Your First Tricep Workout: A Beginner's Guide to Stronger Arms
This workout is for you if you are new to training and want to start building stronger arms. It focuses on the triceps — the muscles that make up the back of your upper arm — which help you push, press, and straighten your arm. We'll walk you through every exercise so you can build a solid base safely and with confidence.
What the research says
A few studies give us useful clues about how to train your triceps well. One study found that when people rested longer between sets — about 3 minutes instead of 1 minute — they made greater gains in muscle size and strength over 8 weeks. A separate study looked at low-weight training taken to failure with either short or long rests and found that both groups increased tricep size significantly, suggesting rest length may matter less when you are working with lighter weights all the way to the point where you cannot do another rep. One study also found that a gamified training program — one that used wearable sensors and real-time feedback to make workouts more interactive — led to significantly better sticking to the prescribed tempo and rep targets, and measurable improvements in upper-body strength over four weeks, compared to a conventional training group.
Moderate — the key findings on rest periods and muscle growth come from controlled studies with clear results, though most used trained men, so they may not apply to everyone starting out.
In an 8-week study of resistance-trained men, those who rested 3 minutes between sets showed significantly greater gains in muscle strength (1-rep max squat and bench press) and significantly greater muscle thickness in the front thigh compared to those who rested 1 minute. A trend toward greater triceps thickness was also observed in the longer-rest group.
View study →In an 8-week study using low-load training to failure, both a short-rest group (30 seconds) and a long-rest group (150 seconds) showed significant increases in triceps cross-sectional area — 9.8% and 10.6% respectively — with no significant difference between the two groups.
View study →Over a four-week study, participants in a gamified resistance training group — using wearable sensors that gave real-time feedback — showed significantly greater adherence to prescribed tempo and repetition targets, and measurable improvements in upper-body strength, compared to a conventional training control group.
View study →The routine
Main
For this exercise you will need to place a bench behind your back. With the bench perpendicular to your body, and while looking away from it, hold on to the bench on its edge with the hands fully extended, separated at shoulder width. The legs will be extended forward, bent at the waist and perpendicular to your torso. This will be your starting position. Slowly lower your body as you inhale by bending at the elbows until you lower yourself far enough to where there is an angle slightly smaller than 90 degrees between the upper arm and the forearm. Tip: Keep the elbows as close as possible throughout the movement. Forearms should always be pointing down. Using your triceps to bring your torso up again, lift yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position. Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest. Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight. Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement. Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale. Repeat.
Secure a band to the base of a rack or the bench. Lay on the bench so that the band is lined up with your head. Take hold of the band, raising your elbows so that the upper arm is perpendicular to the floor. With the elbow flexed, the band should be above your head. This will be your starting position. Extend through the elbow to straighten your arm, keeping your upper arm in place. Pause at the top of the motion, and return to the starting position.
Cooldown
Sit upright on the floor with your partner behind you. Raise one arm straight up, and flex the elbow, attempting to touch your hand to your back. Your parner should hold your elbow and wrist. This will be your starting position. Attempt to extend the arm straight into the air as your partner prevents you from doing actually doing so. After 10-20 seconds, relax the arm and allow your partner to further stretch the tricep by applying gentle pressure to the wrist. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then switch sides.
Bring right arm across your body and over your left shoulder, holding your elbow with your left hand, until you feel a stretch in your tricep. Then repeat for your other arm.
Set and rep ranges are general starting suggestions based on this guide's level — adjust to your own experience, and progress gradually.
This entry is for general education only and is not medical advice — if you feel sharp pain (not the normal burn of effort) at any point, stop the exercise and check with a doctor or qualified trainer before continuing.