Master Your Gains With the Best Advanced Tricep Workout

Understand what makes an advanced tricep workout

If you are looking for an advanced tricep workout, you are probably past basic pushdowns and ready for more targeted programming. At this stage, your results depend less on discovering a “magic move” and more on how you structure your training across the week.

Advanced tricep training usually means:

You already lift consistently.
You can perform compound presses with solid form.
Simple 3-sets-of-10 routines are no longer producing much progress.

To move the needle again, you need to think in terms of:

Volume: how many hard sets you do.
Frequency: how often you train triceps.
Exercise selection: how you hit each tricep head.
Intensity techniques: how you push close to your limits without burning out.

The research you will see here comes from established strength and bodybuilding sources, including updated guidance from Gymshark in 2024 on tricep hypertrophy and advanced programming.

Know your triceps and why they matter

Your triceps are not just a “finishing move” for arm day. They play a big role in both how your arms look and how strong your presses are.

The three heads of the triceps

The triceps brachii has three heads that all extend your elbow:

Long head
Runs along the back of your upper arm.
Largest head and a major contributor to overall arm size.
Responds best to exercises where your arm is overhead or in a lengthened position, such as overhead extensions and skull crushers.
Lateral head
Sits on the outer side of your arm.
Creates that visible “horseshoe” shape.
Works hard in pressing and pushdown-style movements with elbows tucked.
Medial head
Smaller, lies deeper under the other heads.
Important for elbow stability and lockout strength.
Involved in almost all tricep work, especially in higher rep ranges.

Multiple sources emphasize that the triceps account for about two-thirds of your upper arm mass, so if you want bigger arms, prioritizing triceps is crucial, as highlighted in the 2019 and 2024 Gymshark articles.

Why advanced tricep work is worth it

Dialing in your tricep training helps you:

Add noticeable size to your upper arms.
Improve pressing strength in bench press and push-ups.
Support performance in sports that involve throwing, swinging, or striking.
Protect your elbows through stronger, more stable extension.

You are not just chasing a pump. You are building strength and size that carry over into almost every upper body movement.

Set your training guidelines first

Before you pick exercises, it helps to know how often and how much to train your triceps each week, especially once you are in the “advanced” bucket.

Weekly frequency and volume

Research-backed recommendations for hypertrophy-focused tricep work suggest:

Frequency:
Train triceps 2 to 4 times per week.
Most lifters do well at 2 or 3 sessions, depending on how much pressing they already do for chest and shoulders.
Weekly sets:
Aim for 12 to 28 hard sets per week for triceps, depending on your experience and recovery.
For advanced lifters, a practical range is 14 to 20 hard sets split over several days.

A common approach used in advanced programming is to start at your Minimum Effective Volume (MEV), about 6 to 8 sets per week, and gradually work up toward your Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV), about 14 to 20 sets. When recovery starts to slip, you pull back for a deload week.

Rep ranges that hit growth from all angles

Your triceps respond well to a mix of rep ranges:

Heavy: 5 to 10 reps
Moderate: 10 to 20 reps
Light: 20 to 30 reps

A balanced advanced plan often looks like:

Around 50% of your sets in the moderate range, which blends tension, pump, and joint friendliness.
About 25% in the heavy range for strength and dense muscle.
About 25% in the light range for metabolic stress, especially in isolation work and finishers.

Gymshark’s 2024 guidance also notes that the classic 8 to 12 rep range at 60 to 80% of your one-rep max is excellent for hypertrophy, particularly if you keep adding small overloads over time.

Exercise categories you should cover

To build a complete advanced tricep workout, include at least two of these categories each week, and ideally all three over time:

Compound presses

Examples: close-grip bench press, dips, diamond push-ups.
Great for loading the triceps heavily and improving pressing power.

Horizontal or standing extensions

Examples: skull crushers, lying tricep extensions, cable pushdowns.
Let you isolate triceps with good tension and control.

Overhead extensions

Examples: overhead dumbbell extension, cable overhead extension.
Put the long head in a stretched position, which is very effective for growth.

A well-rounded week will touch all three, with a particular emphasis on overhead and lengthened-position work to fully stimulate the long head.

Use the six key advanced tricep exercises

Several sources converge on a short list of “big hitter” exercises for advanced tricep work. These moves target all three heads and allow for progressive overload and strategic intensity.

Here are six to prioritize in your programming:

Overhead tricep extension

Target: Long head, plus overall triceps.
Why it works: Puts the long head in a lengthened position, which is especially powerful for hypertrophy.
Variations: Seated or standing, with one or two dumbbells, or cable.

Skull crushers / lying tricep extensions

Target: Long head with strong involvement from the other heads.
Why they stand out: They stretch the long head and allow progressive overload with an EZ bar, barbell, or dumbbells. Many advanced programs consider lying tricep extensions one of the best mass builders because they hit the long head hard and are joint-friendly when performed with proper elbow angle.

Tricep dips

Target: All three heads with extra long-head and lateral-head loading.
Why they work: Let you use bodyweight or added weight, and challenge lockout strength.
Progressions: Add weight with a belt, slow the tempo, or use less assistance.

Tricep pushdowns

Target: Lateral and medial heads primarily.
Why they help: Easy on the elbows and great for higher volume, pump-focused work.
Limitation to know: They do not stretch the long head as much, so they are best used alongside overhead and lying extension work, not as your only tricep exercise.

Close-grip bench press

Target: Triceps plus chest and shoulders.
Why it is useful: Lets you handle heavy loads, helps bench strength, and trains the triceps in a compound, press-specific pattern.
Caveat: Some load shifts to chest and shoulders, and it does not stretch the long head much. Use it as a strength anchor, not your sole hypertrophy tool.

Diamond push-ups

Target: Triceps heavily, plus chest and serratus.
Why you might use them: Great bodyweight option, easy to include in home workouts, and ideal for higher-rep or burnout sets.

Used in combination, these cover your heavy strength work, your long-head stretch work, and your pump-style isolation.

Build an advanced tricep workout (3-day template)

You can plug these principles into many different plans. Below is a three-day-per-week tricep template you can adapt to your current routine. It assumes you already train chest and shoulders, so you will keep volume realistic.

You will work triceps 3 times per week, with 48 to 72 hours between direct tricep sessions as recommended in advanced programming guides.

Day 1: Heavy strength and long-head focus

Goal: Load triceps heavy and hit the long head in a stretched position.

Close-grip bench press

4 sets of 5 to 8 reps
Rest 2 to 3 minutes
Focus on keeping elbows tucked and bar path controlled.

Lying tricep extensions (EZ bar or dumbbells)

3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Rest 90 to 120 seconds
Angle your elbows slightly back, about 20 to 30 degrees from vertical, to reduce elbow stress and keep tension on the triceps.

Cable tricep pushdowns

3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Rest 60 to 90 seconds
Stop shy of painful lockout. Aim for a controlled squeeze at the bottom.

Optional finisher:

1 lengthened partial set on lying extensions
15 to 20 partial reps in the stretched bottom half of the movement with light weight

Day 2: High-rep isolation and pump work

Goal: Create metabolic stress and focus on form, control, and full range of motion.

Overhead cable or dumbbell tricep extension

3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
Rest 60 to 90 seconds
Think of stretching the triceps at the bottom, then driving the weight up without flaring elbows.

Tricep pushdowns

3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Rest 60 seconds
Light to moderate load, smooth tempo, full elbow bend and extension.

Diamond push-ups

3 sets to near failure
Rest 60 to 90 seconds
If regular reps are easy, elevate your feet or slow the eccentric.

Optional intensity technique:

Last set of pushdowns, use a drop set.
Do 12 to 15 reps to failure, then reduce weight by about 20 to 30 percent, then continue immediately for as many controlled reps as you can.

Day 3: Mixed intensity and pre-exhaust strategy

Goal: Break plateaus by fatiguing the triceps first, then finishing with a compound.

Skull crushers

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Rest 90 seconds
Keep upper arms stable, lower the bar or dumbbells behind your head to stretch the long head.

Pre-exhaust pairing

Pick a pushdown variation and a compound press or dip.
Perform:
- 1 set of 20 to 30 reps of pushdowns (isolation)
- Immediately, with less than 2 seconds rest, go into
- 1 set of dips or close-grip bench press at about 50 percent of your usual working weight, to near failure.
Rest 2 to 3 minutes, then repeat for 2 to 3 total pairings.

Overhead dumbbell extension (single arm)

2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per arm
Rest 60 to 90 seconds
Focus on a stable torso and a deep stretch behind the head.

Pre-exhaust work like this forces your triceps to fatigue before chest and shoulders can take over, which can be very effective when you feel “stuck” using standard routines.

Progress your advanced tricep plan over time

Once you have a structure in place, the real magic comes from how you progress and rotate your training.

Use smart volume progression

Advanced programs often use a mesocycle approach:

Week 1: Start at or near your MEV

For example, 8 to 10 working sets across the week.

Weeks 2 to 4 (or 5): Gradually increase volume

Add 1 to 2 sets per week, as long as you are recovering.
You might build up to 14 to 18 sets per week, approaching MRV.

Deload week:

Cut sets roughly in half and reduce load slightly.
This helps you shed fatigue and set up your next cycle.

Throughout this process, track your reps in reserve (RIR), or how many more reps you could have done with perfect form. Spending most of your working sets in the 1 to 3 RIR range keeps effort high without grinding you into the floor.

Apply progressive overload without wrecking your joints

You do not have to add weight every session. Rotate your overload methods:

Add 2.5 to 5 pounds to key lifts when you can complete the top of your rep range for all sets with solid form.
Add 1 or 2 reps per set at the same weight.
Shorten rest times slightly on lighter, pump-focused work.
Swap grips or angles occasionally to keep your joints happy, such as rope pushdowns instead of straight-bar.

Rotate changes gradually. Stability in your exercise selection for 6 to 8 weeks makes it easier to track real progress.

Use advanced intensity techniques carefully

As an advanced trainee, you can use a few high-intensity methods to get more from the same time investment, as long as you apply them sparingly and with control.

Drop sets

After reaching technical failure on a set, reduce the weight by about 20 to 30 percent and immediately continue for more reps.
Best for: pushdowns, overhead cable extensions, or dumbbell extensions.
Use them: on the last set of an exercise, 1 or 2 times per workout.

Rest-pause training

Perform a set to near failure, rest 15 to 30 seconds, then do another mini-set with the same weight. You can repeat this 2 or 3 times.
Best for: moderately heavy pushdowns, skull crushers, or machine extensions.
Keep reps controlled so you are not sacrificing elbow safety.

Cluster sets

Break a heavy set into mini-sets. For example, instead of 1 set of 10, do 4 mini-sets of 3 reps with 15 to 20 seconds between each.
Best for: close-grip bench, heavy dips, or lying extensions.

Research suggests these methods can produce equal or even superior strength and hypertrophy in less time compared with traditional straight sets, provided you still manage overall volume and recovery.

You do not need to use all of them in every workout. Treat them like seasoning, not the main course.

Make the most of lengthened-partial work

One of the more interesting findings for advanced tricep training is the benefit of lengthened partial reps, especially for the long head.

How lengthened partials work

You perform partial reps only in the stretched portion of the movement.
For triceps, this usually means the bottom half of an overhead extension or lying extension.

Why they help:

Training a muscle in its lengthened position appears to stimulate hypertrophy effectively, especially for the long head of the triceps.
Some guidance suggests growth can be noticeably faster compared with neutral arm positions, especially when you are already experienced and regular training has plateaued.

How to apply them safely:

Use light to moderate loads.
Try 1 set of 15 to 20 lengthened partials after you complete your full-range sets on overhead or lying extensions.
Focus on control, with no bouncing or yanking from the shoulders.

You can add this technique once or twice a week on your long-head-focused movements.

Avoid common advanced tricep mistakes

Once you are lifting heavier and training more often, small mistakes add up and can blunt your progress or irritate your joints.

Going too heavy and swinging the weight

If you find yourself using your shoulders, back, or hips to move the weight, your triceps are no longer the main workers.

To fix this:

Reduce the load so you can control the lowering and lifting phases.
Stabilize your upper arm and keep the motion at the elbow.
Use a slight pause at the bottom to keep tension on the triceps.

Cutting range of motion short

Half reps on pushdowns, skull crushers, or extensions reduce how much muscle you recruit and how much growth stimulus you get.

For most sets:

Let your elbows bend deeply, feeling a stretch without pain.
Extend until your arm is straight but with a soft lock, not a harsh snap at the elbow.

Locking out hard and stressing the elbows

Slamming into lockout on every rep shifts stress from the muscle to the joint.

You can protect your elbows by:

Finishing each rep with a gentle lock rather than a snap.
Using a slightly back-angled elbow position on lying extensions to keep tension in the triceps and reduce joint compression.
Rotating in joint-friendly grips, such as EZ bars and ropes.

Relying only on presses

Big pressing movements are valuable, but they often spread the load across your chest and shoulders. If you only bench and do regular push-ups, your triceps will likely lag.

Pair your pressing with:

At least one overhead extension each week for long-head stretch.
At least one isolation movement, such as pushdowns or skull crushers.

This combination is what turns work into visible growth across all three tricep heads.

Sample weekly structure to tie it together

Here is how you might place tricep work in a broader program that already includes chest and shoulder training.

Day	Main focus	Tricep work example
Mon	Upper body push	Close-grip bench, lying extensions
Tue	Lower body	Optional light pushdowns (or rest triceps)
Wed	Upper body pull	No direct triceps
Thu	Upper body mix	Overhead extensions, diamond push-ups
Fri	Lower body	No direct triceps
Sat	Arms / accessories	Skull crushers, pushdowns with drop set
Sun	Rest	Full recovery

You can adjust the days to fit your schedule, but try to:

Keep at least 48 hours between heavy tricep sessions.
Spread your total weekly sets across 2 to 4 days.
Anchor one day in heavier work and one in more isolation and pump work.

Putting your advanced tricep workout into action

To master your gains with an advanced tricep workout, focus less on inventing new exercises and more on:

Training triceps 2 to 4 times per week with 12 to 20+ hard sets spread intelligently.
Prioritizing long-head stretch work like overhead and lying extensions.
Mixing compound presses with isolation moves in different rep ranges.
Using drop sets, rest-pause, clusters, pre-exhaust, and lengthened partials thoughtfully, not constantly.
Protecting your elbows with good form, soft lockouts, and controlled tempo.

Start by choosing one of the example structures here, track your lifts for at least 8 to 12 weeks, and adjust volume slowly. With consistent effort and smart progressions, your triceps can catch up to your ambition and your arms will show it.