If you are looking for the best triceps workout with dumbbells, you are at the right place. Dumbbell exercises target the triceps muscles, quite simply, and help to build bigger and stronger arms.
Don’t think just biceps that make for bigger, more defined arms. When it comes to arms, the greatest portion of the upper arm is the triceps.
You might not be able to see them, but the triceps actually make up around two-thirds of your upper arm! So, if you’re looking to fill out those sleeves, with well-developed arms, it’s important to activate all three tricep heads.
Understanding Your Triceps
Triceps brachii, or simply triceps, are a three-headed muscle opposite of the biceps and are responsible for 2/3 of upper arm mass. Big triceps make the arms look big, which is contrary to the popularity of big biceps, which are smaller in comparison.
So it’s essential to focus on and work the three tricep head muscles for maximum gains. When we know about the anatomy of the triceps, then we can easily and effectively train with these triceps exercises.
The triceps is a large muscle on the back of the arm. It consists of 3 parts, the medial, lateral, and long head. It begins just below the socket of the shoulder blade and at two distinct areas of the humerus.
- Long head: The largest part of the tricep that runs along the back of the upper arm.
- Lateral head: The smallest of the three muscles that is located on the outside of the arm.
- Medial head: Located right around the middle of the upper arm.
Why You Need to Train Your Triceps
Strong arms are important for almost every upper body movement you do each day and your triceps are often the heavy lifters. Anytime you push something—whether it be a door, a stroller, a lawnmower, or a barbell—you’re using your triceps.
Apart from the aesthetic benefits of having a solid set of triceps, there are important functional benefits too.
- Strong triceps help with shoulder stability and improve your range of motion
- Triceps main responsibilities are extending the elbow joint or simply straightening the arm.
- Strong triceps help keep your joints healthy, particularly your elbow joint.
- Increase in overall arm strength, power and endurance.
- Allows you to lift heavier during other lifts like bench presses and shoulder presses.
Benefit of Doing Triceps workout with dumbbells.
Isolating your triceps with dumbbells will help you grow muscle mass fast, due to the targeted nature of the exercise.
There are also multiple reasons that motivate you to do dumbbell triceps exercise, and below I’ve mentioned the seven of them.
- Dumbbell Triceps workout require more balance than barbells or machines that can lead to greater muscle fiber recruitment.
- It requires more muscular control than barbells, enhancing kinesthetic awareness.
- Triceps workout with Dumbbells allow unilateral training (training one limb at a time), increase core stability, and improve muscular imbalances.
- Dumbbell Triceps exercises allows for greater joint safety and stabilization and allows the joints to move naturally within their range of motion.
- It affords a greater level of variety, which prevents physical and mental burnout.
- Dumbbell workout variations allow for a greater range of movement (ROM), which leads to an increased number of muscle fibers recruited.
- Dumbbells tricep workouts are perfect for the at-home exerciser with the limited space.
The best Dumbbells triceps exercises are divided into triceps pressing, dumbbell tricep extension, dumbbell triceps push down, and dumbbell triceps kickback exercises.
This Blog contains detailed descriptions of all major tricep exercises that you can do by dumbbell at home and Gym that focus on the triceps muscles, including the lateral head, the long head, and the medial head.
10 Best Dumbbell Tricep Exercises
Whilst there are a variety of tricep exercises that use a range of equipment and machines, the following 10 tricep exercises require dumbbells only. Here are the 10 best Triceps workouts that you can do with dumbbells. Browse through the various dumbbell exercises for triceps below:
1. One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
The dumbbell overhead triceps extension is a single-joint exercise that targets the triceps while increasing stability throughout the core and the shoulder regions.
By using dumbbells instead of an EZ-bar for the overhead extension, you work each arm separately and ensure one stronger side isn’t carrying the weaker one. This lets you focus on perfect form in that one arm and allows for a greater range of motion.
How To Do One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
- Stand shoulder width apart and lift a dumbbell overhead with your right hand.
- Hold it straight overhead with an overhand grip (palm facing forward).
- Keeping your upper arm right beside your head, lower the dumbbell behind your head and toward your left shoulder until your elbow forms a 90-degree angle.
- Then slowly lift it back to full arm extension. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Weight should move in a controlled manner.
- Chin should remain parallel to the floor and the core should braced during the exercise.
- Keep your upper arms as still as possible, allowing your forearms to drive the movement
2. Dumbbell Kick Back
If you’re looking to strengthen and tone all head of triceps, this is a good go-to Dumbbell tricep exercise.
The tricep dumbbell kickback is a versatile and effective exercise that targets the triceps muscles.
It is an isolation exercise this means that unlike other exercises such as the diamond push-up or close grip bench press, the tricep kickback specifically targets the tricep muscle. Extending and adducting the upper arm provides a unique stimulus to the long head compared to other dumbbell exercises.
How To Do Dumbbell Kick Back
- Place your right knee and palm on a flat bench so that your torso is parallel with the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in the left hand and keeping the left foot flat on the floor, press your left arm tight against your side with the upper arm parallel to the floor.
- Extend the elbow until your arm is straight back and fully extended.
- Flex the triceps hard for a second, then reverse to the starting position. Complete all reps on the left arm and then repeat on the right.
Tips
- Keep your body as still as possible, moving only your forearms.
- Keeping control of the weight as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
The dumbbell lying triceps extension is an excellent move to begin your dumbbell triceps workout routine. Triceps extensions are isolation exercises, which means they use just one joint.
Triceps extensions can be beneficial for fixing imbalances in the triceps or rehabilitating from injury. It put no pressure on the wrists, so they are an alternative for people with wrist strain or injury.
How To Do Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
- Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and hold them directly above you with your palms facing inward (neutral grip) and your arms extended.
- Making sure that your upper arms and elbows are still, lower the dumbbell behind your head, feeling a stretch in your tricep muscles.
- Pause and squeeze the triceps and then raise the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Tips
- Concentrate on keeping your elbows stable.
- Do not allow your elbows to flare out to the sides.
- Slowly lower the weights and do not use momentum.
4. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
The close grip dumbbell press is a variation of the dumbbell bench press and an exercise used to build muscle and strength in the triceps. It’s predominantly targeting the lateral and medial heads of triceps, but provides increased freedom of movement ingrained into dumbbell exercises.
This position places emphasis on building strength and size in the triceps muscles, as well as the chest.
How To Do Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
- Lie back on a flat bench, holding two dumbbells at your chest with a neutral grip.
- Press the dumbbells straight overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Flex your triceps hard at the top for a second before bringing the weights back down toward your chest.
- Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Using anything closer than a shoulder-width grip does not increase triceps involvement but may increase stress on the wrists.
- Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled movement from start to finish.
5. One-Arm Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
The One-arm lying dumbbell tricep extension is one of the best dumbbell tricep exercises you can do because it stretches the muscle and allows for a full range of motion during the movement.
It’s a fantastic exercise for overall tricep development and can be performed in a variety of ways, One-arm lying dumbbell tricep extension is one of them.
How To Do One-Arm Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip. Extend your arm so that the dumbbell is straight up from your right shoulder.
- Without moving your upper arm, bend at the elbow to bring the dumbbell down to the side of your head.
- Exhale as you extend your elbow and push the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
- Complete as many reps as desired, then repeat with the left arm.
Tips
- Only move your forearms, not your upper arm.
- Do not lock out your elbow at the top of the movement.
6. Two Arm Dumbbell Extension
If you’re looking for one more effective dumbbell bicep exercise, try the two arm dumbbell tricep extension.
The seated dumbbell tricep extension is a variation of the tricep extension and an exercise used to isolate the muscles of the triceps.
It is particularly useful in targeting the long head of the triceps muscle. Having a larger and denser long head will give you an overall appearance of a larger tricep.
How To Do Two Arm Dumbbell Extension
- Sit on a flat bench, grab a dumbbell with both hands
- Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended with palms facing the roof and elbows pointing forward.
- Bend at the elbows and squeeze your triceps, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.
- Slowly return to starting position and repeat the desired number of sets and reps.
Tips
- Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled movement from start to finish.
- Keep the head in a fairly neutral position, don’t allow the neck to jut forward as this may place excessive pressure on the cervical spine.
7. Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension
The incline dumbbell tricep extension help to build muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.
It can be used by both those looking to build bigger triceps and those looking to increase their tricep strength.
The benefit of doing extension movements is that you can get a deeper stretch in the muscle to hopefully activate more muscle fibers.
How To Do Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie against an incline bench, face up with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
- Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing each other and then slowly lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Hold this position for a count and then with a controlled motion raise your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Keep your upper arms fixed, with your elbows close to your head.
- Do not use excessively heavyweight as this is dangerous for your elbows.
8. Dumbbell Tate Press
If you’re looking for a way to get more creative with your dumbbell tricep exercise, why not try Dumbbell Tate Press?
It is a variation of the dumbbell tricep extension and an exercise used to build stronger triceps.
The dumbbell Tate press is an advanced tricep exercise that moves the muscle differently, but still targets and builds the tricep muscle.
For bodybuilders, the Tate press will offer a unique range of motion to target the triceps. This will help in building a complete pair of horseshoe triceps.
How To Do Dumbbell Tate Press
- Lie down on a flat bench and your feet firmly planted on the floor at the other end.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms are faced towards your feet.
- Engage your abs in and keeping your back on the bench, raise the weights to the center of your chest.
- Without moving elbows, slowly raise your arms up and down by contracting your triceps. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Using a slow eccentric (lowering portion) of the exercise can help to improve tension and mind muscle connection.
- Don’t lock out at the top of the movement to protect your elbows.
9. Decline Dumbbell Tricep Extension
The decline dumbbell tricep extension is a variation of the lying dumbbell tricep extension that adds a slight decline to the movement. It is an isolation exercise that builds muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.
Decline Dumbbell Tricep Extension is more effective for two reasons: the use of a neutral grip and the location of the shoulders.
This triceps workout with Dumbbells increases the range of motion, allowing you to get a greater stretch on the tricep at the bottom of the movement.
How To Do Decline Dumbbell Tricep Extension
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie against a decline bench with your feet firmly on pads.
- Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing each other and then slowly lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Hold this position for a count. Then in a controlled motion raise your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Keep your upper arms fixed, with your elbows close to your head.
- At the top of the movement, do not lock out your elbows.
10. Seated Bent Over Two Arm Dumbbell Kickback
The seated bent-over two-arm dumbbell kickback is a fantastic tricep isolation exercise that effectively builds size and strength in all three heads of the triceps.
You can also perform this dumbbell tricep exercise, with two of the arms at the same time.
How To Do Seated Bent Over Two Arm Dumbbell Kickback
- Sit on a bench and grab a pair of dumbbells using a neutral grip (palms facing your body).
- Keeping your upper arms fixed to your sides, lean forward until your torso is almost horizontal. Your back should be straight.
- Exhale as you extend the dumbbells behind you until your forearms are horizontal.
- Hold for a count of two and Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Tips
- Start with light dumbbells and then increase the weight, only if you can maintain proper form.
- Only your forearms should move. Keep your upper arms horizontal and locked to your sides.
- Keep your back straight and core tight during the movement to avoid back pain.
Dumbbell Tricep Workout Training Tips
When you want to work your arms, a tricep workout with dumbbells is a great way to really challenge them. But you don’t need to devote a time to train this small muscle group.
It is important to remember that, exercises should target all three heads of tricep. This will help give your tricep the shape and definition you’re looking for.
The dumbbell tricep exercises listed will be performed with moderate loads and repetitions to emphasize both muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth) and muscular endurance. Load and volume (sets, reps) can be increased as your fitness and strength improve
Sets: Working sets per week
- Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
- Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
- Advanced: ~20 sets per week.
Reps: The best rep ranges and loads to work with.
- 6-8 reps with heavy load
- 8-15 reps with moderate load
- 15-20+ with light load
If you want to really smoke your pushing muscles, you can also do this dumbbell triceps finisher after a chest workout or a shoulder workout.
Tricep Workout with Dumbbells: Conclusion
There are so many tricep workouts with dumbbells that can be done, and some of the best ones are the ones with dumbbells. Dumbbells help you build equal strength and a nice, symmetrical aesthetic through your upper arms.
Dumbbell’s versatility makes them the perfect tool to exploit joint angles, using compounds and isolations to maximize muscle growth. Dumbbells are effective if you want to maximize your gains and grow your horseshoe triceps.
For anyone, who is interested in building triceps muscles and gaining strength, these dumbbells triceps workouts are highly recommended. It not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides overall triceps and upper body development.
Thanks for reading, enjoy dumbbell triceps workouts for Bigger Arms!
People Also Asked
Which dumbbell exercise is best for triceps?
Here are the best dumbbell exercises you can do for tricep mass, definition, and strength.
- One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
- Dumbbell Kick Back
- Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
- Two Arm Dumbbell Extension and many more
When should I train triceps?
There is no right or wrong answer, as it depends on your goals. When you have more energy, you can put them at the start of the workout. You can either add it to an upper or push day after pressing, or you can train them when they’re fresh.
Can you grow triceps with dumbbells?
The best dumbbell tricep exercises help grow tricep. If you want thick, strong, horseshoe triceps like a powerlifter, then you have to incorporate dumbbells into your triceps training.
Should I Go Heavy on Triceps?
It depends on your fitness level and experience. The key to starting on any muscle group is to focus on proper form and use a weight that you can control but still challenge you. If you can handle it, add more weight.
How do you hit 3 heads of triceps with dumbbells?
The dumbbell kickback, Close-grip dumbbell press and dumbbell tricep extension exercise are some of the best exercises that hit all the 3 heads of tricep. It’s a good way to strengthen all the three heads of the triceps.
