when cables aren’t available and allows for meaningful overload of the long head.
5. Cable Kickbacks
Unlike their dumbbell counterpart, cable kickbacks maintain tension throughout the movement. With the arm positioned behind the torso, the long head achieves peak contraction. Although they bias the shortened position, they’re excellent for achieving a strong muscle squeeze and finishing your session with high-rep intensity.
6. Katana Extensions (Cross-Cable Overhead Extensions)
This unique movement mimics drawing swords from your back, challenging your triceps from a slightly diagonal overhead position. Because it uses cables, you get constant resistance and solid long head activation. Great for variety and symmetrical development, although the setup may take some getting used to.
Solid Support (B Tier)
7. Rope Pressdowns
While similar to bar pressdowns, the rope introduces more instability, which can reduce load. However, it allows for a wider contraction at the bottom, offering a better “mind-muscle” connection for some lifters.
8. Seated Dumbbell French Press
This movement hits the long head hard, especially when performed seated for more stability. The main downside is the dumbbell’s resistance curve—tension drops off at the top of the lift, and heavy dumbbells can be cumbersome to handle.
9. Close-Grip Dips
A compound lift that allows for progressive overload, dips emphasize the lateral and medial heads. However, they may lack full stretch for the long head and can aggravate the shoulders in some individuals.
10. Smith Machine JM Press
This modified bench movement is a hybrid between a skull crusher and close-grip press. The Smith machine’s fixed path makes it easier to isolate the triceps and minimize shoulder involvement. Good for variation, but less impactful than overhead work.
Average at Best (C Tier)
11. Dumbbell Kickbacks
Though often criticized, this exercise can still offer value—especially for those limited to dumbbells. Unfortunately, it lacks tension in the stretched position and provides inconsistent resistance, making it less effective overall.
12. Reverse-Grip Pressdowns
Changing grip orientation doesn’t significantly alter triceps recruitment, but it does limit how much weight you can use. For most people, the reduced loading potential makes this version less effective.
13. Bench Dips
These can isolate the triceps well, but once you get stronger, they become difficult to progressively overload. Adding weight to your lap can feel awkward and impractical without a partner.
14. Close-Grip Push-Ups
Good for beginners or high-rep finishers, but they lose effectiveness once bodyweight becomes too easy. Hard to progressively overload without extra equipment.
Final Rankings
So, which triceps movement reigns supreme—and which one flops?
Best Overall: Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
This exercise delivers on all fronts: deep stretch, smooth resistance, and consistent tension. If your goal is maximum triceps development, especially the long head, this should be your go-to.
Least Effective: Dumbbell Kickbacks
While not entirely useless, dumbbell kickbacks offer poor mechanical advantage and limited tension in the most important parts of the range. If you’re short on time or equipment, there are simply better ways to train your triceps.
The Smart Way to Train Triceps
To build fully developed, symmetrical triceps, follow these key principles:
- Include at least one overhead movement in every training cycle to target the long head in a stretched position.
- Use pressing variations like dips or close-grip bench press to build strength and overload the medial and lateral heads.
- Incorporate shortened-position exercises like cable kickbacks for peak contraction and muscular balance.
- Always ensure progressive overload, good form, and joint-friendly mechanics.
By training all three heads of the triceps through a variety of angles and resistance profiles, you’ll ensure maximum growth and injury prevention.
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