Get Stronger Arms with These Simple Bodyweight Tricep Exercises

Why bodyweight tricep exercises matter

If you want stronger, more defined arms without relying on heavy weights, bodyweight tricep exercises are your best friend. Your triceps sit on the back of your upper arms and make up about 60 to 70 percent of your upper arm muscle mass. When you train them consistently, your arms look more toned and you gain real pushing strength for everyday tasks.

You use your triceps every time you push a door open, press yourself off the floor, or lift shopping bags. Since they make up a larger muscle mass than your biceps, focusing on them is one of the most efficient ways to change how your arms look and feel.

The good news: you can train all three heads of the triceps with simple bodyweight moves at home, using only a bench, chair, wall, or floor.

Understand your triceps first

Before you start, it helps to know what you are working.

The triceps brachii has three heads:

• Long head
• Lateral head
• Medial head

Together, they:

• Extend your elbow and forearm
• Help stabilize your shoulder joint
• Support many pressing movements like pushups and dips

Because these muscles are involved in so many daily actions, strengthening them improves both appearance and function, not just gym performance.

How to structure your tricep workouts

To get the most from bodyweight tricep exercises, keep these simple guidelines in mind:

• Train triceps 2 to 3 times per week
• Pick 3 to 5 different tricep-focused movements
• Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps per exercise, depending on your level
• Rest 45 to 90 seconds between sets
• Progress over time by adding reps, slowing your tempo, or choosing harder variations

Pressing movements such as pushups and dips have been shown to activate the triceps more than many isolation moves, so they are worth including regularly.

Bench and chair tricep dips

Tricep dips are a classic bodyweight move that target the back of your arms very directly. They are also easy to set up at home with a stable chair or bench.

Why tricep dips work so well

• They place high tension on all three heads of the triceps
• They train your arms through a large range of motion
• You can modify the difficulty by changing leg position or elevation

Some research suggests that during dips, triceps activation can be nearly twice that of the chest, which makes them a top choice for tricep development.

How to do bench or chair dips

1. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench.
2. Place your hands next to your hips, fingers pointing forward, arms straight.
3. Walk your feet forward and slide your hips off the edge so your weight is on your hands and heels.
4. Keep your chest lifted and shoulders away from your ears.
5. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are about parallel to the floor.
6. Press through your palms and straighten your arms to return to the top.

Form tips to protect your shoulders

• Keep your elbows pointing straight back, not flaring out to the sides.
• Lightly retract your shoulder blades instead of letting them round forward.
• Avoid dipping too low if you feel shoulder discomfort.

You can increase difficulty by elevating your feet on another chair or surface, which raises the load on your triceps.

Sets and reps

• Beginner: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with knees bent
• Intermediate: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps with legs straight
• Advanced: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with feet elevated

Parallel bar and assisted dips

Once you feel comfortable with bench or chair dips, you can move on to full bodyweight dips on parallel bars or a sturdy dip station.

Why parallel bar dips are effective

• They heavily target the triceps while also engaging chest and shoulders
• The vertical setup allows a deeper range of motion
• Advanced variations like weighted or ring dips challenge stability and strength

To focus more on triceps than chest, keep your torso more upright and your elbows tucked close to your sides.

How to do parallel bar dips

1. Grip the parallel bars and press yourself into a support position with straight arms.
2. Keep your body fairly upright, legs slightly bent and crossed if needed.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a controlled fashion, keeping elbows close to your ribs.
4. Lower until your shoulders are slightly below your elbows, without forcing depth.
5. Press yourself back up by straightening your arms.

Easier and harder variations

Easier options:

• Assisted dip machine at a gym
• Resistance band looped under your knees for support
• Partner-assisted dips, where a partner helps lift your legs

Harder options:

• Weighted dips with a belt or dumbbell between your feet
• Ring dips, which demand more stability
• Straight bar dips, performed on a single bar in front of you

Programming suggestion

• 2 times per week
• 3 sets of 4 to 8 reps if using extra weight
• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps if using assistance

Diamond pushups for intense tricep activation

Diamond pushups are a powerful variation of the classic pushup. By bringing your hands close together into a diamond shape, you shift more of the work to your triceps.

What makes diamond pushups special

Narrow hand placement increases triceps activation compared to standard pushups. A 2016 study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that narrow pushups, similar to diamond pushups, lead to higher activation of the triceps and some shoulder muscles compared with wider hand positions.

The American Council on Exercise has also ranked diamond pushups as one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for activating all three tricep heads. Peloton experts note that the diamond position emphasizes elbow extension, which is the main job of your triceps, and also calls on the deltoids and trapezius for stability.

How to do diamond pushups

1. Start in a plank position with your hands under your chest.
2. Bring your hands together so your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, core engaged.
4. Bend your elbows, keeping them close to your body, and lower your chest toward your hands.
5. Lightly touch your chest to your hands or get as close as you comfortably can.
6. Push back up to the starting position.

Modifications and progressions

Easier:

• Drop to your knees while keeping the diamond hand position.
• Place your hands on an elevated surface like a bench, counter, or wall.

Harder:

• Elevate your feet on a step or bench.
• Slow the lowering phase to 3 seconds and pause at the bottom for 1 second.

Sets and reps

• Beginner: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps on knees or incline
• Intermediate: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on the floor
• Advanced: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps with feet elevated or slower tempo

Close grip pushups for functional strength

Close grip pushups are another tricep focused variation that also trains your chest, shoulders, and core.

Why close grip pushups help your triceps

• Hands just inside shoulder width increase tension on the triceps
• The movement pattern carries over to functional pushing tasks
• They are easy to scale up or down by changing angle and tempo

How to do close grip pushups

1. Set up in a high plank with your hands slightly closer than shoulder width.
2. Tuck your elbows close to your ribs instead of flaring out.
3. Engage your core and keep your body straight.
4. Lower your chest toward the floor, stopping just before you touch down.
5. Press through your palms to return to the top.

Variations for every level

• Wall or counter pushups for beginners
• Standard floor pushups for intermediate trainees
• Decline pushups with elevated feet for advanced lifters

These can be swapped in for diamond pushups if your wrists feel uncomfortable in the diamond position.

Bodyweight tricep extensions

Bodyweight tricep extensions mimic a skull crusher style movement without weights. They are great for isolating the triceps while also engaging your core.

Benefits of bodyweight tricep extensions

• Target all three tricep heads through elbow extension
• Create strong mechanical tension, especially in the lowering phase
• Help improve joint stability in the shoulders
• Require minimal equipment and are easy to modify

How to do bodyweight tricep extensions

You can use a sturdy surface like a bench, box, or even a wall.

1. Place your hands on the surface with arms straight, slightly narrower than shoulder width.
2. Step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels at a diagonal.
3. Keeping your body rigid, bend only at the elbows and lower your head and chest toward your hands or the surface.
4. Stop when your head passes your hands and your elbows are bent deeply.
5. Push through your hands and straighten your elbows to return to the start.

To make the exercise harder, place your hands lower and your feet farther back. To make it easier, use a higher surface.

Sets and reps

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps for most levels
• Slow down the lowering phase to increase difficulty and muscle tension

Pike pushups to hit the long head

Pike pushups are often seen as a shoulder exercise. However, because your arms are overhead, they challenge the long head of your triceps in a unique way.

Why pike pushups help your triceps

• Arms are positioned overhead, which places more emphasis on the long head of the triceps
• The movement demands shoulder and core stability
• Elevating your feet increases the load on the triceps and shoulders

How to do pike pushups

1. Start in a downward dog like position with your hips raised and your body forming an inverted V.
2. Place your hands shoulder width apart and your feet about hip width apart.
3. Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward the floor between your hands.
4. Press through your palms and straighten your arms to return to the start.

To intensify, elevate your feet on a box or bench and slow down the descent.

Time under tension and tempo tricks

You do not always need more reps to make bodyweight tricep exercises harder. Adjusting tempo and time under tension can create new challenges.

Simple ways to increase difficulty

Try this pattern for many tricep moves:

• 3 seconds to lower
• 1 second pause at the hardest point
• 3 seconds to press back up

Aim for 40 to 70 seconds of continuous tension per set. For example, 8 slow reps at 6 to 7 seconds per rep will put you in that range and can significantly increase muscle fatigue and growth without any added weight.

Sample bodyweight tricep workout you can try

Here is a simple routine that targets all three heads of your triceps from different angles.

Beginner friendly routine

Perform 2 to 3 times per week:

1. Wall or counter close grip pushups

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

1. Bench or chair dips (knees bent)

• 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

1. Incline bodyweight tricep extensions (hands on wall or high surface)

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

1. Kneeling diamond pushups

• 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps

Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Focus on smooth, controlled movement rather than rushing.

Intermediate routine

1. Close grip pushups on floor

• 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

1. Bench or chair dips with legs straight

• 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

1. Bodyweight tricep extensions on a bench or low box

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, slow tempo

1. Diamond pushups on floor

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Optional: add pike pushups for 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps at the end.

Advanced routine

1. Feet elevated close grip pushups

• 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

1. Parallel bar dips, weighted if possible

• 3 sets of 4 to 8 reps

1. Decline or low surface tricep extensions

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 slow tempo reps

1. Feet elevated diamond pushups

• 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

1. Pike pushups with feet elevated

• 2 sets of 6 to 10 reps

Keep rest periods around 60 to 90 seconds and focus on quality over quantity.

When to consider coaching support

If you are new to upper body training or have a history of shoulder or elbow discomfort, having a professional watch your form can make a big difference. A personal instructor can:

• Help you select the right progressions and regressions
• Ensure your shoulders stay safe during dips and pushups
• Design a full body plan that balances triceps with chest, back, and biceps work

In many boot camp style studios, coaches guide you through these bodyweight tricep exercises as part of a larger routine so you are never guessing about form or volume.

Putting it all together

You do not need a gym membership or heavy equipment to build stronger, more defined arms. With a mix of:

• Tricep dips (bench, chair, or parallel bars)
• Diamond and close grip pushups
• Bodyweight tricep extensions
• Pike pushups and smart tempo work

you can challenge all three heads of your triceps using only your bodyweight.

Start by picking three exercises that feel approachable today. Aim for two tricep focused sessions this week, track your reps, and focus on steady progress. Over time you will notice everyday pushing tasks feel easier and your arms look more sculpted, all from a routine you can do at home.

About the Author

BodyBalanceQuest.com

Administrator

Visit Website View All Posts