The Best & Worst TRICEPS Exercises (Ranked Using Science)
Summary
TLDRThis video ranks 20 popular triceps exercises from best to worst based on three criteria: high tension, comfort, and progression ease. The overhead cable triceps extension is crowned the best exercise for its ability to target all three heads of the triceps effectively. Conversely, the dumbbell kickback is deemed the least effective due to its limited tension distribution. The video emphasizes the importance of incorporating a variety of exercises to ensure balanced triceps development and provides detailed insights into the mechanics and benefits of each exercise.
Takeaways
- ποΈββοΈ The video ranks 20 popular tricep exercises on a tier list from S (super) to F (fail), focusing on muscle growth.
- π€ An ideal tricep exercise should provide high tension, feel good without causing pain, and have a simple progression for adding weight or reps.
- πͺ The triceps consist of three heads: lateral, medial, and long, each contributing to different aspects of arm shape and function.
- π₯ The rope press down is ranked in B tier due to its mind-muscle connection but limited tension compared to other methods.
- ποΈββοΈ The bar press down is recommended for its stability and even tension, ranking it in A tier despite not stretching the tricep as much as other exercises.
- π The reverse grip press down is considered the worst of the three press down variations due to its reduced strength output and grip limitations.
- π The overhead cable triceps extension is the first exercise to be ranked in S tier, emphasizing the long head's role in shoulder extension.
- π€ The katana tricep extension is a personal favorite but requires more setup and has a learning curve, placing it in A tier.
- ποΈββοΈ Dumbbell French press is effective for stretching the long head but can be bulky and awkward, earning it a B tier ranking.
- π₯ Skull crushers are highly effective for tricep growth, offering high tension and easy progression, ranking them in S tier.
- π§ The close grip bench press is great for progressive overload but may not develop the long head as effectively, placing it in A tier.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The video focuses on ranking 20 popular triceps exercises on a tier list from S to F, based on their effectiveness for muscle growth.
What are the three criteria for ranking the triceps exercises?
-The criteria are high tension in the stretched position, a good feel without causing pain and a smooth resistance profile, and a simple progression for easy weight or rep increase over time.
What are the three heads of the triceps and what do they contribute to the arm's shape?
-The three heads are the lateral head, which gives the triceps a rounded shape; the medial head, which adds shape to the arm as a whole; and the long head, which beefs up the triceps from the rear.
Why are press-downs a popular triceps exercise?
-Press-downs are popular because they hit all three heads of the triceps, with a slight emphasis on the medial and lateral heads, and they have various grips and attachments that can alter the feel and effectiveness of the exercise.
What is the advantage of using a rope for press-downs?
-Using a rope allows for driving the handles apart at the bottom, potentially increasing the contraction in the triceps, but it is more of a mind-muscle connection and doesn't add as much contractile benefit.
How does the overhead cable triceps extension benefit the long head of the triceps?
-The overhead cable triceps extension benefits the long head by moving the arms overhead, which stretches the long head more than the other two heads, and provides high tension in the stretched position.
What is the main drawback of using a rope for overhead cable triceps extensions?
-The main drawback is that the rope limits the ability to overload the triceps due to its less rigid and stable nature, resulting in some tension loss through the need to stabilize the rope with the forearms.
Why does the video consider the overhead cable triceps extension an S-tier exercise?
-The overhead cable triceps extension is considered an S-tier exercise because it effectively targets all three heads of the triceps, especially the long head when the arm is overhead, and has been validated in studies for superior hypertrophy results.
What is the issue with the reverse grip press-down according to the video?
-The reverse grip press-down is considered less effective because turning the palms up doesn't significantly change the biomechanics for the triceps but can limit strength output and cause grip to be a limiting factor.
Why does the video suggest that cable triceps kickbacks are better than dumbbell kickbacks?
-Cable triceps kickbacks are better because they provide even tension throughout the range of motion and bias tension toward the stretched aspect of the triceps, unlike dumbbell kickbacks which offer no tension when the triceps are stretched.
What is the video's final verdict on the best and worst triceps exercises?
-The video crowns the overhead cable triceps extension as the best exercise for triceps growth and suggests that the dumbbell kickback might be the least effective option compared to others.
Outlines
π Tricep Exercises Ranked for Muscle Growth
The video script discusses a tier list ranking for triceps exercises based on their effectiveness for muscle growth. Criteria for ranking include tension in the stretched position, a smooth resistance profile, and the ability to progress easily over time. The script explains the roles of the three triceps heads and how different exercises target these heads. The press down is introduced as a popular exercise, with variations using a rope, bar, and reverse grip, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The overhead cable triceps extension is highlighted for its effectiveness on the long head of the triceps.
ποΈββοΈ Advanced Tricep Exercises and Their Effectiveness
This paragraph delves into various triceps exercises, their setup, and execution. It covers the katana triceps extension, which is praised for its unique setup and dual-arm training capability. The French press and its variations, including the one-arm dumbbell extension, are discussed for their ability to stretch the long head of the triceps. Skull crushers are highly recommended for their high tension and overload potential, despite some biomechanical limitations. The JM press is critiqued for its mixed results and potential discomfort. Kickbacks are introduced as a unique exercise for long head contraction, with cable kickbacks favored over dumbbell variations.
πͺ Maximizing Tricep Development Through Diverse Exercises
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of a diverse approach to tricep training, including pressing exercises, isolation work, and exercises targeting the long head with arms overhead. It critiques the effectiveness of certain exercises like dips and push-ups in terms of progressive overload and comfort. The close grip bench press is recognized for its overload capacity but criticized for not fully targeting the long head. The paragraph concludes with recommendations for a comprehensive tricep training program and identifies the overhead cable tricep extension as the superior exercise, while the dumbbell kickback is considered less effective.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Triceps
π‘Tier List
π‘Muscle Growth
π‘High Tension
π‘Progression
π‘Lateral Head
π‘Long Head
π‘Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
π‘Skull Crushers
π‘Dips
π‘Cable Kickbacks
Highlights
The video ranks 20 popular tricep exercises on a tier list from S to F.
Exercises are evaluated based on high tension, feel, and progression simplicity.
Triceps have three heads: lateral, medial, and long, each affecting arm shape differently.
Press downs hit all tricep heads but favor medial and lateral more than the long head.
Using a rope for press downs can feel good but limits tension on the triceps.
Barbell press downs are stable and allow for easy progression, almost in S tier.
Reverse grip press downs limit strength output and are ranked in C tier.
Overhead cable triceps extensions emphasize the long head and are ranked in S tier.
Katana triceps extensions hit both arms individually and are tentatively ranked in A tier.
Dumbbell French press stretches the long head but is bulky and ranked in B tier.
One-arm dumbbell tricep extensions are good for addressing imbalances and are ranked in A tier.
Skull crushers offer high tension and overload potential, placing them in S tier.
Dumbbell skull crushers are awkward and placed in A tier despite theoretical benefits.
JM press is a hybrid exercise with some benefits but causes discomfort for some, ranked in B tier.
Smith machine JM press is more controlled and ranks higher in A tier.
Cable triceps kickbacks provide a full squeeze of the long head and are ranked in A tier.
Dumbbell kickbacks are less effective for overloading and are ranked in C tier.
Post grip dips strongly contract the long head but have limitations, ranked in B tier.
Bench dips do not progress well for advanced trainees and are ranked in C tier.
Machine dips offer stability but still have the issue of muscle takeover, ranked in B tier.
Close grip bench press is great for overloading but less effective for the long head, ranked in A tier.
Close grip push-ups are hard to overload and ranked in C tier.
Diamond push-ups are a good finisher and make it into B tier.
The best exercise for tricep growth is the overhead cable tricep extension.
The worst exercise in the list is the dumbbell kickback, though it has its uses.
Transcripts
what are the best and worst triceps
exercises for muscle growth well in this
video I'll be ranking 20 of the most
popular movements on a tier list from s
for super to F for fail and at the end
I'll Crown one exercise as the best of
the best and one as the worst of the
worst and to make sure your favorite
tricep exercise doesn't end up in F tier
it needs to take three boxes one it must
provide high tension especially in the
stretched position two it needs to feel
good meaning it doesn't cause pain and
it has a nice smooth resist resistance
profile three it needs to have a simple
progression that means you can easily
add some weight or a rep from week to
week now as I'm sure you know there are
three heads of the triceps hence the tri
prefx there's the lateral head the
medial head and the long head the long
head beefs up your triceps from the rear
the lateral head gives the triceps that
rant shape and the medial head runs down
the middle adding shape to the arm as a
whole and so when we're ranking
exercises we'll need to consider which
movements will emphasize which aspect to
ensure proportional development let's
start with the most popular triceps
exercise the press down press Downs will
hit all three heads of the triceps but
probably grow the medial and lateral
heads a little better than the long head
there are three main ways people do
these using a rope using a bar and using
a reverse grip the advantage of using a
rope is that you can really drive the
handles apart at the bottom which will
help some people feel a harder
contraction in their triceps granted
this motion is mainly happening at the
wrists so I don't think it's adding a
whole lot of real contractile benefit to
the triceps it's more of a mind muscle
connection thing the downside of using
the Rope is that you just won't be able
to load as much tension onto the triceps
earlier this week I did an experiment
where I tested how many reps I could get
using the Rope versus using the bar
while keeping the weight in my technique
exactly the same I got 12 reps with the
rope and 16 reps with the bar that's
four extra reps at the same weight
simply by using a bar and that's because
the Rope attachment is far less rigid
and stable and so some of the tension
coming from the cable stack is being
lost through having to stabilize a loop
rope with your forearms and so while the
Rope might gain a point in the feels
good Department it loses a point in the
overload Department the Rope press down
is going in B tier with the bar press
down the movement will feel a lot more
stable which will direct more attention
to your triceps the cable will provide
more or less even tension on the triceps
throughout the range of motion and the
bar should actually help you feel more
locked in which is a good thing and you
can easily overload by adding a little
weight or a rep from week to week the
bar press down is very close to being an
S tier but because it never actually
gets the tricep steps into a big stretch
at the top it isn't quite as good as
some of the other options that we'll
cover in a minute and for that reason
it's going in a tier but it's definitely
an exercise that I strongly recommend
and I do myself pretty much every single
week now the reverse grip press down is
the worst of the three options in my
opinion that's because turning your
palms up won't actually change much for
your triceps biomechanically but it will
limit their strength output especially
if your grip becomes a limiting factor
in my experiment I actually only got 10
reps with an underhand grip making it
the weakest of the three options now I
know some people do do really feel this
variation hitting their triceps better
and that's probably because with an
underhand grip you can get your forearm
bones out of the way at the top but I
really doubt it's worth the reduction in
overload potential and so the reverse
grip press down is going in C tier the
overhead cable triceps extension is a
similar movement where you're just
bending and extending your elbow except
for one crucial difference you move your
arms up overhead this actually makes a
world of difference for the long head
that's because the long head is the only
head that crosses both the elbow joint
and the shoulder joint so all three
heads of the triceps straighten the
elbow out but only the long head has a
second function it also performs
something called shoulder extension
which is when you move your arm down
that's exactly why you'll always feel
your triceps working on dumbbell
pullovers the lateral and medial heads
aren't doing anything but the long head
is working very hard alongside your lats
and your pecs to pull your arms down and
so because it crosses the shoulder it'll
be more contracted when your arm is down
like in a press down or in a kickback
and it'll be more stretched when your
arm is up overhead you can even try this
out for yourself put your arm back
behind your torso and you'll feel your
long head get rock hard and you can lift
your arm up overhead and you'll feel a
really big stretch that's exactly what
the overhead extension is doing it's
putting the long head under a much
bigger stretch but it's even better than
that because the cable also provides
super high tension in that stretched
position and I think that's why this
2023 study found that overhead
extensions caused about 40% more triceps
growth than press Downs getting that
long head into a more lengthened
position seems to be doing something
important for muscle growth the overhead
cable extension is our first triceps
exercise going in s tier now if you
switch the bar out for a rope you'll
still get all the benefits of training
the long head in a more lengthen
position but again the Rope will limit
your ability to overload the triceps to
some extent I don't actually think it'
make a huge difference over the long
term as long as you're pushing hard and
you're tracking your progress but I
usually still prefer the bar and so I'll
put the overhead cable extension with
the rope in a tier the katana triceps
extension gets its name from how you
draw a pair of Japanese katana swords
where Cross Your Arms overhead and grab
the opposite side's cable the best way
to get into this exercise is to grab
each side's cable with the same hand and
then spin around 180Β° while crossing
your arms over or you can start with the
cables crossed in front of you and then
duck underneath and step through either
way if you start with the cables at
around or just above waist height you
should end up with your arms in a
position about 30 to 40Β° forward
relative to being flared out to the
sides this is called the scapular plane
which feels really comfortable for a lot
of people these also have the rare
benefit of hitting both arms
individually while still saving on time
by getting both sides done at once so
that can be great for addressing any
left right imbalances while still not
taking twice as long these are
definitely a personal favorite and I'd
probably put them in s tier but because
they require a bit more setup and they
can have a bit of a learning curve I'm
going to go ahead and tentatively drop
them back to a tier the dumbbell French
Press will also get the long head very
stretched and can be a bit faster to set
up than cables I like to do these seated
because you'll be more stable meaning
you'll be able to direct more of that
tension coming from the dumbbell
directly to the triceps one slight
downside compared to the cables though
is that the dumbbell will provide a
circular resistance path meaning you get
a lot of tension on the triceps at the
bottom and less tension at the top it's
not such a bad thing though because the
stretched aspect does seem to be more
important anyway but I still prefer the
more uniform feel of the cables my main
issue with these is that as your triceps
get really strong the dumbbells may get
so big and bulky that they're kind of
awkward to handle and it can put some
unwanted strain on the wrists I still
like the French press and I still
include these periodically but I do
prefer the cables and I'm going to put
these in B tier doing these one arm at a
time actually solves a few of those
issues this way you can find a good
angle to point your elbows in that feels
a little more comfortable on your
shoulders and because you're doing one
arm at a time the dumbbell will be less
bulky and awkward they still don't offer
the same smooth tension as cables do but
they're a really good option especially
if you only have access to dumbbells one
arm dumbbell tricep extensions are going
in a tier all right so what about Skull
Crushers well let's see they offer super
high tension while the triceps are most
stretched especially if you Arc the bar
back behind your head instead of
literally stopping at your skull they
should feel good especially if you use
an easy bar which can ease up some
unwanted strain on the wrists and
they're a great movement for overloading
the triceps as you can always add a
little weight or a rep from week to week
and even though you don't get uniform
tension on the triceps you can fix that
by starting the range of motion with
your elbows slightly back rather than
straight up this will immediately pull
some tension into the fibers and from
there you can Arc the weight back I
think this is my favorite free weight
triceps exercise and even though some
people find them a little less smooth
than cables I think they're great I do
them a lot and yeah I think Skull
Crushers belong in s tier dumbbell Skull
Crushers are the exact same movement
except you get to train each arm
individually which is nice I'm not
exactly sure why but the dumbbell skull
crusher always feels a little more
Awkward to me than an easy bar or
straight bar skull crusher maybe it's
because the dumbbells are free moving
and in that lying overhead position I
just find them harder to control so
while on paper they should also be an S
tier in practice I find them a little
more awkward and for that reason I'm
knocking them back to a tier now the JM
press is an interesting one people who
like this exercise really like this
exercise I think it's a bit overrated in
the strength and powerlifting space it's
really just a hybrid between a close
grip bench press and a skull crusher
instead of lowering the bar back behind
your head like in a skull crusher or
lowering the bar down to your chest like
in a close grip bench you meet in the
middle and lower the bar down to your
chin area I don't know I've been trying
these for years and I always feel a
little elbow pain or at least a little
elbow discomfort whenever I do them so
they're losing a point in the feels good
department for me because your arms
won't be as far back behind your head
the JM press also won't get the long
head quite as St eted as a skull crusher
will and I think if you're already doing
some bench press and you're already
doing some kind of overhead extension
I'm not sure that you really need a JM
press that said I am a fan of hitting
the triceps from a variety of different
shoulder angles and I do think that it's
a solid lift that should have some
strength carry over to your bench press
all things considered I'm going to put
the JM press in B tier as a muscle
builder the Smith machine JM press fixes
a few of those issues for me where
you're locked into a fixed movement path
I do find it easier to really focus on
using my triceps to move the weight
whereas with the barbell my PC and delts
can can sometimes take over more I like
JM presses on the Smith machine a bit
better personally and so I'm putting
them in a tier triceps Kickbacks are one
of the very few exercises where you get
to smash the triceps with the arm held
back behind the Torso this is important
because remember that the long head of
the triceps will reach Peak stretch when
the arms are up overhead but reach Peak
contraction when the arms are held back
behind the Torso so this far this is the
first exercise we've covered that'll get
the long head into a full squeeze a lot
of people do Kickbacks bent forward but
if you think about it biomechanically
it's really the exact same thing as
doing them more upright with the arm
kick back and even though there is
research suggesting that the triceps
respond better to Long muscle lengths it
just isn't quite strong enough or robust
enough for me to throw out every short
and biased exercise plus you can still
get the lateral and medial heads
decently stretched here and the cable
provides nice even tension throughout
the range of motion they feel good to me
and I prefer to do these with slightly
higher reps and really focus on getting
a big strong contraction in my triceps
cable triceps Kickbacks are going in a
here now if you switch to a dumbbell you
do make the exercise less effective
that's because the dumbbell offers zero
tension while the tricep is stretched
and then tension increases as the muscle
contracts this isn't great because we'd
want to bias tension toward the
stretched aspect as much as we can and
the dumbbell kickback does the exact
opposite that said I don't think this is
quite as big of a deal as people make it
seem the kickback is already better at
overloading the shorten position so the
fact that the dumbbells resistance curve
leans into that isn't an automatic deal
breaker that said if you do have access
to cables I I definitely think you
should do cable Kickbacks instead if you
only have access to dumbbells I think
putting the dumbbell up overhead and
doing overhead extensions will give you
more bang for your buck dumbbell
Kickbacks are a little overhated online
in my opinion but they're still not one
of my go-tos and I'm going to put them
in C tier post grip dips are another
exercise that'll work the triceps with
the arms back behind the Torso so they
offer a really strong contraction of the
long head but because the arms aren't up
overhead the long head never really gets
a deep stretch dips also don't feel the
best to me I find my shoulders get a bit
cranky if I do them too much or too
heavy but I know tons of people who can
do them with no problem the Dip's
biggest upside is that as a compound
exercise it's great for Progressive
overload you can always add a rep or two
from week to week and use a weight belt
to add weight as you get stronger so the
close grip dip probably should be an A
or S tier on paper but because it
doesn't feel the best to me and I find
my PEC and delts can easily take over
I'm dropping it back to B tier bench
dips work the triceps in a similar
shoulder position and I do find these
take my pecs and delts out of the
movement much better so I can connect
with my triceps a little more that said
their fatal flaw is in the Progressive
overload Department as you gain tricep
strength the exercise simply isn't going
to be challenging enough in a normal rep
range and then you'll need to add weight
you can have a partner load some weight
in your lap but I always find this a bit
awkward to balance All Things Considered
I'm putting the bench dip in C tier
machine dips are actually pretty solid I
don't do them a whole lot in my own
training just because I like cable
Kickbacks better but I might add these
back in for my next training phase
they're really just a more locked in
version of a freee dip except if you can
find a good machine you'll have a little
more stability which which might help
you connect with your triceps better
that said I still find my PEC and delts
can take over on some of these machines
so I'm going to leave the machine dip in
be here as well okay the close grip
bench press similar to the dip its main
selling feature is its incredible
capacity for Progressive overload as
your triceps get stronger you'll be able
to gradually add a little weight each
week and keep your triceps growing for
years to come the bar will provide
consistent tension throughout the range
of motion and to me a close grip bench
press feels great I actually find I can
engage my triceps a lot better here than
on dip that said there's a slight
problem with the long head while presses
will smash the medial and lateral heads
extremely well the long head actually
doesn't get hit all that hard that's
because it's lengthening at the shoulder
joint while simultaneously shortening at
the elbow joint so while I really want
to put the close grip bench press in s
tier because it is such a great
overloading movement I have to drop it
back to a tier just because I don't
think that the long head will grow as
well from these as they will from an
overhead extension but I definitely
think it's an exercise that's worth
doing if you're trying to grow your
triceps the close grip push-up has very
similar biomechanics so it'll also hit
the lateral and medial heads harder than
the long head but the main issue with
the push-up is that beyond the beginner
stage it's just really hard to overload
them without doing a ton of reps or
having a partner load weight on your
back which can be a pain I'm putting
these in C tier diamond push-ups make
the movement considerably Harder by
narrowing the base of support and most
people can feel their triceps working
harder with the more flared elbow
position that it puts you in I actually
really like diamond push-ups as a
finisher exercise at the end of a
workout where you can just go for as
many reps as you can get they're
actually a lot harder than they look and
even though they're still not as good as
a close grip bench press for Progressive
overload I think they're just good
enough to get into B tier so here's what
you need to know first pressing
exercises will grow your triceps but
probably won't be enough on their own to
maximize triceps development especially
not the long head second you should
definitely do some triceps isolation
work for maximum growth third the most
effective isolation exercise is one that
trains the triceps with the arms
overhead this is so the long head can
experience High tension in a deep
stretch fourth for proportional triceps
development you should hit them from a
variety of different shoulder angles
including at least one mement with the
arms up overhead and one with the arms
either down at the sides like in a push
down and or One movement with the arm
held back behind the Torso like a cable
Kickback now if I had to Crown just one
exercise as the best of the best it'd
have to be the overhead cable tricep
extension this exercise will grow all
three heads very effectively and it's
actually been validated as a superior
exercise in long-term hypertrophy
studies and if I had to one is the worst
of the worst I guess itd have to be the
dumbbell kickback it's not that it never
has its place but I do think there are
better options and you may have noticed
that there were no F tier exercises in
this video but there definitely were in
my back tier list video so to make sure
that you don't put them in your program
you got to check out this video over
here all right that's it for this one
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