Best triceps exercise for mass
Trying rep after rep every week and don’t get the desired results or do you want your arms pop-up out in that of your favorite t-shirt. The reason is whatever, to get the desired result, you need to train your triceps and biceps both. As a lot of guys focus more on biceps and neglect the back triceps area which is 60% of your arm area which makes it impossible to achieve the goal. In this article, we cover the best triceps exercise for mass that involves barbell exercises and dumbbell exercises.
Without jumping directly to exercise, first, you should have knowledge about the triceps muscles, this is where a lot of guys make mistake, they directly jump to exercise without knowing the muscle it triggers. Basically, the triceps area is consists of three muscles – long head of triceps, outer head muscle, and middle tricep muscle. To get the bigger and detailed triceps you have to train all three muscles with different exercises and proper form. Besides, exercise the other important aspect of gaining mass is diet, if you want to gain mass you need to go in calories efficient.
Image credit:Designed by Freepik
Barbell skull crusher
One of the best barbell exercise for training your triceps region. Skull crusher mainly targets the long head area of your triceps. When your arms are at 90 degree long head muscles stretch and break the muscle fiber to build the long head muscle of triceps.
How to perform
● You can do it on a flat bench or on a decline bench which requires advance level.
● Take the medium length barbell with sufficient weight.
● Perform the movement by keeping the barbell up straight on your head with a close hand grip. Start the movement by bringing the barbell down to the point of your forehead and push the barbell back to the top and feel the stretch.
● Do the rep range of 8 to 12 to build the mass.
Tricep cable press down
Important exercise to train lateral or outer head of your tricep. You can do this exercise with a limited weight with a full range of motion. First, you need to build muscle mind connection and, it’s where Lots of guys makes mistake in following the full motion and instead go with half motion and High weight, this form can only work for advance level. To target the lateral head and for gaining mass follow the full range of motion with moderate weight.
How to perform
● Choose the sufficient weight that you can push down while following the Full motion.
● Push the weight down without letting your elbows outside and then take all the way down to let the tricep muscle activate.
● Always do this exercise at the end of your workout routine. You can do 3 to 4 drop sets of this exercise while changing the weights at every set.
Bench dips
Exercise helps in activating the middle tricep muscle. This is a bodyweight exercise that can be done by adding weights on thighs. By performing the full range of motion from down to up you stretch the middle muscle of your triceps. Middle muscle is the smallest muscle in your triceps which helps in getting the details but neglected often by many people.
How to perform
● Take a flat bench, you can also take two flat benches where you put your hands on one and your feet on other, this movement allows you to create more tension on your middle tricep muscle.
● Perform the movement my coming down, making the 90-degree angle with your elbows and then push back up straight to the top to activate the muscle.
● This exercise is also done after performing the heavy exercises like- close grip bench press etc.
● You can add weights with plates on your thighs after achieving the intermediate level.
Editor recommendation: Kettlebell Exercises:7 Kettlebell Exercises You Need to Know
Close grip bench press
The best exercise to build tricep mass and bigger arms. Placing the hands close together by maintaining a little distance makes it hard for your triceps muscles. This exercise mainly helps in building mass as you can add weights to it accordingly and get the pump.
How to perform
● Grasp the medium length barbell with normal wright.
● Get yourself in bench press position and hold the barbell with a close grip( just as wide as your length of shoulders).
● Perform the movement by getting the weight down slowly and pushing it up straight or you can limit your elbow to little bend and perform another rep, this movement will create more tension on your tricep muscle and you will hit your failure early.
● Perform this exercise at the starting of your workout as it is a compound movement. You can also add weights as you develop the level of an intermediate.
Overhead extension
Well known exercise to every gym guy, targets long head muscle in your tricep. This exercise is great for building mass if performed correctly. Keeping the arms and elbow close to your head targets the long head muscle. One prone to perform this exercise is that you can go heavy as you build your muscle mind connection.
How to perform
● Take the single dumbbell and lift it over your hands by making the diamond hand shape.
● Bend the elbow at a 90-degree angle and then stretch out upwards to create the tension on the long head muscle.
● Include this exercise in the starting sets of your tricep workout routine. You can always go with 8 to 12 rep range for 4 sets by increasing the weight in every set.
Weighted bar dip (best triceps exercise for mass)
Great exercise for building mass but get little attention by people in the gym, great for targeting multiple muscles of triceps. Bar dip is a great exercise for getting that details, and adding weights with plates on belt attaching around your back makes it hard for your triceps, hit your failure early which helps in building mass. You can also perform this exercise at home if you have parallel bars.
How to perform
● Lift your body weight with your hands on a parallel bar and start the movement by going down and then pushing your body weight straight up.
● Keep your head straight don’t fall forward as it creates tension on your shoulders.
● You can always go with weight by adding plates after you have developed the connection.
Tricep dip machine
The best way to reach your desired goal in a sense of weight or reps, you name it this machine have it. You can also perform drop sets by adding weight at every set until hitting the failure. This machine helps in performing the right tricep movement, having the only triceps involved.
How to perform
● Do this exercise in the middle of your routine to feel the torch in your triceps.
● Always go with the full motion range to avoid the bending elbow and involvement of other muscles.
● Push the weight down with your hands on two bars. Avoid going heavy for your first set, start with low to high with a full range of motion.
