The Best & Worst TRICEPS Exercises (Ranked Using Science)

Summary

This 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

• 🏋️‍♂️ The video ranks 20 popular tricep exercises on a tier list from S (super) to F (fail), focusing on muscle growth.
• 🤔 An ideal tricep exercise should provide high tension, feel good without causing pain, and have a simple progression for adding weight or reps.
• 💪 The triceps consist of three heads: lateral, medial, and long, each contributing to different aspects of arm shape and function.
• 🔥 The rope press down is ranked in B tier due to its mind-muscle connection but limited tension compared to other methods.
• 🏋️‍♀️ 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.
• 👎 The reverse grip press down is considered the worst of the three press down variations due to its reduced strength output and grip limitations.
• 🌟 The overhead cable triceps extension is the first exercise to be ranked in S tier, emphasizing the long head's role in shoulder extension.
• 🤔 The katana tricep extension is a personal favorite but requires more setup and has a learning curve, placing it in A tier.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Dumbbell French press is effective for stretching the long head but can be bulky and awkward, earning it a B tier ranking.
• 💥 Skull crushers are highly effective for tricep growth, offering high tension and easy progression, ranking them in S tier.
• 🔧 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

00:00

📊 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.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ 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.

10:03

💪 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.

Keywords

💡Triceps

Triceps refer to the muscles at the back of the upper arm, which are responsible for extending the forearm and straightening the arm. In the video, the triceps are the primary focus for muscle growth, with exercises specifically designed to target and develop these muscles for improved strength and appearance.

💡Tier List

A tier list is a ranking system that categorizes items, in this case, exercises, into different levels of effectiveness or quality. The video uses a tier list to rank triceps exercises from 'S' for super effective to 'F' for fail, providing a clear hierarchy of which exercises are considered best for triceps growth.

💡Muscle Growth

Muscle growth, or hypertrophy, is the increase in muscle fiber size due to increased protein synthesis within muscle cells. The video's main theme revolves around identifying the best exercises for promoting triceps muscle growth, with a focus on exercises that provide high tension and progressive overload.

💡High Tension

High tension in the context of the video refers to the amount of stress or load applied to the triceps muscles during an exercise, which is crucial for stimulating muscle growth. Exercises that provide high tension, especially in the stretched position, are emphasized as being more effective for triceps development.

💡Progression

Progression in the script refers to the ability to gradually increase the difficulty of an exercise over time, allowing for continuous muscle growth and development. The video mentions that a good triceps exercise should have a simple progression, meaning it should be easy to add weight or reps from week to week to keep challenging the muscles.

💡Lateral Head

The lateral head is one of the three heads of the triceps muscle, responsible for giving the triceps a rounded shape. The video discusses how different exercises emphasize the development of the lateral head, contributing to the overall shape and size of the triceps.

💡Long Head

The long head of the triceps is a muscle that crosses both the elbow and shoulder joints, playing a significant role in arm extension and shoulder movement. The script highlights the importance of exercises that target the long head, particularly when the arm is positioned overhead, to maximize triceps development.

💡Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

This specific exercise is mentioned in the script as an effective way to target the long head of the triceps, especially when the arms are positioned overhead. The overhead cable triceps extension is praised for its ability to provide high tension in a stretched position, which is beneficial for muscle growth.

💡Skull Crushers

Skull crushers is a colloquial term for an exercise that targets the triceps by lowering a barbell or dumbbells towards the forehead while lying down. The video discusses the effectiveness of skull crushers for high tension during the stretched position of the triceps and their potential for progressive overload.

💡Dips

Dips are a compound exercise that targets the triceps, chest, and shoulders. The script differentiates between close-grip dips and bench dips, discussing their effectiveness for triceps growth and the challenges associated with progressive overload as the triceps get stronger.

💡Cable Kickbacks

Cable kickbacks are an isolation exercise for the triceps where the arm is held behind the torso and the cable is pulled towards the body. The script notes that this exercise allows the long head of the triceps to reach peak contraction, making it an effective exercise for overall triceps development.

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 180° 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 40° 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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