Triceps Exercises for Muscle Growth: Best to Worst

Criteria for Evaluation

• High Tension: Especially in the stretched position.
• Feels Good: Should not cause pain and have a smooth resistance profile.
• Simple Progression: Easy to add weight or reps weekly.

Anatomy of the Triceps

• Three Heads:
  • Lateral Head: Provides triceps shape.
  • Medial Head: Adds arm shape overall.
  • Long Head: Adds bulk from the rear.

Exercise Rankings

Popular Triceps Exercises

1. Press Downs

   • Variations: Rope, Bar, Reverse Grip.
   • Rope Press Down: B Tier
     • Pros: Harder contraction (mind-muscle connection).
     • Cons: Less load due to stabilization.
   • Bar Press Down: A Tier
     • Pros: Stable, even tension, easy to overload.
   • Reverse Grip Press Down: C Tier
     • Cons: Limits strength output.

2. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

   • Bar: S Tier
     • Pros: High tension in stretched position, good for long head.
   • Rope: A Tier
     • Cons: Slight limitation in overload potential.

3. Katana Triceps Extension: A Tier

   • Pros: Hits both arms individually, addresses imbalances.
   • Cons: Requires more setup.

4. Dumbbell French Press: B Tier

   • Pros: Stretches long head, faster setup.
   • Cons: Bulky dumbbells, less uniform tension.
   • One-Arm Variation: A Tier
     • Pros: Less bulky, more comfortable.

5. Skull Crushers

   • Bar: S Tier
     • Pros: High tension in stretched position, easy progression.
   • Dumbbell: A Tier
     • Cons: Feels more awkward.

6. JM Press

   • Barbell: B Tier
     • Cons: Less stretch, potential elbow discomfort.
   • Smith Machine: A Tier
     • Pros: Easier focus on triceps.

7. Triceps Kickbacks

   • Cable: A Tier
     • Pros: Full squeeze for long head.
   • Dumbbell: C Tier
     • Cons: Zero tension when stretched.

8. Dips and Push-Ups

   • Close Grip Dips: B Tier
     • Cons: Shoulder discomfort.
   • Bench Dips: C Tier
     • Cons: Awkward for progressive overload.
   • Machine Dips: B Tier
     • Pros: Stability.
   • Close Grip Bench Press: A Tier
     • Cons: Less long head engagement.
   • Close Grip Push-Up: C Tier
   • Diamond Push-Ups: B Tier
     • Pros: Good as a finisher exercise.

Key Takeaways

• Pressing exercises alone won't maximize triceps growth, especially not the long head.
• Isolation exercises are necessary for maximum growth.
• Overhead extensions are most effective for long head.
• Use a variety of exercises for proportional development.

Best and Worst Exercises

• Best: Overhead Cable Tricep Extension.
• Worst: Dumbbell Kickback.

Conclusion

• No exercises were ranked as F Tier in this analysis, unlike past analyses of other muscle groups.