I saw my friend at the gym last week. He was doing curls. Lots of curls. I asked him why. He said he wanted bigger arms. I pointed to the back of his arm. The soft part. "That is two-thirds of your arm," I said. "You are ignoring that."
He had no idea.
Most people do not know this. Your tricep is the big muscle on the back of your arm. It makes up most of your arm size. If you want toned arms, you need tricep workouts.
Let me show you what I learned after eight years of lifting. I made mistakes. My elbows hurt. I wasted time. You do not have to.
One Quick Test Before You Start
Stand sideways in front of a mirror. Relax your arm. See the back part near your elbow? That is your tricep. Flex it hard. That horseshoe shape? That is a strong tricep.
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If you see loose skin or jiggle, your tricep is weak. The fix is simple. Train it directly.
5 Tricep Workouts That Changed My Arms
I tested over fifteen exercises. These five gave me results without breaking my elbows.
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
Lie on a flat bench. Put your hands on the bar. Keep them shoulder-width apart. Not wide like chest day. Not super narrow like a weird close grip.
Lower the bar to your lower chest. Keep your elbows glued to your sides. Do not let them point outward.
Push up. Squeeze the back of your arms at the top.
Real talk: I used to go too heavy. My chest took over. I felt nothing in my triceps. Drop the ego. Use lighter weight. Feel the burn.
Best for: People who want arm size and pushing strength.
Skip if: Your shoulder hurts when you bench press.
2. Overhead Tricep Extension
Sit on a bench. Hold one dumbbell with both hands. Grip the inside of the top plate. Raise it over your head.
Lower the weight behind your head. Keep your elbows pointing straight up. Do not let them drift forward.
Extend your arms. Squeeze at the top.
What I learned: I started with 20 pounds. My elbows hurt. I dropped to 15 pounds. Perfect. Do not rush weight on this move.
Best for: Creating that defined horseshoe shape.
Skip if: You have elbow tendinitis. This move stresses the joint.
3. Tricep Dips (Bodyweight King)
You need a bench or a chair. That is it.
Sit on the edge. Put your hands next to your hips. Walk your feet forward. Lower your body until your elbows bend to 90 degrees. Press back up.
The secret: Move your feet closer to the bench to make it easier. Move them farther away to make it harder. Start easy.
My story: I could only do five dips at first. My shoulders hurt. I moved my feet closer. Suddenly I could do twelve. Form matters more than reps.
Do push ups workout triceps? Yes, but diamond push-ups work better. Standard push-ups hit your chest more.
Best for: Home workouts with zero equipment.
Skip if: Your wrists hurt when you push.
4. Skull Crushers (Dangerous But Good)
The name is not a joke. I learned why.
Lie on a bench. Hold an EZ-bar or two dumbbells. Extend your arms straight up. Lower the weight toward your forehead. Stop before it touches. Press back up.
Keep your elbows locked in one place. Only your forearms move.
The rule I follow: Never go heavy. Use light weight. Focus on the stretch.
What happened to me: I loaded 80 pounds on the bar. My elbow gave out on rep six. The bar hit my nose. Blood everywhere. My wife laughed. I did not.
Best for: Advanced lifters who know their limits.
Skip if: You are a beginner. Start with overhead extensions instead. Safer.
5. Diamond Push-Ups
Put your hands on the floor. Touch your thumbs and index fingers together. They make a diamond shape.
Lower your chest toward your hands. Keep your body straight like a plank. Press up.
The narrow hand position forces your triceps to work hard.
The problem I see: People sag their hips. Their elbows flare out. Keep your body straight. Keep elbows pointing backward.
How I got better: I started on my knees. Twenty reps felt hard. Then I moved to my toes. Five reps felt impossible. Now I can do twenty clean reps. It took six months.
This is the best dips workout for triceps when you have no bench.
Best for: Travel. Hotel rooms. Your living room.
Skip if: Your wrists cannot bend that way.
Chest and Tricep Workout: Why Train Them Together?
You see chest and tricep workout plans everywhere. There is a reason.
Every chest exercise uses your triceps. Bench press. Incline press. Push-ups. Your triceps help push the weight.
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So train them together. They are already tired from chest work. Then you finish them with isolation moves.
My go-to chest and tricep day:
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Bench press (4 sets of 8 reps)
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Incline dumbbell press (3 sets of 10 reps)
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Tricep dips (3 sets of 10 reps)
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Overhead extensions (3 sets of 12 reps)
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Diamond push-ups (2 sets to failure)
This takes 45 minutes. I do it once a week. My arms grew more in three months than three years of random training.
How to Workout Triceps: Reps Matter
People ask me how to workout triceps all the time. They think more reps is always better. Wrong. Here is what works based on your goal.
For strength (pushing heavier things): 4 to 6 reps. Heavy weight. Rest 3 minutes between sets.
For size (bigger arms): 8 to 12 reps. Moderate weight. Rest 1 minute. This works for most people.
For endurance (toned look): 15 to 20 reps. Light weight. Short rest. This burns fat and tightens the muscle.
Pick one goal. Stick with it for 8 weeks. Then switch.
What Equipment Should You Buy? Honest Advice
You do not need a gym. But you need some basic gear. Let me save you money.
Buy these three things:
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Adjustable dumbbells up to 50 lbs: Look at Bowflex 552 on Amazon. About $400 right now (April 2026). Expensive but worth it. One set replaces fifteen fixed dumbbells.
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EZ-curl bar: $40 on Amazon or Decathlon. Protects your wrists during skull crushers. Regular straight bars hurt.
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Resistance bands: $20. Use them for tricep pushdowns when you travel. Loop them over a door.
Skip these two things:
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Tricep rope attachments: Useless unless you own a cable machine. Most people do not.
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Rubber "tricep blasters": The ones you strap to your arm. Total gimmick. Does nothing. Save your $30.
My honest take: Start with just dumbbells. Master overhead extensions and close-grip press. Add an EZ-bar after six months if you want to try skull crushers. Bands are nice but optional.
The Push-Up Question: Answered Clearly
Do push ups workout triceps effectively?
Yes. But only the right variation.
Standard push-ups hit your chest first. Your triceps help, but they are not the main worker.
Diamond push-ups change that. Narrow hands. Elbows tucked. Your triceps become the star.
Try this right now: Do ten standard push-ups. Rest ten seconds. Do ten diamond push-ups. Feel the difference? The diamond variation burns the back of your arms more.
If you only do one exercise at home, pick diamond push-ups.
Mistakes I Made So You Do Not Have To
Learn from me. I was dumb.
Mistake 1: Flaring elbows. Keep your elbows close to your body. Flaring turns the exercise into a shoulder move. Your triceps stop working.
Mistake 2: Locking elbows. Do not straighten your arm all the way. Stop just short. Your triceps stay under tension. Your joints stay safe.
Mistake 3: Using momentum. Swinging the weight up uses your back. Lower slowly. Pause at the bottom. Feel the burn.
Mistake 4: Skipping warm-ups. Cold elbows snap easily. Do 20 arm circles. Ten light overhead extensions with no weight. Then start.
When to Stop: Safety First
Listen to your body. I did not. I paid for it.
Stop immediately if you feel:
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Sharp pain in your elbow (not muscle burn)
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Clicking sounds with pain
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Pain that wakes you up at night
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Swelling around your elbow
What helps: Ice after workouts. Elbow sleeves from Amazon ($15). Fish oil pills. Rest days between tricep sessions.
What does not help: "Pushing through the pain." That gave me tendinitis. Six weeks of recovery. Zero arm training. Not worth it.
A Simple 12-Week Plan
No gym required. No supplements. Just work.
Weeks 1 to 4 (Build the habit)
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Monday: Diamond push-ups, 3 sets of max reps
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Thursday: Overhead extensions, 3 sets of 12 reps
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Use light weight. Focus on form only.
Weeks 5 to 8 (Add volume)
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Monday: Close-grip bench, 4 sets of 8 reps
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Wednesday: Tricep dips, 3 sets of 10 reps
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Friday: Overhead extensions, 3 sets of 12 reps
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Add a little weight each week.
Weeks 9 to 12 (Push intensity)
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Monday: Skull crushers, 4 sets of 8 reps
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Wednesday: Dips, 4 sets of 8 reps
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Friday: Diamond push-ups, 4 sets to failure
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Rest two minutes between sets. Go heavy but safe.
The Final Thoughts
Stop ignoring the back of your arms. Stop doing only bicep curls. Pick one exercise from this list today. Do it for two weeks. Add a second exercise. Build slowly. You do not need a fancy gym. You do not need a trainer.
You do not need $50 bottles of pills that promise "arm explosions." You need consistency. You need proper form. You need patience. I made every mistake. My elbows hurt for months because I was stubborn. Do not repeat my errors.
Pick diamond push-ups at home. Pick close-grip bench at the gym. Pick overhead extensions if your elbows bother you. Stick with it for twelve weeks. Take a photo today. Take another photo on week twelve.
Then email me. Tell me I was wrong. I will wait.