There are some barbell triceps exercises to implement in your daily workout to boost the muscle-building effect.
I tested over 20 barbell exercises and singled out the best ones for growing all three triceps heads.
They are compound and isolation because that is the most functional and effective way to train your triceps.
After reading the article, you will be ready to implement triceps exercises into your workout routines.
Quick Summary
- The best barbell triceps exercise for inducing maximal hypertrophy effects is overhead triceps extension.
- To properly warm up for a triceps workout, you should raise your body temperature and activate your shoulder stabilizers.
- Regular triceps workouts can improve the health of your shoulder and elbow joints.
9 Barbell Triceps Exercises for Size and Strength
My team and I tested all triceps exercises on the list.
We made sure to make appropriate instructions for each of them so that you don't injure yourself.
After the list of barbell exercises for the triceps, I will cover a simple triceps workout and how to warm up for it.
1. Barbell Close Grip Bench Press
Barbell close grip bench press is a horizontal push exercise, which is excellent for building your upper body strength. It activates your pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps.
How to perform a barbell close grip bench press
- Lie on the bench and load the barbell with the appropriate weight on the rack.
- Grip the barbell narrower than usual, approximately a couple of inches thinner than shoulder-width.
- Take the barbell out of the squat rack and place it right in the projection of your middle chest.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest until it reaches 1 inch above it.
- In the bottom position, hold for 1 second and reverse the motion by extending your elbows and flexing your shoulder.
2. Single-Arm Landmine Press
The single-arm landmine press is an athletic push exercise that will challenge your shoulder and triceps.
It requires work from the anterior deltoid, pectoralis major, triceps, core musculature, gluteus maximus, and others.
How to perform a single-arm landmine press:
- Start in a split stance where your opposite leg from the working arm is back, and your working arm is holding the barbell.
- Place the barbell close to your armpit, take a deep breath, and brace the abdominal muscles.
- Push the barbell in front and above you, slightly rotating your torso to extend the movement of the barbell.
- Hold the top position for 1 second, then reverse the motion by flexing your elbows and extending the shoulder joint.
3. Floor Press
The floor press is a modified and easier version of the flat bench press because it requires a lesser range of motion to complete.
It will target your pectoralis major and anterior deltoid, but the triceps will work more due to the lesser range of motion and the lack of sufficient shoulder abduction.
How to perform a floor press:
- Start by lying on the floor below the rack where the barbell is loaded with the appropriate weight.
- The rack should be the same height as a regular flat bench press.
- Take a pronated grip shoulder-width apart and push the barbell out of the rack with your upper arms extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest until your elbows reach the floor.
- Hold the bottom position for 1 second, then reverse the motions by pressing the barbell until your elbows are fully extended.
4. JM Press
JM press combines a close grip bench press, triceps extension, and skull crushers.
This is the exercise that will challenge your triceps.
It works the same muscles as a close grip bench press, but the end range of motion will require more effort from your upper arm muscle, such as the triceps.
How to perform a JM press:
- Lie on the bench right below the rack where the barbell is loaded with weights.
- Grasp the barbell with the pronated grip approximately shoulder-width apart. Keep your thumbs wrapped around the bar.
- Unrack the bar and bring it to the projection of your middle chest with elbows fully extended.
- Slowly bend the elbows and lower the bar to the top of your upper chest and chin.
- When your forearms and biceps touch each other, that is the bottom position of the exercise.
- Hold the bottom position for 1 second and reverse the entire movement, so you come to the starting position.
5. Skull Crusher
Skull crushers are one of the most challenging barbell triceps exercises.
They will isolate your triceps muscle and put it through the full range of motion.
How to perform skull crushers:
- Start by lying on the bench and your barbell on your chest, loaded with light weights.
- Push the barbell in the top position right above your chest with your elbows (upper arm) fully extended.
- Inhale, brace your core musculature, and fix your shoulder joint. There shouldn't be any motion in the shoulder joint during the exercise.
- Slowly start bending your elbows until the bar reaches your forehead/eyes.
Just before the bar reaches the bottom position, reverse the motion by extending your elbows without moving your shoulder joint.
6. Side-to-Side Landmine Press
The side-to-side landmine press is one of the land press variations that work for multiple muscle groups at the same time.
Some include deltoids, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, scapular stabilizers, glutes, obliques, and triceps.
How to perform a side-to-side landmine press:
- Load the barbell with the appropriate weight and take a wider-than-shoulder-width stance.
- Pick the loaded barbell up and place it on the right side of your chest, so your elbows are flexed and your shoulder is almost neutral.
- Push the barbell in front of you by extending your elbows and flexing your shoulder.
- Slowly reverse the motion when your elbows are fully extended, but take the weight on the other side (left).
7. Lying Barbell Triceps Extension
Lying barbell tricep extension is similar to skull crushers but also works additional muscles, like the triceps and latissimus dorsi.
They are the prime movers.
How to perform a lying barbell triceps extension:
- Lie on the bench and place the loaded barbell on your chest.
- Push the barbell by extending your elbows and stop in the top position above your chest.
- Initiate the movement by flexing your shoulder to 90 degrees and your elbows as much as possible. Your hands and the barbell should finish behind and below your head.
- Slowly reverse the motion by extending your elbows and shoulder to return to the starting position.
8. Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension
The overhead barbell triceps extension works out all three triceps heads.
The extended shoulder position will lengthen your longest triceps head and allow a greater range of motion.
How to perform a barbell triceps extension:
- Assume a standing position with the loaded barbell in the overhead position, meaning your elbows are fully extended and the shoulder flexed or abducted for 180 degrees.
- Without moving your shoulder, bend your elbows behind your head and towards the floor to stretch your triceps muscles.
- When you reach the bottom position, initiate a counter-movement by extending your elbows to return to the starting position.
9. Incline Barbell Tricep Extension
Incline barbell tricep extension is a variation of a skull crusher but in an inclined position.
It will target and challenge your triceps muscles, requiring shoulder stabilizers to stabilize the joint.
How to perform an incline barbell triceps extension:
- Assume a lying position on an inclined bench and place the loaded barbell on your thighs.
- Push the loaded bar above your chest with your elbows fully extended.
- Slowly bend your elbows without moving your shoulder joint until the bar reaches your eyes or forehead.
- Just before the bar reaches your head, reverse the motion by extending your elbows to come to the starting position.
Related: The Best Triceps Exercises for Mass
Benefits of Training the Triceps
There are numerous benefits from regular triceps workouts. You can find the most important ones below.
1. Improved Elbow Health
The triceps tendon attaches to the olecranon, the small bone on your elbow's back.
Strengthening your elbow extensors, or triceps, will secure the joint and make it healthier.
You will also need to exercise the muscles on the other side of the elbow so it is secured in all directions.
2. Better Shoulder Health
When you injure a joint, it is usually the joint up or down causing problems in the first place.
This means that strengthening your triceps will make your shoulder healthier because it won't need to compensate for the lack of strength in your elbow [1].
3. Improved Lockout Strength
Strengthening your triceps will help you lock your elbows more easily.
This is handy when doing heavy pushing exercises such as overhead and bench presses.
They require significant strength from elbow extensors to push the end range of motion of the exercise.
Also, the tighter the grip during pushing exercises, the more your triceps will activate.
4. Better Sports Performance
Any sport that requires a significant elbow extension will benefit from triceps exercises.
If you need to push in your sports frequently, you will experience enormous advantages from strengthening your triceps [2].
"And even in the rear, the triceps actually make up about two-thirds of the muscle mass in your upper arms—so they're well worth your time and effort, even before you consider how important the three-headed muscles are for common movements like pressing, elbow extension, and more."
- Ebenezer Samuel, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
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How to Warm up for Triceps Training
Here is how to warm up for tricep workouts:
- Raise your body’s temperature - Three minutes of rope jumping or a treadmill will be enough to raise your body temperature.
This will prepare our muscles to achieve a greater range of motion. - Warm up your shoulder - A couple of sets of external rotation, tricep stretches and mobility work will prepare your shoulder to act as a stabilizer while performing extension in your elbows.
This is important to prevent injury and make your triceps exercises more effective.
Banded external rotations and arm circles will be enough.
Barbell Triceps Workout Samples
Here is a sample barbell triceps workout:
- Overhead Press - 4x6
- Close-grip Bench Press - 4x6
- Bench Press - 4x6
- Floor Press - 4x4
- Skull Crushers - 3x12
- JM Press - 3x8
- Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension - 3x10
The order of the exercises is set from compound multi-joint to isolated single-joint.
You can adjust the number of sets and repetitions according to your fitness level.
Also, vary the tempo of the exercise to boost the muscle-building benefits.
"Changing the angle of your arm relative to your torso can place different levels of stretch on the triceps muscle, and adding pauses, both at the top of reps and halfway through reps, can emphasize different phases of the contraction."
- Brett Williams, NASM-CPT Certified Trainer
FAQs
What Tricep Exercise Is Most Effective?
The most effective triceps exercise is overhead barbell triceps extension. This is because the fully abducted or flexed shoulder position allows the greater work of the long triceps head.
Do Skullcrushers Work All 3 Heads?
Yes, skullcrushers work all 3 heads. The most effective barbell triceps exercise is overhead triceps extension because a more flexed shoulder position allows for greater ROM of the long triceps head.
How to Build Triceps Fast?
To build triceps fast, you must complete at least 2-3 triceps workouts a week. Choosing isolated triceps exercises will decrease the time for hypertrophy to take over since you will have more energy to complete exercises and reps due to lesser body fatigue.
What Is the Best Barbell Triceps Exercise for Size?
The best barbell triceps exercise for size is the overhead barbell triceps extension.
However, all isolation triceps exercises are excellent for inducing maximal hypertrophy effect for building more muscle.
All these exercises can be performed in the comfort of your home.
The only requirement is the barbell, preferably the one built from high-quality steel, proper knurling, and spin.
You should check our guide on the best barbells for home gym to know all the useful information before purchasing the barbell.
Let me know which barbell triceps exercise is your favorite for building muscle.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6855346/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27669189/
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