Long Head Triceps Exercises to Build Bigger Arms

The long head of the triceps brachii muscle is one of the three heads that make up the triceps muscle, located at the back of the upper arm.

Strengthening the long head of the triceps is essential for overall arm strength and stability. Incorporating specific exercises targeting the long head of the triceps into your workout routine can help you achieve better muscle definition and strength.

Many individuals care to concentrate on building their biceps for aesthetically attractive arms. While strengthening the triceps is a smart move, don’t forget about this muscle because it adds something special to the way your upper body looks. Your upper arm is composed of at least two-thirds of your triceps. These muscles help to perform daily activities.

Introduction

The medial head, lateral head, and long head are the three components that make up the triceps, also referred to as the triceps brachii. All three muscles play an important role in aiding with elbow flexion and elbow extension while providing support to the elbow joint.

Developing a powerful and symmetrical upper arm can be achieved by using all three tricep muscle heads through specific exercises. The largest of the three is the tricep muscle’s long head. Gaining strength and bulking up your muscles requires an understanding of the long-head tricep muscle.

Tricep Anatomy

The triceps are situated at the back of the humerus, between your elbow and shoulder, and consist of three muscle heads long, medial, and lateral.

Lateral Head

The lateral head of the triceps is found on the exterior side of the humerus. This is the horseshoe form that shows on the upper part of the back of your arm.

Medial Head

The medial head of the triceps is located in the middle of the back portion of the upper arm. It rests across from the long head, rising from the humerus and ending at the elbow.

Long Head

The long head of the triceps is the greatest region of your triceps and is located running down the back of your arm. The long head is different from the medial and lateral heads, as it intersects the shoulder joint and assists in shoulder extension.

While it is important to know where each is located on your arm, it is vital you know how nicely to target each of the tricep heads. The majority of the mass in your triceps is made up of the long head, which is our main area of concentration.

What Is The Long Head Of The Triceps?

Together, the triceps’ three heads provide the arm with more strength and stability. At the elbow joint, the triceps attach to the shoulder and elbow joints, acting as an extensor for the forearm muscle.

The medial head of the triceps is the primary muscle involved in this movement, which is significant to notice. Shoulder extension and adduction are somewhat assisted by the long head’s connection to the shoulder joint.

Part of the muscle that resembles a horseshoe is the triceps’ long head. It is the most noticeable of the three heads. Despite coming from various locations at the shoulder, all three heads end up joining together at the elbow to form a single tendon. 

The long head also helps to stabilize the adducted humerus at the shoulder joint. Several exercises work the long head more effectively when working out your triceps.

These exercises are challenging but are worth it for overall arm growth. You can effectively put additional focus on the long head by positioning your upper arm differently when exercising.

Why It is Important To Work Out The Long Head Of The Triceps Muscle?

While all triceps heads work jointly in most exercises, it is the triceps long head that you put on a show.

• The long head of the tricep muscle is reliable for shoulder and elbow extension, making it an essential muscle to target for overall upper limb strength and activities.
• A well-defined and toned upper arm can be attributed to a well-developed long head.
• Working on the long head in particular will assist in producing better balance and symmetry in the tricep muscle group, resulting in a more desirable appearance, as it is one of the muscle’s three heads.
• Overall, there are several practical and visual advantages to working the long head of the tricep muscle.
• It supplies the majority of the strength and is the largest and most noticeable of the tricep heads. For this reason, it is an essential part of total pushing power.
• Train your head as well as the whole triceps if you want to have high pushing strength. 

How Do You Isolate A Long Head Tricep?

It is possible to isolate the long head of the tricep muscle by utilizing resistance, appropriate methods, and exercise selection.

Here are a few suggestions on how to isolate the long head of the tricep:

1. Exercise selection: Preferred shoulder extension exercises consisting of lying tricep extensions, overhead extensions, and single-arm overhead extensions. The long head of the tricep is heavily stressed in these movements.
2. Proper form: To concentrate on particular muscle groups during activities, appropriate form must be maintained. To maximize the activation of the long head, hold the shoulders back and down and the elbows tucked in tight to the body when executing long head targeting activities.
3. Resistance: Isolating the long head needs the use of resistance, such as weight or resistance bands. To maintain pushing the muscle and encourage growth, progressive overload—slowly raising the resistance over time can be incorporated.
4. Emphasize the eccentric portion: The eccentric stage of activity is when the muscle contracts under tension; this is often the most difficult component of the training and can be a great way of separating a particular muscle.
5. Mind-muscle connection: During your workout, it’s crucial to concentrate on the muscle you’re attempting to isolate because doing so might help to raise muscle activation.

Best Long Head Triceps Exercises

We talked about the significance and purpose of the tricep muscle’s long head as well as the range of advantages that may be obtained by focusing on it.

We will now discuss the greatest workouts for developing long-head muscle mass and strength, which can be divided into two categories: isolation exercises for maximum growth and compound exercises for maximum strength.

Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond is a great option for anyone looking for a compound long-head tricep workout that works all the tricep heads. An excellent foundational exercise, to begin with, is the push-up.

Push-ups that form a diamond or triangle beneath your chest by bringing your hands too close together are known as triangle push-ups or diamond push-ups.

How To Do

• Place your hands together beneath your chest and lie down on the ground. Put your thumbs and index fingers in a diamond formation, contacting each other.
• Now raise your body and make a straight line from your head to your feet by extending your arms.
• While maintaining a flat back and avoiding flaring your elbows out to the sides, lower your chest towards your hands.
• Push yourself back up to the beginning position, stopping just before your chest reaches the floor.

Tips

• Maintain your body straight and rigid.
• to do this exercise easily do it on your knees.

Kneeling Bodyweight Triceps Extension

One of the best triceps workouts to work your triceps brachii without the use of dumbbells, barbells, or weight machines is kneeling bodyweight triceps extension.

For people with little upper body strength, it’s a great beginner’s exercise that may be utilized to gradually increase strength and muscle.

How To Do

• Place your hands together beneath your chest and get on all fours.
• Place your elbows shoulder-width apart on the ground.
• Bend forward so that your elbows are supporting the weight of your body. breathe out when you stretch your elbows to raise your body off the floor.
• Breathe in as you bend your elbows to return to the beginning position.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked into your body. Do not flare them out.
• If you are suffering from pain in your wrists, please don’t do this exercise.

One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension

A single-joint exercise that works the triceps and improves stability in the shoulder and core areas is the one-arm dumbbell overhead triceps extension.

It is also beneficial to perform the exercise one arm at a time since this provides for a wider range of motion and concentrates on flawless form in that one arm. This exercise is a must-have for your long-head triceps training.

How To Do

• Holding a dumbbell above with your right hand, stand shoulder-width apart.
• Using an overhand grip, hold it straight overhead with your palm facing ahead.
• Lower the dumbbell behind your head and towards your left shoulder, keeping your upper arm directly next to your head, until your elbow is at a 90-degree angle.
• Lift it back up to full arm extension after that.

Tips

• There should be controlled weight movement.
• Throughout the exercise, the chin should be parallel to the floor and the core braced.
• As much as you can, keep your upper arms stationary and let your forearms propel the action.

Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension

This is a very effective exercise for strengthening the triceps. It uses all three heads of the triceps, it mainly focuses on the long head of the triceps.

How To Do

• Seat on a low-back bench and extend a barbell overhead, keeping it with a shoulder-width grip.
• Hold your upper arms right beside your head.
• Gradually lower the bar behind your head until your elbows form ninety-degree angles, then raise it back to full arm extension.
• Support your body and upper arms still. Only your forearms should move.
• It can be easier to use the EZ bar rather than a standard barbell.

Close-Grip Bench Press

This exercise is a variation of the bench press and an exercise used to develop muscle mass and strength in the triceps and chest.

How To Do

• To start this exercise you have to Lie flat on a bench-press bench with your feet flat on the ground. With your hands shoulder-width apart, grab the barbell with an overhand grip.
• Unrack the barbell and lower it to your lower chest. Hold your elbows as close to your sides as you can.
• At the bottom of the move, your elbows should be lower than your shoulders.
• Press the barbell back up to the beginning position.

Tips

• Utilizing anything closer than a shoulder-width grip improves triceps involvement, but can improve stress on the wrists.
• Finish this exercise in a slow and controlled movement.

Dumbbell Kick Back

The tricep dumbbell kickback is a universal and useful exercise that mainly points to the triceps muscles.

It is an isolation exercise, which suggests that, unlike other exercises such as the push-up or bench press, the tricep kickback specifically targets the triceps muscle.

How To Do

• Put your right knee and palm on a flat bench so that your trunk is parallel to the ground.
• Grab a dumbbell in the left hand and maintaining the left foot flat on the base, press your left arm tight against your side with the upper arms parallel to the base.
• stretch at the elbow until your arm is straight back and fully extended.
• Flex the triceps hard for a second, then return to the initial position.
• Complete 10 to 15 repetitions on the left arm and then do on the right arm.

Tips

• Hold your body as stable as possible, move only your forearms. 
• Keep control of the weight as you gradually lower down the dumbbells back to the initial position.

Two Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

The seated dumbbell overhead tricep extension is a wonderful movement that builds optimal muscle and strength in all three heads of the tricep muscle. This is mainly performed to target the long head of the triceps muscle.

Having a larger and denser long head will give you the overall appearance of a larger tricep.

How To Do

• grab one side of the dumbbell with both hands while sitting on the bench or stand straight.
• Keeping your upper arms beside your head, raise the dumbbell above your head such that the arms are fully extended and the weight of the dumbbell sits in the palms.
• The upper arms should remain fixed and the movement should come from the forearms. You can keep a large stretch in the triceps.
• When the elbows have got their maximum range of motion, push up through the triceps and extend the arms back to the initial position.

Tips

• Maintain the head in a fairly neutral position, do not allow the neck to jut forward, as this may put excessive pressure on the cervical spine.
• Weight should move in a controlled manner.
• The chin should remain parallel to the floor and the core engaged 
• throughout the exercise.

Rope Triceps Extension

This activity is used to build the muscles of the triceps. Well-built triceps also have many approving carryovers into your pressing movements, such as bench press variations and shoulder press variations.

How To Do

• Take a standing position with shoulder-width apart, and face a high pulley machine enabled with a rope attachment.
• Hold the ends of the rope so that your palms are facing inward and your elbows are by your waistline.
• Maintaining your body fixed, breathe out as you lower the rope by completely extending your arms until they are straight down by your sides.
• Hold the rope for a moment and then return it to the initial position.

Tips

• Utilize only your forearms as you lift and lower the rope.
• Standing erect with the spine straight is the standard position.
• Tighten your triceps as you lower the rope.

Lying Triceps Extension

This is one of the most suitable tricep-building exercises. This exercise is another great choice that will assist you in targeting the long head of the tricep and growing your arms. This is an isolation exercise to strengthen the triceps muscle group in the upper arm.

A broad grip emphasizes the inner tricep (long head), whereas a little grip targets the outer tricep (lateral head).

How To Do

• Place your feet on the floor and lie down on a level bench.
• With your arms fully stretched, hold a barbell over your chest.
• Lower your lower arms slowly until the bar reaches your forehead while holding your upper arms in place, then raise it back up.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Minimize the amount that your shoulders move. You should mostly use your elbows to move.
• It is important to perform this exercise with control, slowly, and carefully.

Parallel Bar Triceps Dip

Parallel bar triceps dip is one of the most effective compound exercises for the upper body pushing muscles in the chest and triceps specifically.

When completed on narrow parallel bars with elbows back and your trunk upright, the dip evolves into one of the best bodyweight workouts for building triceps mass.

How To Do

• Interlock your fingers and extend your arms to hold the dip bars. To avoid stressing your chest and instead place focus on your triceps, maintain as much vertical posture as you can.
• As you flex to lower your trunk until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the ground, keep your elbows as near to your sides as you can.
•  To bring your trunk back up and extend your arms, firmly press your hands into the bars.

Tips

• At the peak of the movement, avoid locking out your elbows.
• Hold your elbows tucked in and your trunk upright to concentrate your effort on your triceps.

Cable Overhead Triceps Extension

This is a version of the rope tricep extension.

Targeting the long head of the triceps is extremely effective with versions of the overhead tricep extension. Your triceps arise larger overall if your long-head muscle is more rampant.

How To Do

• To start this exercise you have to stand away from the pulley and attach a rope to the cable machine’s bottom pulley.
• With each hand in a neutral grip palms facing each other—carry the rope and extend your arms until they are straight above your head.
• With your knuckles pointing upward, your arms should be perpendicular to the ground and your elbows should be close to your head.
• Holding your upper arms in place, gradually drop the rope behind your head. Take a breath as you go, pausing when your triceps are completely extended.
• complete the desired number of sets and repetitions while easing back into your initial position.

Tips

• Never put yourself in a situation where your body can no longer be steadily in place. As a solitary exercise, maximum loads are not necessary for this one.
• To work your triceps to the fullest, keep your arms close to your head.
• From the beginning to the end, move slowly and deliberately while performing the exercise.

Incline Cable Triceps Extension

This is the best exercise for drawing and pumping the long head of the triceps is the Incline cable triceps extension.

Triceps extensions can be useful for fixing imbalances in the triceps or rehabilitating from injury.

How To Do

• Connect the rope handle to the lower block, hold it with your hands, and sit on the bench with your back.
• Flex your hands in the elbows, so that the ends of the handle are located behind your head.
• Gradually straighten your arms, keeping your elbows in a fixed position. At the last point, prolong the peak contraction, withstood a short pause.
• Return to the initial position.

Tips

• Concentrate on keeping your elbows stable.

Cable High Pulley Overhead Extension

How To Do

• Connect a rope to a cable stack as much as possible and take a standing position.
• Hold the rope overhead with a neutral grip (palms facing), and bend forward by hinging at the hips.
• start this exercise by extending the elbows and squeezing the triceps.
• Pull the rope downward until the elbows are almost locked out, and then gradually lower under control back to the initial position.

Tips

• Do not allow the rope to pull you backward or induce you to overreach throughout your lumbar spine.
• You may be required to tuck the chin just to allow the rope to travel overhead and not graze the back of your head.

Resistance Band Tricep Extensions

Tricep extensions with the resistance band assist in isolating the tricep muscle and avoid engaging with different areas of the body.

How To Do

• Secure the band with a thing, or place one foot in the middle of the band to secure it to the ground.
• Grab both handles, Bring your hands behind your head.
• Your elbows should be pointing forward on either side of your head. holding your elbows as close to your head as possible, straightening your arms to lift your hands, stopping just before your elbows lock out.
• Shorten the length of the band between your foot and hand if there is not enough resistance. Bring back down and repeat.

Tips

• Keep your upper arms as stable as possible, allowing your forearms to drive the motion.
• The chin should remain parallel to the ground and the core should brace during the activity.

Tips For Targeting The Long Head

• Incorporate Exercises That Involve Shoulder Extension: Exercises that involve shoulder extension, such as the close-grip bench press or dips, are particularly useful for targeting the long head of the tricep.
• Use A Full Range Of Motion: It is essential to perform exercises through a full range of movement to fully engage the long head. This means that the elbow should be fully extended at the top of the motion, and fully flexed at the bottom.
• Use Proper Form: Holding proper form during activities is essential for targeting specific muscle groups. your shoulder should be back and down, and the elbows tucked in close to the body to maximize the activation of the long head.
• Incorporate Overhead Extension Exercises: Activities that involve overhead extension, such as the overhead tricep extension or skull crusher, are also effective for targeting the long head.
• Incorporate Single-arm Exercises: Single-arm exercises, such as the single-arm overhead extension or single-arm dip, can also be effective for targeting the long head by placing more emphasis on one side of the muscle.
• Incorporate Progressive Overload: Slowly adding the resistance, weight, or reps of the movement over time can help to continue challenging the muscle and promote development.
• Avoid Overtraining: While it is essential to target the long head, it’s also important to avoid overtraining the tricep muscle as a total. Be sure to incorporate rest days and vary your workout routine to give your muscles sufficient time to recover.

How To Include These Exercises Into A Workout Routine:

When incorporating movements for the long head of the tricep into a workout routine, it is important to consider the overall plan of the individual and balance the activities with other muscle groups. Here are a few suggestions on how to incorporate these movements into a workout routine:

Compound Exercises: Start with compound exercises such as close-grip bench presses, dips, and push-ups at the beginning of a workout, when energy levels are high. These activities will involve multiple muscles at one time.

Isolation Exercises: Performing isolation exercises such as overhead extensions, skull crushers, and kickbacks later in the training when energy levels are low. These activities will allow you to concentrate specifically on the long head of the tricep.

Incorporate Variety: Including a variety of activities and repetition ranges can assist in keeping the exercise challenging and prevent plateaus. Doing different types of movements and repetition ranges will assist in hitting the muscle from different angles and stimulate muscle growth.

Balance With Other Muscle Groups: Be sure to balance activities for the long head of the tricep with workouts for other muscle groups. A good balance of training for the chest, back, shoulders, and legs will assist in ensuring overall upper limb strength and symmetry.

Tricep Long Head Workout Routine Example

An illustration program targeting the long head of the tricep muscle could look like this:

Monday:

• Warm-up: 7-10 minutes of light cardio and active stretching
• Close-grip bench press: three sets of 10-12 repetitions (increasing weight each set)
• Dips: three sets of 10-12 reps (increasing weight each set)
• Dumbbell tricep kickback: 4 sets of 15-20 repetitions

Thursday:

• Warm-up: 8-10 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching
• Diamond Push-ups: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Dips: three sets of 10-12 repetitions (increasing weight each set)
• Overhead tricep extension: three sets of 15-20 repetitions

Note: modify the weight, repetitions, and sets according to your fitness level. Also, make sure to rest at least 48 hours between tricep training sessions and include rest days to allow muscles to recover. This training program is designed to target the long head of the tricep muscle with a mix of compound and isolation exercises. It emphasizes using advanced overload, variety, and balance with other muscle groups.

Summary

The significance of compound and isolation activities when it comes to strengthening the long head of the triceps cannot be overstated. Tricep long head movements however come mostly from heavy compound pressing movement.

Movements like the overhead tricep press will perform more for your long head than push-ups. You can slowly and significantly overload compound pressing movements with weights. They can have a more powerful effect on the long head than single movements. Reaching free weight, your body weight plays an important role when strengthening your long head. These trainings have proven to be more useful in emphasizing the long head. Because of the size of the long head, it requires sufficient stretch to grow. When you perform these exercises, concentrate on the time under tension rather than the weights. Long contraction of muscle gives you more benefits.

FAQ

References

1. Dyte, K. (2023). Long Head Of The Triceps: 8 Exercises & Techniques To Supersize Your Arms. Kustom Kit Gym Equipment. https://kustomkitgymequipment.com/blogs/news/target-long-head-of-triceps/
2. Speakman, D. (2020, May 29). Developing The Back of Your Arm | Long Head Triceps Exercises – MYPROTEINTM. MYPROTEINTM. https://www.myprotein.co.in/blog/training/developing-the-back-of-your-arm-long-head-tricep
3. Kumar, M. (2023). Long head triceps exercises for bigger, stronger arms. Fit Life Regime. https://fitliferegime.com/long-head-triceps-exercises-for-bigger-stronger-arms/
4. The 6 BEST Exercises For Bigger Triceps | Gymshark Central. (n.d.). https://central.gymshark.com/article/5-best-exercises-for-bigger-triceps

Author: Priti Tirgar