Three Exercises to Strengthen your Triceps

The triceps help us to perform various shoulder and elbow movements. That's why it's so important to keep them in good condition. In this article, we'll show you some exercises to strengthen them!

Our body in general is made up of numerous muscles, and they all play major and minor roles in our daily activities. The triceps are one of those muscles; they’re located in the backs of the arms. We must work on these muscle groups regularly in order to keep them in good condition. That’s why we want to use today’s article to talk about the triceps and exercises we can use to strengthen them.

Considering that muscles can be agonists or antagonists, each muscle group has a specific way in which we should exercise it. Keep reading to learn about the proper way to exercise the triceps.

Triceps brachii

People usually refer to this muscle only as triceps. It performs various functions related to the arms and forearms. It gets its name from the three heads that compose it: long, lateral, and medial head.

The tricep muscle contributes to the internal adduction and rotation functions of the shoulder and the extension of the elbow. On the other hand, it also serves as an antagonist for the biceps brachii, located in the front of the arm.

Why should you strengthen your triceps?

Beyond gaining muscle mass and having toned arms, you must exercise your muscles in order to improve the stability of the area in which they’re located. In the case of triceps, strengthening them is necessary to reinforce the shoulder and elbow joints. Doing so will decrease the risk of suffering an injury in the area.

On the other hand, having stronger muscles that protect the humerus (the longest bone in your arm), will also prevent possible fractures.

Exercises to strengthen the triceps

There are several ways to strengthen your triceps. You can do it in a gym, a park, or even in the comfort of your home. The goal is to work this area properly in order to tone and protect the muscles and other areas around it.

Push-ups

This is the exercise par excellence to work your arms and torso. The reason behind this is that push-ups contribute to the development, toning, and strengthening of the triceps.

Get in the starting position for this exercise by lying on your belly and lifting your body using the tips of your toes and palms of your hands as four support points. Your arms should be at shoulder level. Then, flex your elbows while trying to keep your arms as close as possible to your torso. Once you’re at the bottom of the movement, extend your elbows again.

• We recommend a minimum of three sets with ten repetitions each.

Bench dips

There are many types of dips that you can perform to work muscle segments such as the triceps. However, bench dips are the most appropriate for a person who is barely getting started in the world of training. The movement helps to avoid improperly overstraining your muscles.

To perform this exercise, sit down on a bench or another elevated surface and place your hands next to your thighs. Lift your bottom off the bench and step a little towards the front so that you’re using your hands and feet as your four support points. Keep your knees and torso bent slightly at an angle. Then, flex and extend your elbows slowly to bring your body close to the floor and back up again.

Once you’ve mastered this type of dip, you can elevate your feet by placing them on top of another bench in order to increase the complexity of the exercise.

• Perform at least two sets of 15 repetitions each.

Tricep extensions

If you want to try out more difficult exercises to strengthen this muscle, tricep extensions are a great option. However, remember that it’s very important to have strong forearms and wrists to perform this exercise; otherwise, you could suffer muscle and bone injuries.

For this movement, start from the initial position of a plank; in other words, lie face down and then lift your body using the tips of your toes and palms of your hands as support points. Then, bend your elbows until your forearms are almost parallel to the floor in order to lower your chest. Finally, return to the starting position by extending your elbows and lifting your forearms. The goal is to achieve a harmonious movement.

Remember to keep your triceps vertically to your body at all times, and to exert the force you need directly from them. To get the proper tricep extension technique, it’s also important that you always align your body horizontally.

• We recommend doing at least two sets of ten repetitions each.

Strengthen your triceps and your whole body!

Strengthening your triceps is as necessary as working any other muscle to maintain and protect the joints and bones of your body. Besides that, exercising regularly contributes to both our physical and psychological well-being.

The general recommendation is to start gradually. Focus on performing the movements with the right technique, and slowly increase the level of your training. As we mentioned, you can do these exercises at home, in a park, or at the gym. However, we always recommend having the guidance of a physical activity professional.