15 Most Effective Dumbbell Tricep Exercises – Garage Gym Pro

15 Best Dumbbell Exercises For Training Your Triceps

1. Single Arm Tricep Kickback (Bench Supported)

The single-arm tricep kickback is an excellent unilateral tricep exercise that works your entire tricep muscle.

Kickbacks are incredibly simple to perform, making them ideal for beginners. But they can also be used by advanced weight lifters to add more volume to their triceps workout.

Best of all, you don’t need much equipment. All you need is a dumbbell and a bench (or platform to lean on). It can be an effective exercise to add to your workout regime to develop your triceps.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Always use a lower weight than you’d expect; the tricep kickback is strict movement and doesn’t require heavy dumbbells.

2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Floor Press

The single-arm dumbbell floor press is the perfect triceps exercise for beginners as you have more stability on the floor than you would on a bench.

It’s also reassuring knowing that if you fail, you can drop the dumbbells on the floor without worrying too much about being stuck on a bench with them in your hands.

As the single-arm dumbbell floor press works each arm isolaterally, it helps to iron out any muscular imbalances that might have occurred throughout your regular training.

Plus, it can help increase your upper body strength, allowing you to lift more during other compound movements.

If you’ve had a shoulder injury, this could be an excellent option as it uses less shoulders than a regular dumbbell press would. This is due to the shorter range of motion.

How to do it:

Related Article - Floor Press Vs Bench Press

3. DB Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is one of my all-time favorite triceps exercises using dumbbells, and they are an excellent way to develop raw power in your chest and triceps.

DB bench press is effective as it allows you to lift a large amount of weight, giving your upper arms and chest the stimulus they need to grow.

While lifting heavy isn’t always necessary, this is one occasion I’d say you can push yourself a little. Combining this exercise with lighter weighted isolation movements is one of the best ways to develop your triceps.

How to do it:

Read More - Dumbbell Vs Barbell Bench Press

4. Bent Over Double Arm Dumbbell Kickback

This movement often receives a lot of hate. Still, if performed correctly, it can be an excellent exercise for developing all three heads, including the medial heads of the triceps.

A common mistake with this movement is going too heavy. You don’t need a lot of weight for this exercise, so you can focus on your form and activate your triceps effectively.

The bent-over double-arm dumbbell kickback is the same movement as the first exercise on this list but with a slight difference. It works both arms simultaneously and is easy for beginners to implement into their workout regime.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Slow this movement down, and don’t let momentum do the work for you.

5. Incline Dumbbell Kickbacks

Incline dumbbell kickbacks are a pretty similar movement to the exercise above; however, your upper body is supported by an incline bench.

By supporting your upper body with a bench, you remove the need to use your core for stability. It also reduces the amount of stress on your lower back; it’s an excellent solution for anyone who’s got lower back issues and wants to train their triceps using kickbacks.

I’ve also found this movement to be incredibly strict as it doesn’t allow you to “cheat” by swinging your body… which is a good thing if you want an excellent set of triceps.

Throughout the movement, you’ll work the long head, lateral and medial heads of the tricep.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: As with the other kickback variations, don’t go too heavy. Focus on using excellent form.

6. Close Grip Dumbbell Press

The close grip dumbbell press is one of my personal favorites when it comes to training your triceps.

The movement switches up the standard dumbbell press to place more emphasis on your triceps. While you perform the close grip dumbbell press, you’ll hit all three tricep heads, making it one of the most effective exercises for developing your tricep size and strength.

It’s one of the most effective tricep exercises with dumbbells that you can add to your home workout routine with ease.

How to do it:

7. Neutral Grip DB Bench Press

The neutral grip dumbbell bench press is a fantastic way to train your triceps without placing too much stress on your shoulder joints.

As your grip is neutral, it keeps your shoulder in a closed position, limiting the amount of load placed on the joint. During this exercise, you keep your elbows tucked, moving the emphasis from your chest to your triceps.

It’s a fantastic exercise for all levels of experience and really makes those arms pop.

How to do it:

8. Dumbbell Skull Crushers

Dumbbell skull crushers are a fantastic exercise for working the long head of your tricep and should be a part of any great upper arm program.

However, some gym-goers might find the movement aggravates the wrist or elbow joints. If this is the case, choose another exercise.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Make this exercise more challenging by performing a half bench skull crusher variant.

9. Dumbbell Close Grip Push Ups

DB close grip push-ups are a fantastic bodyweight movement to work your triceps. They provide your muscles with constant tension and can be made easier or more difficult, depending on your level.

It also works your core as you need to hold your body in the plank position throughout.

How to do it:

See Also - Push Ups Vs Bench Press

10. Dumbbell Tate Press

The tate press is a unique exercise that will be a challenge for an advanced weight lifter. So, beginners… steer clear of this one.

It’s similar to the skull crusher as it has a similar starting position. But the angle of movement is different.

How to do it:

Garage Gym Pro Tip: Remember, it’s like a skull crusher but much harder…Not for beginners.

11. Tricep Gravity Press

Is your tricep workout getting a little boring? The tricep gravity press is here to spice things up for you.

It’s an incredibly difficult movement that’ll place your triceps under constant stress from start to finish.

How to do it:

12. Seated Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

The seated DB tricep extension is fantastic at promoting muscle hypertrophy and isn’t too difficult to perform.

It works all three heads and doesn’t require much core stability as you’re seated. This is great if you don’t have a strong core.

How to do it:

13. Standing Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The overhead triceps extension is one of the best single dumbbell exercises for triceps. It’s one of my favorite exercises and is always part of my tricep routine.

It works all three heads of the triceps, giving you the most bang for your buck.

You can perform overhead triceps extensions no matter your experience level.

How to do it:

14. Dumbbell Reverse Grip Press

This bench variation places huge amounts of stress on your tricep muscles, along with your upper pecs and shoulders.

It’s an excellent muscle builder which should be performed by intermediate to advanced gym-goers.

I’ve found it to be one of the best medial head tricep dumbbell exercises.

How to do it:

15. Dumbbell JM Press

The JM press places a significant amount of stress on your tricep muscles, stimulating your muscle fibers to grow.

While it's not my favorite exercise, it does deserve a place on this list as you can develop some fantastic arms using this movement.

It’s not for beginners.

How to do it:

The Benefits Of Tricep Exercises With Dumbbells

There are several benefits to using dumbbells to train your triceps. Some of the main benefits are listed below.

Stability & Free Movement

Using dumbbells to train your triceps is fantastic as the weight is free moving and isn't fixed to a barbell. This requires you to use your stabilizer muscles to keep the weight steady throughout the exercises.

Some gym-goers might find using dumbbells more comfortable as there isn’t a fixed movement pattern. This allows your arms to move in a natural position and can reduce the stress on your joints. It’s perfect if you’ve had an injury or joint issues.

Isolateral or Bilateral

As dumbbells come in free-moving pairs, each side of your body has to move in isolation and gains no support from the opposite side. This can help eliminate any muscular imbalances that might occur throughout your training (it’s common in beginners).

With dumbbells, you can work each side at a time or simultaneously, but either option will give you the benefits of avoiding imbalances.

You Can Still Perform Compound Exercises

Using dumbbells as part of your triceps workout routine is brilliant as you can still train your body using compound exercises.

However, the main difference is that you might be able to push a little closer to failure, as you don’t need to worry about being crushed underneath a heavy barbell. Dumbbells are the equipment for your home gym.

Greater Range of Motion

Using dumbbells to train your triceps allows you to move your muscles through a greater range of motion. This increases your muscle activation, resulting in more muscle growth. 

Compared to barbells, dumbbells allow you to move your arms in any direction. Changing up your movements allows you to continually shock your triceps, which leads to greater gains.

You Get Stronger

Dumbbells have been proven to increase your overall strength significantly. This is partly because each arm has to move independently, so everything from your upper arm to your shoulder joint needs to work hard during each rep.

More Athletic

Using dumbbells increases your stability, balance, and coordination. In fact, training triceps with dumbbells can help strengthen stabilizer muscles and joints as well. Overall, it helps you become more functional and athletic.

Time efficient

As dumbbells recruit more muscle fibers than machines, you can work your muscles effectively in a shorter amount of time. This increases the time under tension for your triceps. 

This is especially useful if you only have a short amount of time per day to workout. You can also do dumbbell tricep supersets for even more time efficiency. 

The Anatomy & Function Of The Triceps Muscles

The triceps are made up of three muscles:

Each one plays a critical role in the movement of your upper arm.

The long head helps with the extension and adduction of your upper arm bone. At the same time, the other two parts help with the straightening of your arms from the elbow (elbow extension).

One of the key functions of the triceps is to aid with the stabilizing of your shoulder during your major lifts such as bench press, shoulder press, etc.

So it’s important to provide them with adequate stimulus during your workouts.

Things To Remember When Working Out Your Triceps

Technique & Form

When it comes to tricep workouts, you must always use excellent form. Using good form ensures your muscles are working correctly, reducing your risk of injury.

During each tricep exercise, you want to ensure your arms are moving through a wide range of motion. This will give your triceps the stimulus they need to grow.

Most tricep exercises require you to have your elbows tucked; this helps emphasize the force placed on each of the tricep heads.

I always recommend that you spend time learning the correct technique before you increase the weight.

Increasing the weight too soon can lead to poor form and a lack of results… or worse, an injury. It’s the last thing you want to be doing.

Exercise Variations

By using a wide range of exercises during your tricep workout, you’ll give yourself an enhanced upper body performance that will help aid shoulder stability.

I always enjoy using a combination of unilateral tricep isolation exercises and bilateral exercises to give my triceps a wide range of stimulus.

I'll often give my clients compound exercises that work the triceps and a selection of tricep isolation movements to assist the workout.

During every tricep workout, you want to hit all three heads of the tricep to ensure you develop overall tricep strength and muscle mass.

Hitting All Parts Of The Tricep

The triceps are made up of three heads. The long head (and the largest part) of the tricep is one of the best areas to target as it’s what’ll give you the most bang for your buck. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect the other two heads.

The lateral head of the triceps will help give your arms a fuller and more thick look, and the medial head helps provide stability in the elbow joint.

As a whole, the triceps muscle is worked whenever the arms are bent (elbow extension) during a pushing movement.

Each part of the triceps helps stabilize your shoulder joint and is useful during exercises like the standard bench press and the close grip bench press.

A popular movement you can add to your tricep workouts is the skull crusher exercise. It works all three tricep heads through a wide range of motion.

Training Frequency

Training your triceps is no different from any other muscle group. They require the correct amount of stimulus and adequate recovery times.

However, as the triceps are relatively small muscle groups, the triceps will have a faster recovery time, so your rest periods during each set can be reduced, and you might be able to work them several times per week.

I’ve often found my clients get the best results hitting the triceps twice weekly. But, everybody is different.

You might find your body recovers quickly, in which case you might be able to fit a third triceps workout in.

Tip: Try not to work them more than three times a week; this will likely result in less than optimal growth and will hinder your results.

The frequency you train your triceps will also be governed by the intensity of your workouts.

Intensity & Rep Ranges

When it comes to exercise intensity, everyone will have different capabilities.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend you use a low intensity and learn the movement before you try to make it more difficult.

However, if you’re an intermediate or advanced lifter, you might want to take it up a notch and increase your workout intensity.

A recent study found that increasing the intensity of your workout increases triceps fatigue in all three heads of the muscle group. [1]

When looking at rep ranges, studies have shown that high rep and low rep don't matter too much for muscle growth, as long as the perceived effort is the same. [2]

Frequently Asked Questions About Tricep Dumbbell Exercises

What is the difference between a compound and an isolated tricep exercise?

An isolated tricep movement will only target one muscle group… your triceps. Whereas a compound exercise will use more than one muscle group and joint. An example of a compound exercise is the dumbbell bench press, and an example of an isolation exercise is the triceps kickback.

The best tricep workouts have a combination of the two types of exercise, and it’s what I give to all of my clients.

Should I go heavy on the triceps?

While you can go heavy on triceps, I wouldn’t always recommend it. In fact, I would only suggest that you go heavy if you’re advanced and are performing a tricep-focused compound exercise.

Are tricep extensions bad for your elbows?

Unless you’ve had elbow joint issues in the past, tricep extensions aren’t a bad movement for you. They are one of the great tricep exercises for a reason.

But, if you're performing the movement and are feeling pain, stop them immediately and switch to another triceps movement that doesn't cause any aggravation.

How do I build triceps fast?

If you want to rapidly build your triceps, you should add 3-4 of the exercises from the list above into your workout routine.

You should then focus on using the best form possible and gradually increase the weight over the coming weeks.

Your diet is incredibly important to you whether you’ll get success or not. To maximize your results, you should eat plenty of protein (around 1-1.2g per lb should be enough for most gym goers).