Tricep exercises, and what they hold up
The triceps are two-thirds of the upper arm and the limiting factor on most pressing lifts, but they are rarely the reason anyone trains. In a sport program they earn their volume by being the link between a strong chest and a lockout that holds.
The triceps extend the elbow, which makes them the finishing muscle in every press — bench, overhead, push-up, dip — and the muscle that locks an arm out in a fend or a punch. In a sport program they are trained both as part of heavy pressing (close-grip bench, dips, push press) and directly (extensions, pushdowns) at a smaller volume.
Train Smart programs direct tricep work alongside pressing rather than instead of it, because a press limited by the triceps is a press that stops improving.
What tricep training is for in a sport program
Heavy pressing. Close-grip bench, weighted dips and push presses load the triceps at the same time as the primary pressing muscles. This is where most of the tricep volume in a sport program comes from, and it is the most time-efficient way to get it.
Direct work. Extensions and pushdowns fill the gap for athletes whose lockout is the limiter, and for the bodybuilding and general-fitness programs where arm size is the stated goal.
Push-up progressions. In bodyweight and gymnastics programs the tricep is trained through push-up and dip variants that scale by leverage rather than load.
10 tricep movements in Train Smart
Every one of these is prescribed in at least one sport program, carries coaching cues written for the moment you are standing in front of it, and lists ranked alternatives. The sets, reps and load each is programmed at are on its own page.
Upper body
| Movement | Why it is in the program | Also trains |
|---|---|---|
| Incline DB Press | Upper strength for shielding the ball | Chest |
| Weighted Dip | Heavy pressing that loads the triceps and lower chest together | Chest |
| Bench Press | Pushing strength in contests | Chest |
| Dip — bottom stretch hold | Pec and front-shoulder length under real load — the range a press never visits and a fall or a hand-off finds immediately | Chest |
| Pike Push-Up | Overhead pressing strength for handstands | Chest |
| Push-Up | Upper strength for lifts + partner work | Chest |
| Barbell Bench Press | Primary chest mass + pressing strength | Chest |
| DB Bench Press | Upper-body pushing strength | Chest |
| DB Fly — stretch hold | Pec length at end range under load — the tissue that shortens on everyone who benches and presses | Chest |
Full body and explosive
| Movement | Why it is in the program | Also trains |
|---|---|---|
| Med Ball Chest Pass | Upper-body power with no deceleration phase — you release instead of stopping | Chest |
Which programs lean on the triceps hardest
Counted from the movements above — how many of them appear in each sport's own sessions. It is a measure of emphasis, not of importance.
| Program | Triceps movements in it |
|---|---|
| bodybuilding | 4 |
| bodyweight training | 4 |
| general fitness | 3 |
| AFL | 3 |
| soccer | 2 |
| boxing | 2 |
| MMA | 2 |
| gymnastics | 2 |
The tests that reflect tricep training
Train Smart re-runs a five-test battery every eight weeks and re-prices your training weights from the results. These are the tests in it that this work moves.
Triceps training questions
How many tricep exercises should be in a week?
What weight should I use for tricep exercises?
Can I swap one of these tricep exercises out?
Triceps work, in a program that knows where it goes
Train Smart puts these movements in the right session, at the right point in your four-week block, at a weight calculated from your own last top set — and swaps them automatically if you do not have the kit.
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