IF YOU COULD ONLY DO ONE TRICEPS EXERCISE…
If I had to choose the absolute best tricep exercise for muscle mass, which would it be?
This isn’t going to be any easy choice.
I actually like all three exercises that I’m pitting against each other. However, not only will I give you my vote for most effective triceps exercise, I’ll show you the exact exercise science behind my choice!
More than likely, each of these three contenders is part of your current tricep workouts. And while some of them have more limitations than others, they’re all effective tricep moves!
But for me there is a single best and I’ll show you which one it is.
Let the “IRON FACE OFF” begin!
There will be a winner…
And at the end of it all…the biggest winners will be you and the size of your tri’s!
TRICEPS PUSHDOWNS
Let’s start off with one of the most common triceps exercises that makes its way into most peoples’ arm workouts: the Triceps Pushdown.
There are several things I really like about the rope pushdown exercise, but it’s got a couple of drawbacks.
TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
I’m demonstrating this cable pushdown with a rope, but the same benefits and drawbacks apply here whether you’re using a straight bar or a rope.
What I do like about this exercise is that you progressively overload it a quite a bit with the weight stack on the cable machine. It’s also easier on your elbows than some of the other triceps exercises, thanks to the use of the cable machine.
The main issue I’ve got with this exercise is that it is restrictive in terms of the portions of the strength curve it’s able to work.
If you look at me doing this exercise, the line of resistance is through the cable.
If it’s perpendicular to my forearm with the elbows bent at a 90-degree angle – like it is in the beginning of the rep – then we’re going to have maximum tension on the triceps at that point.
But when it gets down to parallel to the forearm, like when you’re extending your elbows to lower the weight, we’re taking some of the tension away. Unfortunately, that’s happening with this exercise at the point that it matters the most, down in peak contraction!
I showed you in my Perfect Triceps Workout how my rocking triceps pushdowns offer a solution that problem. They actually allow us to get tension both in the beginning and at the end point of the movement.
But there’s another issue with triceps pushdowns that we just can’t get past. At no point in the range of motion does the pushdown place your arm up over your head to put the long head of the triceps brachii on stretch. As you already know, there are three heads of your triceps, and focusing on the long head will help promote muscle growth.
The long head of the triceps makes up almost two thirds of the size of the triceps muscle. Of the three triceps muscle heads, it’s going to be where you need to focus your efforts to get the most size.
Put simply, if you’re never putting the long head on stretch, the size of your triceps is going to suffer!
So while the pushdown is a great tricep exercise, it’s just not my single best choice.
TRICEPS PUSHDOWNS
PROS:
- Can be progressively overloaded
- Relatively easy on the elbow joints
CONS:
- When done in a static position, lacks tension at peak contraction of the movement
- Neglects to put the long head of the triceps on stretch
CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS
The Close Grip Bench Press is a bench press variation to build triceps strength that does offer some versatility that the triceps pushdown does not.
The triceps pushdown is limited to a cable machine. You might be able to use a resistance band setup at home, but it’s definitely not ideal.
However, the close grip bench press can be done with a barbell or dumbbell. This means you’ve got a greater choice of where you can do the exercise.
DUMBBELL CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS
The dumbbell version can be done preferably on a flat bench or lying flat on the floor. When using dumbbells, starting position is with feet flat on the floor shoulderwidth apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent at 90degree angles, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing toward eachother. Using your triceps strength and straightening your arms, bring the weight up at chest level. Lower the dumbbells back to starting position and repeat.
BARBELL CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS
The barbell version of this exercise should be done on a flat bench using heavier weights. Starting position is holding the barbell with an overhand grip position, hands at shoulder width apart. Use your upper body strength to push the barbell directly upward over chest level. Then slowly lower the weight to return to starting position.
This exercise also allows us to progressively overload the triceps the like pushdown does. However, that leads immediately to the question of “What are we loading?”
Are we really loading the triceps here?
We do have a narrower grip to help favor tricep activation, but even so, much of the tension is offloaded to the chest and shoulders rather than the triceps. To make matters worse, if your chest and shoulders are already dominant they’re going to want to take over every time you do the exercise.
You can perform a lockout of the elbow joints in the last quarter of the range of motion on each rep to help make sure your triceps are working.
However if you don’t do the lockout, your triceps are likely not even coming into play.
Here’s another problem with this exercise.
Just like with the triceps pushdown, the arms never get to an overhead tricep position during the close grip bench press. This limits the amount of stretch that gets applied to the long head of the triceps.
This means your triceps growth is limited too.
Finally, the close grip bench press can be a little bit difficult on your joints because the weight is bearing down straight through the elbow. For someone that has orthopedic issues in their elbows, this exercise could potentially exacerbate it.
So while I like this exercise, it can’t be my number one choice because of the shortcomings that it has.
CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS
PROS:
- More versatile equipment choices than triceps pushdowns
- Can be progressively overloaded
CONS:
- Much of the overload is hitting the chest and shoulders rather than the triceps
- Without elbow lockout, there is almost no triceps benefit
- Neglects to put the long head of the triceps on stretch
- Can be difficult on the elbow joints
THE WINNER: LYING TRICEPS EXTENSION
If you’ve watched my YouTube channel for any length of time, you probably know that I’m a fan of Dumbbell or Barbell Overhead Triceps Extensions.
It’s got all of the key benefits we’re looking for when it comes to triceps training!
TRICEPS EXTENSION
What is the best tricep workout for mass?
The triceps extension is the best triceps exercise for mass, because it allows us to perform it with either dumbbells or a barbell, allows for progressive overload directly to the triceps, and is easier on the wrists and elbows if you use an EZ curl bar for the exercise.
Since we can use either dumbbells or barbells for this exercise, versatility is built in.
We can also load the triceps extension with heavier weight to create progressive overload directly to the triceps which will help them grow.
We can do a dumbbell triceps extension which would be the best dumbbell exercise for triceps. However, if we use an EZ curl bar on this exercise, not only are we kind to the wrists but we can also go easy on the elbows if we make one important tweak.
You have to try to keep your elbow extension angled back from vertical. Bending your elbow at this angle places tension on the working muscle (the triceps) right where we want it, and doesn’t exert a compressive force on the elbow joint.
Starting position for the barbell version is lying flat on a bench with holding a barbell with hands shoulder width apart, arms angled back. Lower the weight by bending the elbows and then straighten the arms to return to the starting position.
To make sure that you keep that tension on the triceps in peak contracted position, angle your arms back about 20 or 30 degrees in the end portion of the exercise.
What else does the triceps extension do for us that the other two contenders were lacking?
It gives us that all-important stretch in the long head of the triceps in the bottom position of the each rep. Each time I get to the bottom I can increase the stretch by reaching back a little bit more to get that extra stretch reflex activation in the long head, which can lead to a more powerful triceps contraction.
As you can see, this exercise has got it all with pretty much no shortcomings. So if I had to choose just one triceps exercise as the single best for mass, the triceps extension would be it!
TRICEPS EXTENSION
PROS:
- Versatile equipment choices
- Can be progressively overloaded
- Easy on wrists and elbow joints when done with an EZ curl bar
- Keeping elbows angled back allows for tension to occur in peak contraction
- Ability to put the long head of the triceps on stretch which other exercises lack
CONS:
- None
While the triceps extension would be the ‘best’ of the triceps exercises to build mass if I only could choose one, it’s important to remember that it’s never all about one exercise. As a matter of fact, exercises themselves never make the training program effective. It’s HOW you do them that makes them effective and we always want to pay attention to the details, no matter what it is we’re training.
If you’re looking for a complete science based training program that features only the moves that work and teaches you the details that make them work even better, check out our ATHLEAN-X programs. I’ll make sure you do every exercise as effectively as possible for the next 90 days and just watch as you pack on gains faster than ever before!
- I’ve put three triceps exercises to the test to see how they stack up against my criteria for the ‘best’ triceps exercise for mass: triceps pushdowns, close grip bench press and triceps extensions.
- The triceps pushdown can be progressively overloaded and is safe for the elbow joints, but it can only be done with cables or a band, lacks tension at peak contraction of the movement and doesn’t put the long head of the triceps on stretch which limits triceps gains. For this reason it’s not the most effective exercise for strong arms.
- The close grip bench press allows for more versatile equipment selection and can be overloaded, but the overload is typically focused mostly on the chest and shoulders. It doesn’t put the triceps on stretch and it can be tough on the elbow joints.
- The winner of this contest is the triceps extension when performed with the tips I’ve provided. It allows for versatile equipment choices, can be progressively overloaded, is easy on wrist and elbow joints when done with the EZ curl bar, allows for tension to occur in peak contraction, and puts the long head of the triceps on stretch. Incorporate this exercise into your upper body workouts to build strong triceps.
BEST TRICEP EXERCISE FOR MASS FAQ
The three best exercises for bulking up the triceps are:
The most effective tricep exercise for building mass is the Triceps Extension because it allows us to perform it with either dumbbells or a barbell, allows for progressive overload directly to the triceps and is easier on the wrists and elbows if you use an EZ curl bar.
Triceps are not hard to build if you choose the most effective exercises and focus on progressive overload. It is also important to choose exercises that put the long head of the triceps on stretch, and work all portions of the strength curve.
You should go heavy on triceps if you are looking to build muscle mass. Choose triceps exercises that allow you to progressively overload.
The best tricep exercise for mass is the Triceps Extension because it allows us to perform it with either dumbbells or a barbell and allows for progressive overload directly to the triceps muscle.
The most effective tricep exercise for building the tricep muscles is the Triceps Extension because it allows us to perform it with either dumbbells or a barbell, allows for progressive overload directly to the triceps and is easier on the wrists and elbows if you use an EZ curl bar.
Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS
Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.
