These are the top 5 tricep exercises that gave me diamond-shaped triceps

The tricep consists primarily of three tendons: the lateral, long, and medial heads. Since it covers the majority of your arms, building strong triceps gives you an edge in overall arm size and strength.

1. The Dumbell Overhead Extension

Target: This exercise places pressure on all three heads of the tricep.

Chest and Shoulder Placement: Make sure to keep your chest out. Your chest and shoulders will automatically be pulled back with the weight of the dumbbell. Make sure the contraction remains on the tricep on the way down.

Elbow close to your head: Ensure that your elbow is as close to your head as possible to apply maximum pressure with the dumbbell. It is better to lift a lighter weight with a full range of motion than to lift a heavier weight and injure yourself.

Bench placement: Make sure to place the bench in an upright position to isolate the entire tricep. Eliminating the bench puts pressure on the back, and if you’re performing this exercise without a belt, you can injure yourself.

Click here to see a short video of this exercise.

2. Tricep Kickbacks

Target: This offers maximum contraction, especially on the long head of the triceps.

One Arm vs Both: It’s better to isolate each arm during this exercise as doing both may lead to a compromise in form.

Leaning Forward vs Standing Straight: You may lean forward with your chest out and shoulders pushed back or you may perform the same standing up (click here to see the form) but make sure the long head receives maximum contraction in both methods.

Lock your elbows: Lock your elbows to your sides. Do not swing your arms.

Dumbbell vs. Cable: The cable makes for an effective range of motion as opposed to the dumbbells where both the triceps are not moving uniformly. There is also the advantage of the cable where the triceps are constantly under pressure.

Click here for a short video on the dumbbell tricep kickback.

Click here for a short video on the cable tricep kickback.

3. Dips

Target: This exercise trains all three heads of the tricep.

Grip: If the dip machine is available at the gym. You want to place the parallel bars wider to target your lower chest muscles (click here to know 5 of the best exercises to grow your chest) and narrower for your triceps.

Click here to see the wider grip of the dip targeting the lower chest.

Click here to see the narrower grip of the dip targeting the triceps.

Depth: In both variations, go as low as possible but not so low that you collapse your shoulders. Pressure should remain on the respective muscles based on both variations. Aim for a 90-degree or a near 90-degree angle.

You may also use assistance with the parallel dip machine provided your gym possesses one.

4. Cable Pushdowns

Target: Trains all three heads but targets the lateral and medial heads more.

Chest, Shoulder, and Elbow Placement: Make sure your chest is out and your shoulders are pushed backward. Lock your elbows to your sides. It’s fine if your elbow moves slightly.

Standing Straight vs. Leaning: Standing straight compromises the weight placed on the triceps. Leaning slightly forward creates the maximum effective load. This ensures that the weight is lifted and dropped adequately to enable a satisfactory contraction downwards and an effective stretch upwards. It allows for a full range of motion.

With a Straight Bar vs. a Rope: The straight bar ensures that the triceps are extended uniformly instead of the rope where the alignment between both triceps is compromised. However, I have seen better growth with the rope if you manage to perfect the alignment.

Click here to see the cable pushdown with a rope.

Click here to see the cable pushdown with the straight bar.

5. Skull crushers

Target: This exercise targets the entire tricep

Elbow Placement: Do not place the elbows at a 90-degree angle as this places tension on the latissimus dorsi or the lats. You want to place your elbows slightly at an angle closer to your head to ensure maximum load on the triceps. Make sure you lock your elbows to a position closer to your head and don’t swing the bar.

Dumbells, Ezee bar, straight bar, or Swiss bar: I believe you may begin with the Swiss bar as this gives the best advantage when it comes to form. The straight or Ezee bar tends to slip from your hands if you’re not used to the form. You don’t want to crush your skull, quite literally.  Dumbbells suffer from the same subject of alignment when both hands are not in tandem while in movement.

Click here to see how skull crushers are done.

Each exercise should be performed for two to three sets. All may not have to be performed on one day and can be divided into two days in the week. It would be best if you were aiming for 9-10 sets per day. Nothing more. The gold standard for the rep range is 8-15 reps. If you’re lifting heavy, you’ll probably go for fewer reps or you may choose a lighter weight and increase the number of reps. The choice is yours.