Big strong arms are every man’s dream. However, there’s one mistake we’re all making and that’s believing bigger biceps mean bigger arms. The truth is that triceps workouts make up for 2/3rd of the upper arm. It’s the triceps which gives the arms a good thick look and not the biceps. 

Coming to the second factor, we all train triceps. But let’s understand the anatomy of the triceps. It consists of three parts: long head, lateral head, and medial head. It’s the long head which gives the tricep it’s overall look but the three heads overall give the “horseshoe” look to the triceps. 

We’ve compiled a list of tricep workouts or exercises that hit all three parts of the triceps and doing them effectively with proper volume and rep range will definitely help you add mass and grow your upper arms. 

Overhead Tricep Extensions:

You can use dumbbells, barbells, or cables for this. Using a variation is recommended. Extensions which require your arms to be overhead work the long head of the triceps. Using heavyweights and a proper rep range will activate the tricep muscles by overloading them. 

Skull Crusher:

This is one of the most recommended long head tricep exercises. It’s been around for decades due to the effectiveness of the exercise. The note to be taken here is that do not let the elbows become too flared on the sides as this will reduce tension on the tricep muscles and will work the chest muscles instead. 

Cable Pushdown:

Pushdowns work the lateral and medial heads of the triceps. The pushdown variations have been popular in tricep workouts the gym because it allows progressive overload more frequently than others. Variations of cable pushdown include rope pushdown or v-bar pushdown. 

Tricep Dips:

Tricep dips are usually finisher exercises. It really helps in burning out the muscles before you call it a day. The dips work the lateral and medial head. If you use a partial range of motion, the triceps will be under stress at all times. 

Close-Grip Bench Press:

If you had to do just one tricep exercise, this should be it. It helps in overloading the tricep muscles and helps in building the tricep muscles for growth and adding mass. This is one of the tricep exercises that should be incorporated in your tricep workout routine. 

Tricep Kickbacks:

This is an underrated tricep exercise. The kickbacks were very widely used by old school bodybuilders. This tricep movement works all three heads of the triceps. This way all three parts get relevant stress and each of them can develop. Tricep exercises which target all three heads should be included at the end of your tricep workout routine or can be used as a warm-up. 

Diamond Push-Ups:

Diamond push-ups work the entire tricep muscles. The reason this is recommended owes to the fact that this is a bodyweight exercise. Bodyweight exercises are important when you want to add mass or become stronger. Do two sets of push-ups and each set until failure. This really forces the tricep muscles to grow to withstand the growing tension. 

Incorporate all the above in your tricep workouts routine and you will be able to grow your arms better. Remember to indulge in progressive overload and do not forget to follow your diet strictly. Every factor matters whether you want to add mass or become shredded.