Arm extensors
Triceps brachii
Musculus triceps brachii
The triceps brachii is the large muscle on the back of the upper arm and the main muscle used to straighten the elbow.
At a glance
- Region
- Upper arm
- Movement pattern
- Pressing and elbow-extension movements
- Joint
- Elbow and shoulder joints
Exercises
Exercises for the triceps
Stable parallel bars or dip station; bodyweight
Parallel-bar dips
Lowering and raising your body between parallel bars trains the chest and triceps. A slight forward lean involves the chest.
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Assisted dip machine with knee pad
Machine-assisted dips
A counterweighted knee pad supports the body during dips so that chest and triceps work against an adjustable share of bodyweight.
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Long resistance band · Foot anchor
Single-arm band overhead triceps extension
Extend one elbow overhead against a light band while keeping the upper arm steady.
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One dumbbell · Standing
Two-hand dumbbell overhead triceps extension
Hold one dumbbell with both hands and straighten the elbows overhead while the upper arms remain steady.
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Dumbbell · Bench
Single-arm dumbbell triceps kickback
Support one hand on a bench, hold the upper arm beside the torso, and straighten only the elbow.
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No equipment · Floor
Close-grip knee push-up
A knee-supported push-up with the elbows close to the torso adds a bodyweight pressing option for the triceps.
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Barbell · Flat bench and rack
Close-grip bench press
A shoulder-width grip adds a pressing exercise for the triceps, chest and front shoulders.
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Machine · High cable pulley and rope
Rope triceps pushdown
Straighten your elbows against the high cable while keeping your upper arms beside your torso.
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Machine · Cable pulley and rope
Overhead cable triceps extension
An overhead arm position offers a cable variation of the triceps extension.
View techniqueExercise suggestions for this muscle are being prepared.
Understand the muscle
Three heads, one common tendon at the elbow
The long, lateral, and medial heads begin at different points on the shoulder blade and upper-arm bone. They join into one tendon that attaches to the olecranon at the elbow.
Head that crosses the shoulder
Long head
Caput longumIt begins below the shoulder socket, crosses both shoulder and elbow, and also assists with moving the upper arm backward.
Exercises for this region
Outer visible portion
Lateral head
Caput lateraleIt begins high on the back of the upper-arm bone and forms much of the outer contour of the triceps.
Exercises for this region
Deeper portion
Medial head
Caput medialeIt begins lower on the back of the upper-arm bone and lies largely beneath the other two heads.
Exercises for this region
The listed exercises involve this region alongside other parts of the muscle. A muscle head or deep portion is not necessarily trained in isolation.
Simply explained
What does the muscle do?
In simple terms, the triceps straightens your arm and supports many pressing movements.
Straighten your elbow
Elbow extension
The forearm moves away from the upper arm. All three triceps heads contribute during extensions and pressing movements.
Move the upper arm backward
Shoulder extension
Because the long head begins on the shoulder blade, it can assist when the upper arm moves behind the torso.
Often works with
Sources & illustrations
Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.
- PureGym · Chest Dips
- Life Fitness · Insignia Series Assist Dip Chin
- TheraGear · Overhead Extension with Fit Band or Fit Tube
- StatPearls / NCBI · Triceps anatomy
- ACE · Triceps Extension
- ACE · Triceps Kickback
- ACE · Push-Up
- PureGym · Close Grip Bench Press
- PureGym · Tricep Pushdowns
- PureGym · Overhead Tricep Extensions