Every triceps exercise calls on all of the three heads that make up the muscle, but some work one head more than the others.

In addition to the triceps push-down, pick one or two exercises from the six we detail below.

By frequently changing your work-out using these six moves, in the long run you'll thoroughly involve all three heads of the triceps.

A. Bench Dip
Place your hands on the edge of a bench, fingers pointing towards your lower back.

Keeping your hands in place, slowly step forward until your legs are extended in front of you, knees slightly bent.

Your arms should be straight, elbows unlocked, supporting your weight.

Slowly bend your arms to lower yourself as far as you can, bringing your backside as close to the floor as possible. Press yourself back up to the starting position.

Get more: to make the move more difficult, rest your heels on another bench. Once that becomes easy, have a spotter hold a weight plate across the tops of your thighs.



B. Kneeling Cable Extension

Attach a V-bar to a low-pulley cable and kneel with your back to the weight stack.

Turn around to grab both handles, then face forward and straighten your arms overhead. (The bottom of the "V" should be pointing down and your palms should face forward.)

Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly bend your elbows and lower your hands behind your neck.

Reverse the motion by straightening your arms, locking your elbows at the top to contract the triceps.

Get more: to prevent yourself leaning forward, place an incline bench in front of the low pulley, facing away from the machine.

Grab the rope ends, lie down - head on the bench - and raise your arms, palms facing each other.

Keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor, lower your hands to the sides of your head, then return to the starting position.

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C. Lying Dumbbell Extension

Lie on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Hold a set of light dumbbells overhead with your arms straight and your palms facing each other.

Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the weights towards your shoulders until they reach the sides of your head.

Pause, then slowly press the weights back up, but keep your elbows unlocked.

Get more: instead of using two dumbbells, hold one dumbbell with your palm facing in towards your body.

Reach your other arm across your chest and place your hand on your raised arm's triceps to support it.

Bending only at the elbow, slowly lower the weight until it touches the front of your opposite shoulder, then lift it back up.


D. Close-Grip Bench Press

Lie on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, your hands less than shoulder-width apart.

Slowly lower the bar until it reaches your chest.

Pause, then press the weight back overhead until your arms are extended, but keep your elbows unlocked.

Get more: do the bench press with dumbbells.

With your arms straight above your chest, touch the ends of the weights together to bring them as close as possible.

Try to keep the ends of the dumbbells touching throughout the exercise.


E. Single-Arm Extension

Sit on the edge of a bench with a light dumbbell in your right hand.

Raise the weight over your head, with your palm facing left.

Press your right biceps against the side of your head. Slowly lower the weight behind your head as far as you can, keeping your wrist straight.

Raise the weight to the starting position. Finish one set, then switch hands.

Get more: at the start of the exercise, rotate your hand so that your palm faces forward.

Lower the weight in front of your body instead of behind it, so that the end of the dumbbell lightly touches the top of your chest.

Then return to the starting position.


F. Twisting Kick-Back

Stand with your left hand and knee resting on a bench and hold a light dumbbell in your right hand.

Let your right arm hang down, palm facing the bench.

Now draw the weight up close to your body by bringing your upper arm up parallel to the floor and bending your elbow 90 degrees.

Keeping your upper arm stationary, slowly straighten the arm. As you go, turn your wrist so that your palm ends up facing the ceiling.

Pause, then reverse the motion. Finish a set, then switch positions to work your left arm.

Get more: to change the angle of resistance, place the bench lengthwise in front of a low-pulley cable station and attach a rope to the end of the cable.

With your head toward the pulley and your left hand and knee on the bench, grab one end of the rope with your right hand and perform the exercise in the same way as described above.