10 Best Long Head Tricep Exercises for Bigger and Stronger Arms
The triceps muscle, or tricep is the big muscle on the back of your arm. It helps make your arms look strong and muscular. The long head is one of three parts of the tricep and is the largest part. If you do Long Head Tricep Exercises, your arms will look bigger and stronger. In this article, we will share the 10 best exercises to help make this part of your tricep grow.
1. Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
- How to Do It: Stand or sit while holding a dumbbell a weight above your head with both hands. Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head. Then, push it back up until your arms are straight.
- Why It Works: This exercise stretches the long head of your tricep. It helps you make your arms stronger because you’re lifting the weight above your head.
2. Skull Crushers
- How to Do It: Lie on a bench (or on the floor) with a barbell or a smaller weight. Hold it above you and bend your elbows to bring the weight toward your forehead. Then, push it back up until your arms are straight again.
- Why It Works: Skull crushers make all parts of your triceps work hard, especially the long head. This exercise is a good way to build up strength and make your arms look bigger.
3. Cable Overhead Extensions
- How to Do It: Use a cable machine, which is a type of exercise equipment that has weights and a pulley. Attach a rope to the cable. Hold the rope with both hands, turn away from the machine, and lift the rope above your head. Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind you, then push it back up.
- Why It Works: Cable machines help keep a steady pull on your triceps the whole time. This is good for making the long head of your tricep strong without putting too much strain on your joints.
4. Close-Grip Bench Press
- How to Do It: Lie down on a bench and hold a barbell with your hands close together. Lower the bar to your chest by bending your elbows, then push it back up to straighten your arms.
- Why It Works: The close grip helps work the triceps more than the chest. This is a great way to lift heavier weights and make your long head tricep stronger.
5. Incline Dumbbell Extensions
- How to Do It: Lie back on an inclined bench with a dumbbell in each hand, holding them above your shoulders. Lower the weights by bending your elbows, then push them back up until your arms are straight.
- Why It Works: Lying on an incline bench helps focus the stretch on the long head of the tricep. Dumbbells let you move each arm separately, making your triceps work harder and grow stronger.
6. Dumbbell Kickbacks
- How to Do It: Bend over, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your upper arm close to your body. Keep your elbow bent, then straighten your arm back to lift the dumbbell. Slowly bring it back down.
- Why It Works: Kickbacks work all parts of the triceps. They’re great for high-rep exercises and can give you a good “pump,” or a feeling of tightness in the muscle, without using heavy weights.
7. Rope Extensions
- How to Do It: Attach a rope to a cable machine at about head height. Hold the rope with each hand, then pull it down by extending your arms and pulling the ends apart at the bottom.
- Why It Works: Rope extensions let you stretch the long head of your tricep. By pulling the rope apart at the bottom, you work your triceps harder.
8. EZ Bar Overhead Extension
- How to Do It: Hold an EZ bar (a wavy bar) above your head. Bend your elbows to bring the bar down behind your head, then straighten your arms back up.
- Why It Works: Holding the bar overhead helps isolate, or focus on, the long head of the tricep. The shape of the EZ bar can feel easier on your wrists, making it comfortable for lifting.
9. Straight Bar Pushdowns
- How to Do It: Stand in front of a cable machine with a straight bar attached to the top. Hold the bar with both hands, then push it down until your arms are straight. Slowly bring it back up.
- Why It Works: This exercise keeps the focus on the triceps by letting you push straight down. It’s a good way to make the long head of the tricep work hard.
10. Dumbbell Floor Press
- How to Do It: Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights close to your chest, then push them straight up until your arms are straight. Bring them back down until your elbows touch the floor.
- Why It Works: The floor press reduces how far your elbows can move, so your triceps do more of the work. This is a good exercise to lift heavier weights without hurting your shoulders.
Bottom Line
The long head of the triceps is important for making your arms look strong and big. If you do these Long Head Tricep Exercises regularly, you can help your triceps grow. Mixing up different exercises can make your workouts more fun and help you build stronger arms.
