Written by Paulina Kairys | BSKin & EX.Sc., NASM CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Ladies, looking to build a physique that clearly shows you know your way around a set of dumbbells?
By targeting the triceps, you'll develop functional strength and your upper body physique. Made of three heads that carry different functions, the triceps brachii can be targeted in specific ways for optimal results. And I guarantee you'll love to see the horseshoe-shaped muscle on the back of your upper arm showcased every time you throw on a tank top.
Follow this guide to read more about the triceps function, the most effective exercises to perform, and the best workout you can do to target this muscle group.
Table of Contents:
- Why Should Women Perform A Tricep Workout?
- How Can Women Add Definition To Their Triceps?
- The Best Tricep Workouts For Women
- Programming Tips For Tricep Workouts For Women
- Triceps Anatomy
- 8 Best Tricep Exercises For Women
Why Should Women Perform A Tricep Workout?
Have you ever heard, don't lift heavy or else you’ll get bulky? When it comes to building muscle for women and gaining strength, women greatly benefit from strength training. The common misconception in strength training is the fear of looking “too bulky” or masculine.
The fact is, women have significantly lower amounts of testosterone than men along with anatomically smaller muscles and lower amounts of lean tissue. The likelihood of women's bodies developing massive amounts of muscle is unrealistic.
Unless you’re specifically training for a physique or bodybuilding competition, you do not need to worry about looking too muscular. It takes pure drive and hard work to build an upper-body physique. Building the triceps is an important component of building a functional and strong upper body.
The triceps assist in elbow extension, which includes exercises like push ups, triceps dips, bench press, and more functional movement patterns like getting off of the ground or pushing a heavy object away from you.
In addition, building the upper body can help increase lean body mass and help lose fat stores. The larger the ratio your body has of lean mass in comparison to fat mass, the more metabolically active your body becomes.
Increasing your metabolic rate plays an important role in calorie burn and fat oxidation, and you can burn more calories by simply carrying more muscle. With the physiological benefits of building muscle come the emotional and mental benefits of improving self-esteem and confidence in your appearance.
How Can Women Add Definition To Their Triceps?
Building muscle and adding definition to the triceps, along with any other muscle of the body, takes hard work and consistency.
A proper strength and conditioning program that incorporates progressive overload and specific training outputs like variable intensities, different variations of exercises, and consistent training of the entire body can get you results.
When it comes to adding definition specifically to the triceps, incorporate tricep exercises into your routine, at least 2-3 times per week. These exercises can be added in full-body days or upper-body workouts.
Getting enough recovery in between training the upper body, at least 24-48 hours of rest in between sessions, is recommended. A good way to gauge if you’re fatigued is apparent soreness from the upper body or feeling like you are unable to lift as heavy as you typically do.
Make sure you are getting quality rest and are taking advantage of your rest days for light movement, mobility work, and stretching parts of the body that are especially sore.
Along with exercise variation, frequency of working the triceps and recovery, nutrition plays an important part in restoring the muscle and making sure it's fueled post-session and through your recovery days.
If you have trouble eating enough protein to satiate your needs, protein supplements are a great place to start. The average protein recommendation for women is 1.6–1.7 g protein per kg body weight.
The Best Tricep Workouts For Women
Let's get into your triceps workout! After, I'll cover programming information and go through step-by-step directions for each exercise.
The workouts below focus on upper body push with the triceps brachii muscle as the main muscle being used. The first workout is specific for the gym, requiring equipment and allows you to easily increase weights when you feel comfortable. This workout can be a great place to start to find your baseline strength.
The second workout is an at-home option where each movement is either bodyweight or utilizing a dumbbell. The dumbbell can be supplemented for a resistance band. You’ll need a safe anchor point for the band (a door does just fine).
Gym Tricep Workout for Women:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Close Grip Bench Press |
4 |
10 |
|
Triceps Dips |
3 |
8-12 |
|
Cable Triceps Pushdowns |
3 |
12 |
|
Triceps Push Ups |
3 |
10 |
|
Skull Crushers |
3 |
12 |
At-Home Triceps Workout for Women:
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Triceps Push Up |
4 |
10 |
|
Tricep Dips |
4 |
10 |
|
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension |
4 |
12 |
|
Tricep Kickbacks |
4 |
8-12 |
|
Dumbbell Floor Press |
4 |
10 |
Programming Tips For Triceps Workouts For Women
If you’re not already incorporating resistance training in your routine, this is a great reminder to start now!
Strength training 2-3 times per week is recommended and is an attainable goal as a starting point. Focusing on full-body workouts or workout splits can get the job done.
Generally, if you are limited on time, hitting both the upper body and lower body in one session will be the most time efficient. If one day you’re doing a full body “push day” (squats, push-ups, etc.) the next day would focus on a “pull day” (deadlifts, pull-ups, etc.).
Allowing certain muscle groups to rest as you work the opposing muscles in the next session is a way to space out your workouts and make sure you’re allowing the worked muscles to recover. Incorporating triceps-specific exercises in your upper body push day or general upper body days will help to build a functional upper body.
The general rule for volume of work is to start moderately and slowly increase the workload over time. The workouts I just highlighted start at a moderate volume that follows muscle hypertrophy sets and rep ranges. This is an efficient way to practice form and function with each exercise.
If you choose to repeat this workout, grab heavier weights or push a little harder through the “failure” movements. Again, make sure to prioritize your form before you start to increase your workload.
Triceps Anatomy
The triceps brachii is a three-headed muscle located on the backside of the upper arm muscles. This muscle runs alongside the entire length of the humerus. Its three muscle heads, long, medial, and lateral head, all originate from attachments to the humerus or scapula and insert into one tendon on the ulna.
The triceps brachii as a whole functions to extend the forearm at the elbow joint. Some of the compound exercises triceps play an important role in include the shoulder overhead press, dips, and the bench press.
Let’s go deeper into each triceps brachii head’s function.
Long head:
When the arm is in adduction, the long head of the triceps brachii prevents displacement of the humerus and keeps it stable in the glenoid cavity. In addition, it assists with adduction and extension of the arm at the shoulder joint.
The long head makes up the majority of the mass of the triceps.
Medial & Lateral head:
The medial head is active during the extension of the forearm that is supinated or pronated at the elbow joint. The lateral head is the strongest of the three. It has the same action of the medial head, it is active during the extension of the forearm that is supinated or pronated at the elbow joint.
Although it is difficult to separate the medial and lateral head through exercise-specific activation, they both kick in when the shoulder is opened above a 90-degree angle. The medial head will take over and dominate when the shoulder is at higher angles.
8 Best Tricep Exercises For Women
Ready to master the best tricep exercises for women? Here's how to do them!
1. Overhead Triceps Extension:
This exercise is an efficient way to directly target the triceps while challenging your overhead range of motion.
You can use one or two dumbbells when performing dumbbell triceps extensions. If you prefer other equipment options, you can also use a barbell, resistance band, or a cable machine instead.
How to do an Overhead Triceps Extension:
- Utilize one heavy dumbbell or two moderate dumbbells. Stand tall with your feet shoulder distance apart and your core braced.
- Press the dumbbell overhead. Keep your biceps fairly close to your ears. Bend through your elbows and slowly lower the weight until it is behind your head/neck.
- Make sure to keep your spine neutral and avoid arching through your back as the weight lowers. Press the weight back to the start position and repeat.
- If you’re ready to increase the intensity, attach a band to the dumbbell that you’re using so it provides constant tension on the way up and on the way down.
2. Triceps Kickback:
If you’re looking to target one tricep muscle at a time, consider the triceps kickback to be your go-to exercise. Don't go too heavy with your weights when performing tricep isolation exercises as it is more important to focus on a mind-muscle connection.
How to do the Triceps Kickback:
- With one dumbbell in hand, utilize a bench or the floor and position yourself in a quadruped position. If you're using the bench, the stable arm and leg will be on the bend while the arm that’s kicking back is off of the bench and the same foot is stable on the ground.
- In quadruped, make sure your spine is neutral. Row your active arm up until your upper arm is parallel to the ground, making a 90-degree angle through your elbow.
- Extend through the elbow and kick back the dumbbell towards the back. Slowly return the weight until it is perpendicular to the ground. Make sure your upper arm stays stable throughout. All that’s moving is your forearm as the triceps contract and relax.
3. Skull Crushers:
An intense name for an effective exercise, the skull crusher can be completed with an EZ bar, a barbell or two dumbbells. My personal favorite equipment for this exercise is the EZ bar as it takes a lot of pressure off your wrist.
How to do Skull Crushers:
- Lie down on a flat bench or the ground. Grab onto a barbell or dumbbells with a shoulder width apart, overhand grip, and press it over your chest. Keep your upper arms close together as you bend through the elbows and send the bar to your forehead.
- With a big exhale, press the weight away from you and come back into the stacked starting position. For a deeper triceps activation, send the bar slightly behind your head and lower the weight further down. Think about isolating the triceps, if you start to feel your back muscles take over, reduce your range of motion.
- Make sure to keep the alignment of your body in contact with the bench and actively utilize your core muscles to stabilize the weight.
4. Triceps Dips:
Dips are one of my favorite exercises as there are multiple variations you can use to hit different muscles. To target your triceps, you'll need to keep your upper body more upright, whereas to hit your chest muscles you should lean forward.
This exercise can be done on two parallel bars or on a bench.
How to do Triceps Dips:
- Position your body in between the bars. Press yourself up so your arms are locked out at the top and your legs are hovering off of the ground. Lower yourself slowly until your elbow reaches a 90-degree angle and you start to feel the chest muscles stretch.
- It is natural for your torso to angle forwards. Press back into your starting position and repeat. One way to regress the parallel bar dip is to support your feet on a step the entire time.
- This way, you’ll be able to distribute some of your weight through your feet and assist yourself through the movement. If you’re limited to equipment or working from home, utilize a bench/chair for your dips.
- Sit on the bench and place your hand's shoulder distance apart on the edge of the bench. Your knuckles should be facing forwards. Shift your body off and in front of the bench. Slowly lower down to 90 and press right back up. Have your feet in contact with the ground and actively assist the movement.
- If you need a progression, elevate your feet on a step and repeat your bench dips.
5. Tricep Push-Ups:
Just like your standard push-up, except with a closer hand and arm position, tricep pushups especially activate the back of the arm and the rest of the body’s core stabilization.
This is an effective bodyweight tricep exercise to incorporate into your home and gym workouts.
How to do Triceps Push Ups:
- Position yourself in a tall plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Bend through the elbows and slowly lower yourself down until your chest hovers over the ground. Have your upper arms slightly away from the torso.
- Keep the rest of your body in a strict plank, making sure proper tension and activation is keeping the spine neutral. An easy regression is to drop down to the knees and focus on the engagement of the triceps throughout the push-up.
- If you’re looking to bump up the intensity, slow down your push-up or add weight (a sandbag or plate on your back) to challenge your push-up strength.
6. Cable Triceps Pushdowns:
An isolation exercise for the triceps that activates all three heads, cable push-downs, can be done with a cable or with a resistance band.
How to do Cable Triceps Pushdowns:
- Attach a straight bar, rope attachment, or V handle to the cable and position your anchor toward the top. Grab onto your attachment (overhand or neutral grip) and pull it down so your elbows are close to your sides and your hands are about chest level.
- Stabilize your body in a standing neutral position with your knees bent slightly. Push the cable down until your elbows are fully extended and your triceps are actively engaging. Slowly return the pulley to your start position and repeat.
- Pause at the bottom to optimize the contraction of your triceps.
7. Close Grip Bench Press:
Looking for a compound exercise that’ll activate the chest and lead to toned triceps? Look no further than the close grip bench press!
This movement strains the triceps and is an opportunity to add significant weight to the bar.
How to do the Close Grip Bench Press:
- Set up your bench and barbell at an appropriate level for your arm's length (you should have just enough space to press the bar up and get into position). Lie down on the bench and place your hands shoulder distance apart on the bar.
- Unrack the barbell and press it over the chest. Lower the barbell until it touches your chest and press it to the start position.
- Keep your elbows tucked in and close to your body through the press. Make sure your body is in proper alignment on the bench. It is okay to arch through the lower back as long as your upper back is actively pressing through the bench and your feet are in contact with the ground.
- Create constant tension throughout your body during the bench press. When you’ve built the foundations of your form, add weight to the barbell and challenge the strength of your barbell.
8. Dumbbell Floor Press:
A great variation to the close grip bench press, the floor press can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, and or a short weighted bar.
Since the floor press limits the range of motion of the press in comparison to being elevated on a bench, try to go heavier with this position. It will feel safer since the ground is there when you need to bail during a failed repetition.
How to do the Dumbbell Floor Press:
- Lie down on the floor with a weight in each hand. Keep your elbows on the ground and close to the body (exactly like the close grip bench press).
- Make sure to stack the weights directly above the elbow and keep this vertical alignment throughout the floor press.
- Press the weights directly over your chest then slowly lower them to the ground. Tap the ground and repeat.
How a Woman Should Train Her Triceps
Finding a training method that you enjoy and gravitate toward is of the utmost importance. It’s one way to determine that you’ll stick to the process and dedicate your time to seeing results. Whether you choose traditional strength training or other methods of movement, all are great options to start targeting the upper body for increased strength gains.
A good place to start is to incorporate tricep-specific exercises, utilizing the list I just went over with you, on a weekly basis in your routine. With every exercise, focus on form and function.
Connect your mind to muscle activation and aim to challenge yourself with each set of work. Over the course of a few weeks, increase your work capacity by either bumping up the weight that you’re using, increasing the repetitions, incorporating eccentric counts (slow lowering), or trying progressions of triceps exercises.
You can level up your workouts by incorporating triceps-specific exercises. After a few weeks, you'll start to see improvements in your functional upper body strength and physical gains. Now get after this workout!
Looking for more great workouts? Check out The Best Bicep Workouts For Women, The Best Leg Workouts For Women, and the Best Arm Workouts For Women!
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
Paulina Kairys
Author