9+ Effective Dumbbell Tricep Exercises To Build Strength & Size

Anatomy And Function Of The Triceps

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

The triceps brachii are a large muscle group on the posterior (back) side of the upper arm. They are located between your shoulders and forearms. They consist of three heads — the long, medial, and lateral heads. 

The primary function of the triceps is extending the elbow, making them essential for upper body strength and functional activities. They also support shoulder and elbow stability in many upper-body functional activities involving lifting, carrying, and pushing.

Medial Head

The medial tricep head originates from the back of the humerus (upper arm bone). It inserts at the olecranon process (point on the elbow). Due to its position, any exercise that moves the elbow from a fully flexed to an extended position will properly engage it. 

As it crosses only the elbow joint, its sole function is to perform elbow extension. When no resistance is present, it acts as the primary elbow extensor. It’s also the only head that can contract independently.

Lateral Head

The lateral tricep head also originates from the back of the humerus. It also inserts at the olecranon process. Compared to the medial head, the lateral head is positioned on the outside of the arm.

Like the medial head, the lateral tricep head’s sole function is to perform elbow extension. While it’s the strongest elbow extensor, it’s only engaged when resistance is present.

Long Head

The long tricep head is biarticular, meaning it acts on two joints. It originates from the scapula and inserts at the olecranon process. Due to the different positions, it’s more engaged when using overhead tricep exercises.

Like the medial and lateral heads, it is heavily involved in elbow extension. As it crosses the shoulder joint, it also performs some additional roles. It helps our latissimus dorsi (lat) and pectoralis major (chest) muscles to adduct. This happens when we bring our arms into our bodies. 

It’s also involved in shoulder extension and shoulder stabilization.

Benefits Of Training Triceps With Dumbbells

The following are some of the best benefits to achieve when training with tricep dumbbell exercises.

• Targeted tricep isolation for increased muscle development.
• Enhanced range of motion for improving flexibility and muscle activation potential.
• Balanced muscle development through the ability to work each arm individually.
• Improved focus on stabilization which can benefit joint health and functional strength.
• Greater convenience and accessibility compared to barbells or machines.

Training Tips For Building Triceps

The following are some beneficial tips to consider when training your triceps. They will help maximize your routine for greater strength gains and muscle development.

Key Techniques For Triceps Training

Below are some valuable techniques to incorporate into your triceps training routine:

• Move the elbow through the full range of motion during each movement to isolate and fatigue the triceps. This is especially important during compound movements to prevent larger muscles like the chest from taking over.
• Try using different shoulder positions to facilitate more comprehensive muscle development.
• Using alternating techniques like constant tension, partial reps, and supersets to boost growth. Supersets are combinations of multiple movements with limited rest to enhance muscle fatigue and growth. However, ensure to program these methods strategically to maintain a balanced plan.

Variation Strategy

• Use a variety of tricep exercises to stimulate growth and prevent overuse injuries. This ensures you target different muscles evenly for balanced development and symmetry.
• Try alternating the exercises we’ve discussed each week for a varied stimulus. This helps prevent training plateaus which occur when your muscles are not challenged enough for continued progress and strength gains.

How To Target Different Triceps Heads

Dumbbells are effective for training the different tricep heads. By changing up your grip and/or angle you vary the stimulus, engaging different muscles. Below are some suggestions to maximize your practice using the exercises we’ve discussed:

• Triceps Long Head: Use overhead extension movements to increase focus on the triceps long head. This is the largest tricep muscle, located at the back of your arm, and sits closest to your torso. Effective examples include overhead dumbbell tricep extensions or dumbbell skull crushers.
• Triceps Lateral Head: Use pushing movements that focus on the outer part of the triceps to target the triceps lateral head. Some good options include dumbbell kickbacks or the dumbbell Tate press.
• Triceps Medial Head: this is the innermost tricep muscle. It is maximally activated using pushing movements while keeping your elbows close to your side. Dumbbell skull crushers and the close-grip dumbbell bench press are some suggested exercises to target this muscle. 

During each exercise, it is important to focus on squeezing the part of the muscle you are aiming to strengthen. This helps maximize activation for the best results.

Optimal Training Volume

In the early stages of your training, pressing movements—like bench presses and overhead presses—handle much of the workload for tricep development. For beginners, both growth and maintenance can be achieved with 4-6 direct sets of tricep work per week, as pressing exercises already provide significant stimulus. As you progress, more targeted tricep work becomes essential. Most intermediate to advanced trainees will need 8-12 direct sets per week to continue seeing growth. For those looking to push their limits, some may require as much as 16-20 direct sets weekly.

Start with the lower end of this range to build strength and endurance. If you hit a plateau or feel you’re recovering well, gradually add more sets and reps to continue progressing.

Recommended Intensity And Rep Ranges

The correct loading recommendations will depend on your fitness level and experience. In the guide below, your one repetition maximum (1RM) refers to the maximum weight you can lift for one repetition. This can be carried out with the help of a personal trainer if needed.

• Strength Training — 80%–100% of your 1RM.
• Hypertrophy Training — 60%–80% of your 1RM.
• Endurance Training — 40%–60% of your 1RM.
• Power Training — 80%–100% of your 1RM.

Training Frequency 

Your recommended training frequency depends again on your goals and fitness level. Those aiming for muscle hypertrophy should train more frequently than those who simply want to improve general fitness. Below are a few recommendations based on differing fitness goals:

• Strength And Functional Fitness: Program tricep-focused workouts two times a week into your full-body or upper-body split.
• Muscle Hypertrophy: Program tricep-focused workouts 2–3 times a week into your push day of a push-pull-legs or upper-body split. Focus on heavier weights and fewer reps for fatiguing the muscles.
• Endurance Training: Program tricep-focused workouts 3–4 times a week using lighter weights and higher repetitions. They can be scheduled into a functional full-body or upper-body routine.

Conclusion

Your triceps are crucial for many daily tasks and lifting exercises. Strengthening them maximizes upper-body functional performance and joint flexibility. It also helps reduce potential for injuries related to muscle fatigue and improves muscle imbalances.

Using dumbbells to train the triceps through isolated resistance provides a strategic, targeted approach for your upper body routine. They are effective, accessible, and versatile to be used for a variety of goals and fitness programs.