Best Tricep Workout At Home To Build Bigger Arms Without Equipment

When it comes to working out at home, tricep exercises are a great way to build strength and tone your arms. But where do you start?

The great news is that you can perform an effective tricep workout in the comfort of your own home. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups and dips, focus on the tricep muscles to make them stronger and toned.

Our at home tricep workout uses compound movements and isolation exercises to work all three heads of the triceps.

You will not only get toned arms, but you will also get stronger, which will help you do better pressing and pushing motions.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the best tricep exercises you can do at home, as well as a sample workout routine and tips for effective tricep training. 

So, let’s dive in

Tricep Anatomy

When we know the anatomy of the triceps, we can easily and effectively train them at home.

Triceps brachii, or simply triceps, are a three-headed muscle opposite of the biceps and are responsible for 2/3 of upper arm mass. So, it’s essential to focus on and work the three tricep head muscles for maximum gains.

The tricep is 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.

Can you build a bigger Tricep without weights?

Building big tricep muscles is a common goal with strengthening them. In the early stages of your fitness journey, you will build some tricep muscles with these exercises.

You can progress them by adding more volume and repetition.

However, as you progress, these exercises will become too easy, and you will need external resistance to continue challenging them enough to stimulate muscle growth.

If your goal is to develop muscular arms, you will need to include exercises beyond bodyweight arm exercises. These exercises will help you build your tricep size when you can’t get to the gym.

Why At Home Tricep Exercise Is A Great Option

There are dozens of exercises you can do for your triceps, but we love doing tricep bodyweight exercises at home in particular for a few reasons.

• They can be done anywhere, at any time. No equipment or set-up means they’re super easy to fit in during your busy day.
• Bodyweight tricep exercises will improve muscular endurance and strengthen both muscles and bones.
• Bodyweight movement works. While we love using dumbbells and other equipment, using the weight of your body gives you a great challenge.
• You can make a routine that fits your schedule and meets your needs.
• At home tricep exercises require more balance that can lead to greater muscle fiber recruitment.
• Avoid expensive gym memberships or equipment purchases. Bodyweight exercises are free.
• No need to commute to the gym or wait for equipment. Work out anytime at home.

Using dumbbells to train your triceps is wonderful, and we’ve got tons of weighted arm workouts for you to try, too.

But if you wonder, how can I build triceps at home or how to build triceps without weights – we got you? Read on.

Equipment Required To Train Tricep At Home

In recent years, home workouts have become a priority for many fitness enthusiasts. Some benefits of exercising at home are convenience, flexibility, and the ability to change routines according to your needs.

However, in order to effectively enhance and diversify your home training sessions, certain equipment can turn out to be of great value.

Here’s a list of the equipment you require for home workouts and how you can use it to get the best results.

1. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are a versatile and affordable piece of equipment that can be used for a variety of tricep exercises.

They are lightweight, portable, and easy to store, so they are a good choice for at-home workouts. Resistance bands come at different tension levels, so you can change how intense your workout is.

2. Dumbbells

Dumbbells are a popular and effective way to build tricep strength and muscle mass. They are versatile, easy to use, and can be used for a variety of exercises.

Dumbbells come in different weights, so you can change the intensity of your workout.

3. Bodyweight (Using One’s Own Weight for Resistance)

Bodyweight exercises are a great way to build strength and tone your triceps without having to buy equipment or join a gym.

There are many bodyweight exercises that can effectively target the triceps, including push-ups, dips, and triceps extensions.

It is a convenient option for those who want to work out at home or while traveling.

4. Optional Equipment

• Medicine ball: A medicine ball can be used for tricep exercises such as tricep push-ups and tricep extensions.
• Chair: A chair can be used for tricep exercises such as tricep dips and overhead triceps extensions.
• Bench: A bench can be used for tricep exercises such as tricep extensions and triceps overhead press.
• Heavy objects: Heavy objects such as books, water jugs, or cans can be used as a substitute for dumbbells in tricep exercises.

7 Best At Home Tricep Workouts Without Equipment

Here are the 7 best Bodyweight triceps workout that help you do at home without equipment to build stronger and bigger triceps

1. Knee Diamond push-up

If you’re looking for a straightforward bodyweight tricep workout to add to in your home workout routine, diamond push-up, is a great staple exercise to get you started without equipments.

The diamond push-up on the knees is a brilliant beginner exercise for the development of the triceps brachii. One can perform diamond push-ups on the knee by bringing their hands together in a diamond or triangle shape below their chest and placing the knee on the floor.

Once the diamond push-up on knees becomes easy, graduate to performing the exercise on your hands and forefeet.

How To Do

1. Get into a push-up position, supporting your body on your hands and knees instead of on your hands and forefeet.
2. Your hands should be positioned in such a way as to create a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
3. Keeping your body straight and rigid and your elbows close to your body, inhale as you lower your chest to the floor.
4. Exhale as you extend your elbows and push your body back up to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked in to your body
• Keep your body straight and rigid.

2. Bench Dip

If you are looking for the best exercise to build stronger arms? Bench dips may be your answer.

A bench dip is a medium-intensity exercise that uses your own bodyweight to strengthen your triceps. Bench dips are fairly simple to learn and can be done almost anywhere, making them a great exercise for home-workout.

When done correctly, bench dips can add muscle mass to your tricep. This exercise can also help build your strength for other exercises like bench presses.

A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that diamond push-ups and dips were the most effective bodyweight exercises for targeting the triceps.

How To Do

1. Place your hands on the side of a flat bench so that your body is perpendicular to the bench when you place your feet out in front of you.
2. Only your heels should be on the floor and your legs should be straight. Keep your knees and hips bent.
3. Your arms should be fully extended with just your palms on the bench.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body down until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Now extend your arms to lift your body back to the starting position, flexing your triceps hard at the top.

Tips

• Really squeeze the triceps at the top of the movement to get the most out of this exercise.
• Do not dip down too low as it places unnecessary strain on the shoulder joints.

3. Kneeling bodyweight triceps extension

Kneeling bodyweight triceps extension is one of the best triceps exercises to isolate your triceps brachii in the absence of dumbbells, barbells, and weight machines.

It’s an ideal beginner’s exercise for those who have limited upper body strength, and it can be used to build both muscle and strength progressively.

To make the kneeling bodyweight triceps extension exercise more difficult, either move your knees backward or lean forward so that more of your body weight is over your hands.

How To Do

1. Get on all fours with your hands together under your chest
2. Lower your elbows to the floor, shoulder-width apart.
3. Lean forward so that your body weight is supported by your elbows.
4. Exhale as you push your body off the floor by extending your elbows.
5. Inhale as you lower your elbows to the starting position by flexing your elbows.
6. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked in to your body. Do not flare them out.
• Stop the exercise if you feel pain in your wrists

4. Close-grip push-up

The close-grip push-up is a variation of the push-up that focuses on hitting the triceps. This workout is another great option that will help you to target the tricep and grow your arms at home without equipment.

If facing difficulty while doing a close grip push up, feel free to perform the push-up on your knees as you work on developing your strength.

To perform the close-grip push-up, move your hands in about two inches and tuck your elbows close to your ribs as you lower down to the ground. Your spine should still be in a neutral position, and your core should be engaged.

How To Do

1. Come into a plank position with your wrists underneath your shoulder.
2. Keep elbows tucked into sides. Lower body until your chest almost touches the ground.
3. Pause, and then push back up to the starting position without locking your elbows out.
4. Repeated the desired number of reps and sets.

Tips

• Be sure to keep elbows tucked into the sides during the entire push-up.
• Do not sag hips. Keep the entire body in a straight line from head to toe.
• Exhale when pushing up

5. Plank to Push up

A Plank to Push-up is a full-body exercise and variation of a plank. The move takes a standard plank to the next level by adding an element of controlled, moving arm work.

Maintaining a plank position, you alternate between a forearm plank and a high plank. This exercise serves as an excellent core and triceps strengthener.

How To Do

1. Lie face down on an exercise mat with your hands should be shoulder-width apart; your knees should be about hip-width apart, your head facing forward, and palms flat on the floor.
2. Start to get in a push-up position, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
3. Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
4. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
5. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched in the gut.
6. Press your body up into the top position of a push-up by extending your arms one at a time.
7. Pause, then reverse the movement and return to your elbows. That’s 1 rep.

Tips

• Keep your legs and body straight.
• Avoid letting your hips sag during the exercise
• Squeeze your abs and glutes throughout the movement for stability.

6. Hindu push up

The Hindu push up is a traditional Indian-style exercise practised by wrestlers. Each repetition includes going from a downward dog position to a cobra pose, swooping by holding the head and body close to the ground.

The arms would be straight at the beginning and the end of the exercise. This variety of pushups has existed for centuries among Indian martial artists. It works on core strength, shoulders, hips, and triceps.

How To Do

1. Start in a downward dog pose, with your hands shoulder-width apart, your body in a V shape, and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest until it’s just above the floor, going into low plank pose.
3. In a scooping motion, scoop your head upward while arching your lower and upper back and go into cobra pose.
4. To return to the starting position, you do not need to reverse back through the sweeping, arching motion. Simply push back into the starting position.

Tips

• Engage your core, relax the spine and neck, open the shoulders and keep the movement smooth.
• Keep the elbows close to your body.
• Remember to breathe correctly as you do the push-ups.

7. Pike Push Up

Pike Push-ups aka shoulder push-up is a variation of the pushups that increases strength and stability in the shoulders and triceps. Performing the exercise in a more upright position will target the shoulders, tricep more than the chest.

The pike push-up looks like a mash-up of Downward-Facing Dog and Dolphin Pose, and this move can build major strength.

How To Do

1. Start in a standard push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and elbows completely locked out.
2. Lift the hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep arms and legs as straight as possible.
3. Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground. Once your head is about to contact the ground, pause for a second.
4. Then slowly push back until your arms are straight, and you’re in the inverted V position.

Tips

• Make sure you maintain control throughout the movement.
• Keep your glutes and core muscles contracted.

Tricep Exercises At Home – Minimal Equipment Needed

You don’t need a fully decked-out home gym to sculpt a strong, defined tricep With just a few simple pieces of equipment, you can work your tricep from all angles right from your living room.

8. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The overhead tricep extension is an isolation exercise that specifically targets the tricep. 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.

The overhead dumbbell tricep extension can be done in a seated or standing position, with one or both arms, and with different variations to target different areas of the triceps.

How To Do

• Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an overhand grip and extend arm overhead
• Keep upper arm still and stationary throughout the move
• Slowly bend elbow to lower dumbbell behind head until you feel a stretch
• Press dumbbell back overhead by straightening elbow and flexing triceps
• Complete reps then switch arms

Tips

• Use lighter weight and higher reps for muscular endurance
• Don’t swing or bounce the weight, strict form activates triceps better
• Keep torso upright and engaged to avoid swinging

9. Dumbbell Kickback

If you’re looking to strengthen and tone the entire head of the triceps, this is a good go-to dumbbell triceps exercise.

The dumbbell tricep kickback is an isolation exercise, which means that it specifically targets the tricep muscle, unlike other exercises such as the diamond push-up or close grip bench press.

It requires limited space with no other special equipment; it is a perfect workout at home option for people who cannot afford to hit the gym daily.

How To Do

1. Place your right knee and palm on a flat bench so that your torso is parallel with the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in the left hand and, keeping the left foot flat on the floor.
3. Press your left arm tight against your side with the upper arm parallel to the floor.
4. Extend the elbow until your arm is straight back and fully extended.
5. Flex the triceps hard for a second, then reverse to the starting position.
6. 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.

10. 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.

The lying position allows for a greater range of motion than other tricep exercises, allowing for better muscle activation.

It can be performed on the floor, using only a dumbbell. This makes it a great exercise that you can do at home or while you’re traveling.

How To Do

1. Lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip.
2. Extend your arm so that the dumbbell is straight up from your right shoulder.
3. Without moving your upper arm, bend at the elbow to bring the dumbbell down to the side of your head.
4. Exhale as you extend your elbow and push the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
5. 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.

11. Band Tricep Pushdown

The Tricep band Pushdown is a popular alternative to weight-based tricep workouts, employing the dynamic resistance of a band to target and strengthen the triceps.

The triceps pushdown is an isolation exercise rather than a compound motion. This makes it a great exercise for targeting your triceps. Bands provide progressive resistance, which means the tension increases as the band is stretched.

This exercise is especially appealing to those who prefer low-impact workouts or don’t have access to traditional gym equipment.

The study has demonstrated that resistance training using elastic devices offers strength gains comparable to conventional equipment.

How To Do

1. Anchor the resistance band overhead—this could be on a pull-up bar, a hook, or even a door frame using a door anchor.
2. Stand facing the anchor point with feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Grasp the ends of the band with both hands, palms facing down.
4. Start by placing your hands close to your body, with your elbows bent and close to your chest.
5. Extend your arms downward and push the band down until your arms are almost straight.
6. Pause at the bottom of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.

Tips

• Use a wide, overhand grip to better target the triceps.
• Start with a lighter resistance band and progress over time

12. Band Tricep Extension

The band tricep extensions are one of the resistance band exercises that can target the tricep muscles without the need for weights or machines.

How To Do

1. Stand with one foot slightly in front of the other and place the center of the band under the back foot.
2. Bring handles together straight up above the top of your head.
3. Slowly lower handles behind the back of your head until elbows are bent 90 degrees, keeping elbows close to the side of your head.
4. Press hands back up overhead slowly.

Tips

• Keep your elbows close to your head.
• Breathe in as you lower the resistance band and exhale as you raise it back up.
• Focus on squeezing your triceps at the bottom of the movement.

Tips For Build Bigger Tricep At Home

1. Incorporate A Variety Of Exercises

Work all heads of the triceps by including exercises like push-ups, dips, kickbacks, and presses. Using different moves fully develops the triceps.

2. Consistent Training

For maximum tricep growth, train them 1-3 times per week. Be sure to allow recovery between sessions.

week.

Trainee Level	Frequency (per week)	No. of Exercises	Sets	Reps
Beginner	1-2 times	1-2	3-4	10-12
Intermediate	2-3 times	2-3	3-4	8-12
Advanced	3-4 times	3-4	4-6	6-10

3. Mind-Muscle Connection

Focus on contracting the triceps throughout each rep. The mind-muscle connection helps maximize muscle activation.

4. Progressive Overload

Gradually increase reps or exercise difficulty over time. This forces the triceps to adapt and get stronger.

3. Rest and Recovery

Give your triceps at least 1-2 days of rest between training sessions. Proper rest allows the muscles to repair and grow.

At Home Tricep Workout Plan Without Equipment

Adjust the sets and reps based on your fitness level. If it’s too challenging, reduce the reps or sets. If it’s too easy, increase them or slow down the repetitions for increased time under tension.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Close-grip push-ups	4	8-10
Dips (using a chair or bench)	3	10-12
Diamond push-ups	3-4	10-15

Note: If some exercises become monotonous, consider altering hand positions or experimenting with other tricep-focused bodyweight exercises.

Tricep Workout At Home With Resistance Band

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Tricep band kickbacks	4	10-12
Overhead band tricep extensions	3-4	10-15
Resistance band pushdowns	4	8-10

FAQ

Can you build your triceps without weights?

Achieving defined and muscular triceps does not require spending hours in the gym lifting weights. The secret to building this muscle is using exercises that target all three heads. Effective bodyweight triceps exercises can strengthen the muscle’s power, strength, and tone—no equipment required. And because at home tricep exercises are so convenient, it’s easier to stick to your routine. Consistency is key to muscle building.

Takeaways

For anyone, who is interested in building triceps muscles and gaining strength, these triceps exercises are highly recommended.

The exercises in this article are an excellent starting point and progression for your equipment-free tricep workout program.

It not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides overall triceps and upper body development. It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done consistently, the results will speak by themselves.

Thanks for reading, enjoy your bodyweight triceps exercises!

References

• Krzysztofik, M.; Wilk, M.; Wojdała, G.; Gołaś, A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 4897.
• Lopes, J. S. S., Machado, A. F., Micheletti, J. K., Almeida, A. C., Cavina, A. P., & Pastre, C. M. (2019). Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Medicine, 7, 2050312119831116. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312119831116

Best Tricep Exercises That You Can Do AT Home