If you’re looking for the best triceps exercises outside of the ones you’re already doing to build your triceps, then you’ve come to the right place. In this video, I’m going to show you the 5 best triceps exercises you’re not doing right now to help you get bigger triceps and fill your shirt sleeves.
If you have been relying on the close grip bench press to overload your triceps with heavier weights, but it’s still not giving you the tricep size that you’re looking for, then you are going to want to try the PJR Pullover. This exercise will effectively target the long head of the triceps since you are putting them on stretch by getting your arms back behind your head. However, you will be able to use heavier weight thanks to the assistance of the lats during this movement as well as the use of a single dumbbell instead of the having the manipulate two in space.
For those looking for a bodyweight option outside of just continuously doing pushup variations, you are going to want to try the Triceps Trunk Lift. This triceps exercise forces you to get your arms into extension behind your body as you come up off the ground, creating a great overload in the contracted position of the muscle. Most bodyweight triceps exercises, especially pushup variations, won’t have you reaching this level of contraction on the long head of the triceps because they lack the ability to bring the arm into extension. If you don’t have access to any equipment, this is a great option to add to your triceps workout.
If you look at almost any traditional triceps workout, the triceps pushdown is likely going to be included. The only drawback of this exercise is the fact you are limited in how much you can get your arm back into extension behind the body to achieve peak contraction on the triceps. You can fix this by trying Rotational Pushdowns. This variation will prevent the bar from stopping the movement when it reaches your body, as it will now be going to the side as you adduct your arm behind your body. Going back and forth to each side will mean you don’t have to spend each set focusing on doing a single arm pushdown.
As a bonus, I am including a mechanical drop-set that is made up of 3 great triceps exercises. Perform Lying Triceps Extensions to failure, then immediately start performing the JM Press until you reach failure yet again. Immediately proceed to start doing the Elbows Tucked Bench Press to failure. This sequence will allow you to take your triceps to and through failure as the exercises get mechanically easier with each drop.
If you find that the Lying Triceps Extension is uncomfortable on your shoulders, I have a similar triceps exercise that you can add in as a substitute called the JM Extension. It’s a mix of the JM Press and the Lying Triceps Extension, as you could probably tell. While starting off in the position of a JM Press, instead of pressing the dumbbells up, you are pressing them up and back into extension. By not getting your hands all the way behind your head, you are taking some of that stress off your shoulders and thus you can focus on your triceps training without any discomfort.
Speaking of triceps extension, there is one way we can perform this exercise that you likely haven’t thought of before… and that’s with a cable. The Lying Cable Extension allows you to achieve overload in the contracted position that using dumbbells wouldn’t allow for. Why? When the arms are straight up at the end of the movement, gravity is acting parallel to the forearm and triceps, meaning that there is less tension on the muscles being worked. The cable allows for the line of resistance to act against the triceps at the top end of the range of motion of the exercise, putting more stress on the triceps.
So if you’ve been banging your head against the wall trying to build your triceps using all the most common and popular triceps exercises out there, then it might be time to try something new. Sometimes, changing the exercises that you do is all you need to spark new growth with the introduction of a new stimulus. Give these exercises a try and see just how well they work for you.
If you want to build not only better triceps but every muscle in your body faster, then you need to put the science behind every exercise and workout that you do, To get a step-by-step training program that does exactly that, check out our ATHLEAN-X Training System by visiting the link below.
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“FAST ACTION” Q&A* – Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!!) and I will pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!
Hi Jeff, thank you for the video and the opportunity to answer our questions.
I would like to ask you if lifting heavy weights really is bad for people with scoliosis ? i have a mild one, and my doctor says that i shouldn’t be lifting weight, although i do lift for 7 years and i don’t have any specific back problems ? appart from a a bad move i did 8 years ago during a pull up, since then i’ve been experiencing pain behind the left side of my neck and trapeze. it goes in remission for some time, but if i lift more ou if i get too tired it flares up again, i was never been able to get rid of this problem unfortunately. Any idea what this could be ?
Thank you
You should do a video all tanned up. Show your cuts and striations even more!!
Jeff what about a single arm cable tricep extension where you’re getting your arm behind your back instead of the twisting version you showed?
How to build insane strength and endurance gains with no or little hypertrophy???
Man… I got inspired by watching your videos and joined gym… Thanks a lot ❤
Hello, Jeff! Greetings from NYC! Would you recommend the “100” workouts you recently started for somewhat beginner like me who has been lifting for a year? Or should I stick to the basic progressive overload principle and reserve this type of workout once I’m more advanced ? Thank you!
Dont overthink it brother! The workout simply breaks down the muscle the recovery, nutrition, sleep is where you repair and grow.
So make sure you push yourself harder each time progressively. But listen to your body and understand the difference between pain and injury. Push through the pain. Be mindful of injury. Enjoy the process! and dont stress yourself on the end goal.. have fun!
@M Gonzalez Thanks brother! Appreciate the advice!
@shoaib khalid Your welcome my friend!
Nice job as always Jeff, love the ingenuity.
Out of the list where you said five exercises we aren’t doing, I was already doing every one of them but the twisting push down; I love your rocking tricep push down, as well as your rocking lat pulldown, I’m definitely going to be trying the twisting push down. Thank you as always! It definitely the best in the business!
I was doing a rocking straight arm pulldown long before you inspired me to try it with the triceps
Whoever’s reading this, I hope that whatever you’re going through gets better and whatever you’re struggling or worrying about will be fine and that everyone has a fantastic day! Amen
If it is poorly developed triceps someone is struggling through, for the love of God don’t follow the advice in this video
F*****g bot
Great advice Jeff. I was having trouble achieving sourness in my 3 heads last time I was in the gym back in March. This comes just in time when I’m about to hit the gym again, outdoor calisthenics season coming to a close.
Soreness doesn’t mean you aren’t getting a good enough workout. Just keep doing what you’re doing
Jeff, I have a muscle imbalance on my QL’s (even though I am a right handed person, my left QL is more developed than my right side. I guess it was the mixed grip that I had used for deadlifts). Is there any exercise that I can do to minimize this imbalance? P. S.: I don’t have any lower back pain and not doing mixed grip for quite a time
1. Do one side of a time to put 100% your focus in each side
2. Weaker side can rest pause to get equal rep to the dominant side
3. Put a bit of extra volume on the smaller side
4, Search athlean uneven
For the Q&A: I can’t seem to get rid of my piriformis syndrome. The stretch you show in one of your videos helps greatly and I also bought a TENS machine which also helps but the pain inevitably returns at some point. I am trying to strengthen my glutes but if I just slightly overwork any of the smaller glute muscles the pain returns and sometimes it’s enough to just fall asleep in the wrong position. For now, I have to avoid doing squats, deadlifts or any other kind of bent over exercises, all of which I usually really enjoy doing. I am also avoiding going to a physiotherapist because I went to see one the first time the pain started I just get a standard therapy which alleviated the pain but didn’t to anything to prevent it (maybe I just have to find a better physiotherapist). Anyway, any advice is welcome!
Find someone specialised in trigger point therapy-physio ain’t gona do nothing
He Jeff! Loving the content as always!
Recently I experienced some optical phenomena when lifting heavier or working out in a way where I need to engage my entire body (also when pulling up once).
I would describe it like “Mouche volantes”, but light rather than dark and just in my periphery field of view. It would subside quickly after not engaging anymore. I’ll see a doctor just to be safe, but I was wondering if you ever experienced that or had one of your clients experience it and could say something about it.
(Just to clarify, I didn’t box or get hit with anything, so I wouldn’t expect it to be an emergency such as retinal detachment)
I had extreme rotator cuff pain when throwing a ball (after releasing it in the follow through). Your eccentric resistance band video (where you jump out and then fight the band back in) fixed this 90%! I am so grateful! But there is still some pain I can’t get rid of. Have I missed any other complementary exercises? Huge fan of your channel!
Another quality video jeff, keep it up been watching you for over 6 years and the consistency has never dropped
Consistency hasn’t, quality has.
Hey Jeff, my right front delt is noticeably larger than my left, however when doing exercises involving the front delts my left delt consistently out performs my right and I don’t know why.
1. Do one side of a time to put 100% your focus in each side
2. Weaker side can rest pause to get equal rep to the dominant side
3. Put a bit of extra volume on the weaker side
4, Search athlean uneven
Hey Jeff, can you do a video about the best UPPER/LOWER split workout please? Thank you , I appreciate
Q&A: why do I get pain in the area near my thoracic spine after doing deadlifts or facepulls? It doesn’t necessarily happen at that same moment, it can also happen the day after.
Great video as always, Jeff and Jesse! You’re a true inspiration and guide.
If you could I’d love to watch a video of what are some habits that can help you build muscle outside the gym (besides diet).
Thanks for the exercises!
I like the exercises, because I never saw them before. I liked the combo exercise, the logic, and clarity.
For the 3rd exercise shown you can also do pushdowns with two ropes attached to the cable. It allows you to get both arms extended back on every rep, the stretch is insane. Learned that from a John meadows video 🙂
yeah… why would you ever use a straight bar and twist to each side. That’s some tiktok bullshit
it’s nothing 🙂