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Exercises

Tricep exercises for beginners: pushdowns, overhead extensions and dips

Published October 29, 2026

The best tricep exercises for beginners are the cable pushdown and machine dip in a gym, the seated dumbbell overhead extension, dumbbell skull crusher and kickback with dumbbells, and the bench dip, floor dip and close-grip push-up with no weights. Use one pressing or pushdown move and one overhead move, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps each, twice a week, and stop each set with 2 reps left. The overhead move matters because it trains the long head, the biggest part of the triceps.

  1. Cable Triceps Pressdown Triceps
  2. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension Triceps
  3. Dumbbell Skullcrusher Triceps
  4. Bench Dip Triceps
  5. Close-Grip Push-Up Triceps, Chest
  6. Triceps Kickback Triceps

Overhead extensions for the long head

With your arms overhead, the long head of the triceps works from a full stretch that pushdowns never reach. Every beginner plan here has one of these.

Triceps long head, overhead dumbbell extension

Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Triceps

Holding one dumbbell with both hands is the simplest overhead triceps exercise there is, and sitting keeps your lower back out of it. It covers the long head, which pushdowns barely stretch.

How to do it

  1. Sit tall on a chair and lift one dumbbell overhead, both hands under the top plate.
  2. Bend your elbows to bring the weight down behind your neck, upper arms close to your head.
  3. Feel the stretch, then press it back up to straight arms.
  4. Keep your back from arching as you press.

Cues

  • Elbows forward
  • Weight behind your neck
  • Ribs stay down

Common mistakes

  • Elbows drifting out to the sides: keep them pointed ahead.
  • Short lowering: take it as deep as your shoulders allow.

Swap for: Kettlebell Overhead Triceps Extension, Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

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Triceps long head, rope overhead extension

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Triceps

The gym version of the overhead extension. The cable keeps tension through the whole range, and the pin stack makes small weight jumps easy.

How to do it

  1. Attach a rope to a high pulley, take an end in each hand and turn away from the machine.
  2. Step forward into a split stance with your hands behind your head and elbows pointing forward.
  3. Extend your elbows until your arms are straight out in front of your head.
  4. Let your hands return behind your head for a full stretch.

Cues

  • Upper arms stay high
  • Long stretch every rep
  • Brace your trunk

Common mistakes

  • Bringing your elbows down to push: keep them up and still.
  • Shortening the stretch as the set gets hard: reduce the weight instead.

Swap for: Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension, EZ-Bar Skullcrusher, Kettlebell Overhead Triceps Extension

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Pushdowns and machines

These are the easiest triceps exercises to learn because the cable or machine guides the path. They are good first exercises in a gym and easy to take close to failure without your form breaking down.

Triceps, cable pushdown

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

Elbows stay at your sides and only your forearms move, so it is hard to get wrong. Most beginners feel their triceps working in the first set.

How to do it

  1. Attach a bar or rope to a high pulley and grip it with your elbows at your sides.
  2. Push down until your elbows are straight.
  3. Let the handle rise until your forearms are just past parallel, then push again.

Cues

  • Elbows stay pinned
  • Lock out at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows rise and flare: keep them glued to your sides.

Swap for: Cable Cross Pushdown, Overhead Cable Triceps Extension, Close-Grip Push-Up

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Triceps, seated dip machine

Machine Triceps Dip

Triceps

You get the pressing motion of a dip at a weight you choose, instead of your whole body weight. It is the way to work up to bar dips.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the machine and set the handles beside your lower ribs.
  2. Take the handles with your chest up and elbows pointing back.
  3. Press down until your arms are straight.
  4. Let the handles rise until your elbows are at about 90 degrees, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows point behind you
  • Hips stay on the seat
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Elbows flaring out: keep them tucked so the triceps does the work.
  • Coming off the seat to move the stack: lower the pin.

Swap for: Bench Dip, Close-Grip Bench Press, Machine Triceps Extension

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Dumbbell and barbell moves

Lying extensions, kickbacks and the close-grip bench press let you train triceps with free weights. Start light on the lying extensions until lowering toward your head feels controlled.

Triceps, lying dumbbell extension

Dumbbell Skullcrusher

Triceps

Lying on a bench supports your back and lets you focus on bending only at the elbow. Dumbbells let each wrist turn to a comfortable angle.

How to do it

  1. Lie back on a flat bench and press two dumbbells up over your chest, palms turned in.
  2. Tilt your upper arms slightly back toward your head and lock them there.
  3. Bend only at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells beside your ears.
  4. Straighten your elbows to bring the weights back up.
  5. Stop just short of lockout to keep the triceps working.

Cues

  • Upper arms still
  • Lower beside your ears
  • Straighten, do not press

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows drift and pressing the weight up: that is a close-grip press. Keep the upper arms fixed.
  • Elbows flaring wide: keep them about shoulder width.

Swap for: EZ-Bar Skullcrusher, Close-Grip Bench Press, Kettlebell Decline Skullcrusher

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Triceps, one-arm kickback

Triceps Kickback

Triceps

It needs one light dumbbell and something to lean on. The hardest point is at the top, with your arm straight, so pick a weight you can hold there.

How to do it

  1. Brace one hand on a chair or bench and hinge forward with a flat back.
  2. Lift the dumbbell arm so your upper arm sits against your side, elbow bent.
  3. Push the dumbbell back until your arm is straight, and hold it for a second.
  4. Bend back to the start; finish the set, then change arms.

Cues

  • Upper arm stays level
  • Hold the lockout
  • Light weight

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the weight up: lighten it so you can pause at the top.
  • Upper arm sinking toward the floor: lift it back to your side.

Swap for: Cable Triceps Kickback, Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

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Triceps and chest, narrow-grip barbell press

Close-Grip Bench Press

Triceps, Chest

Once you are comfortable with a bench press, moving your hands in shifts the work to the triceps and lets you load them heavier than any extension.

How to do it

  1. Lie on a bench and grip the bar about shoulder width.
  2. Lower it to your lower chest with the elbows close to your sides.
  3. Press back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • Shoulder-width grip
  • Elbows tucked

Common mistakes

  • Gripping so narrow the wrists bend: shoulder width is enough.

Swap for: Close-Grip Push-Up, EZ-Bar Skullcrusher, Cable Triceps Pressdown

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No weights: dips and push-ups

A chair, the floor and your own body cover the triceps at home. The floor dip is the easiest, the bench dip is harder, and the close-grip push-up is the hardest.

Triceps, dip from the floor

Floor Triceps Dip

Triceps

With your feet and hips near the floor, only part of your body weight is on your arms. It is the easiest dip to start with.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your knees bent and your hands flat behind you, fingers facing forward.
  2. Lift your hips slightly off the floor by straightening your arms.
  3. Bend your elbows to bring your hips down toward the floor, stopping just short of it.
  4. Push back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • Fingers face your feet
  • Hover the hips
  • Elbows straight back

Common mistakes

  • Sitting all the way down between reps: keep the tension on.
  • Letting the feet do the lifting: press from the hands.

Swap for: Bench Dip

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Triceps, dip off a bench or chair

Bench Dip

Triceps

Moving from the floor to a bench or sturdy chair adds range and load. Bending your knees makes it easier and straight legs make it harder.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the front of a stable chair, hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
  2. Move your hips off the seat and set your heels out in front.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are level with the floor.
  4. Straighten your arms to come back up.

Cues

  • Hips close to the chair
  • Elbows point back
  • Stop at level

Common mistakes

  • Going so deep that your shoulders pinch: shorten the range.
  • Pushing with your legs: keep them relaxed and let your arms lift you.

Swap for: Floor Triceps Dip, Close-Grip Push-Up

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Triceps and chest, narrow push-up

Close-Grip Push-Up

Triceps, Chest

Hands under your shoulders and elbows close to your sides turn a push-up into a triceps exercise. Do it on your knees or with hands on a counter at first.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank with your hands directly below your shoulders.
  2. Lower yourself with your elbows sliding back past your ribs.
  3. Stop just above the floor, then push up to locked elbows.
  4. Drop to your knees for the last reps if your hips start to sag.

Cues

  • Hands under shoulders
  • Elbows travel back
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows into a T: that moves the work to your chest.
  • Half reps near the top: lower until your chest is close to the floor.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Incline Push-Up

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Gym, two short triceps blocks a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets10 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentAdjustable Cable, Dip Machine

You train in a gym and want triceps work after your chest or pressing exercises twice a week.

Pressing already works the triceps, so 5 direct sets per session on two days gives 10 hard sets a week. Each session pairs one move with the arms at your sides and one overhead, so all three heads get work.

Session A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension 2 × 10–15 2 1 min

Open Session A in the session builder

Session B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Triceps Dip 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Session B in the session builder

How to run it
Do these after your chest or shoulder pressing, on two days with at least one day between.
How to progress
Double progression: when every set hits the top of the range at the target reps in reserve, go up one pin or the smallest plate and build the reps back up.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home with one or two dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets10 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You train at home with a few dumbbells and a bench or sturdy chair.

Two sessions with 5 sets each put you at about 10 weekly sets, a good dose for new muscle. The overhead extension appears in both because it trains the long head, which kickbacks do not stretch.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Triceps KickbackPer arm. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Skullcrusher3 s down. 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 2 × 10–15 2 1 min

Open Day 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Add these at the end of two full-body or upper-body sessions. On the skull crusher day, use a weight you can lower slowly.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of the range with 2 reps in reserve, use the next dumbbell. Kickbacks progress slowly, so add 2 reps to the range before going heavier.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

No weights: dips and push-ups

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets11 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentFlat Bench

You train at home with nothing but a chair and the floor.

Bodyweight triceps work progresses by moving to harder versions, so each session has an easier and a harder one. About 5 to 6 sets per session, twice a week, gives you around 11 weekly sets.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Floor Triceps Dip 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Close-Grip Push-UpHands on a counter or on your knees if needed. 3 × 5–10 2 75 s

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bench DipBend your knees to make it easier. 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Floor Triceps Dip 2 × 12–20 2 1 min

Open Day 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Do one session after any home workout and the other two or three days later. Use a chair that cannot slide, pushed against a wall.
How to progress
Stay at 2 reps in reserve. When you get the top of the range on the floor dip, switch it for the bench dip with bent knees, then straighten your legs. On push-ups, lower your hands from a counter to the floor.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are the best exercises for biceps and triceps together?

Pair a curl with a triceps move and alternate them: dumbbell curls with overhead extensions, or cable curls with pushdowns. Two pairs, twice a week, cover a beginner's arms.

What is a tricep kickback?

You lean forward with your upper arm held against your side and straighten your elbow to push a dumbbell back. It is a light, isolation exercise that works the triceps hardest with the arm straight.

Can I train triceps every day?

You do not need to. Pressing exercises already work them, so two direct sessions a week with a day or more between is enough to grow.

How can I build my triceps as a beginner?

Do one overhead extension and one pushdown or dip, 2 to 3 sets each, two times a week, and add weight or reps each time you reach the top of the range. Train your chest and shoulder presses too, since they load the triceps heavily.

What tricep exercises can I do at home without equipment?

The floor dip, bench dip on a sturdy chair and close-grip push-up. Start with the floor dip and move up as the reps get easy.