Top 10 Dumbbell Tricep Exercises For Toned Arms

While your biceps might get all the spotlight, it is the triceps that constitute around 2/3rds of the mass of your upper arm. So, if you want to have a great set of guns, dumbbell tricep exercises are a must!

Not just that, your triceps are critical for extending your elbow and straightening your arm, meaning they come into play in all everyday activities such as sweeping the floor or closing our car trunks. 

Stable shoulder joints, prevention of shoulder injuries, and improved athletic performance are just a few of the amazing benefits of doing tricep exercises with dumbbells at home.

In this blog, we’ll show you 10 of the best triceps workout at home with dumbbells that’ll hammer your triceps to perfection!

Triceps anatomy

The triceps muscle is located along the backs of your upper arms and consists of 3 heads:

• Long head – lies on the inside of the arm and makes up the majority of the mass and size of the triceps.
• Lateral head – lies on the outside of the arm and is the most visible from the side.
• Medial head – lies between the long and lateral head and is only visible on the back of the arm near the elbow.

Together, these 3 triceps heads are crucial for elbow extension. 

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10 Best Dumbbell tricep exercises

Here are the 10 best tricep workouts with dumbbells that you can try at home now!

1. Incline dumbbell kickback / Chest-supported kickback

This is one of the best dumbbell tricep exercises as it has been shown to trigger the largest amount of long-head tricep activation compared to other triceps exercises.

Emphasis on: Long tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Lie face down on an incline bench, with your chest supported by the bench.
• Grab a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards. 
• Your elbows should be bent at a right angle. This is the starting position.
• Now extend your arm behind you until your upper arm is parallel to your body. Ensure that your elbow doesn’t drop.
• Feel the contraction in your triceps and then slowly return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

Tip

• Start with low weights initially.
• Limit your range of motion to the point where your fore and upper arms make a 90-degree angle.

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2. Incline dumbbell overhead extension

Emphasis on: Long tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Set the bench to an incline of around 45 degrees.
• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in and lie back on the bench.
• Bring the dumbbells up slightly behind your head with your arms at an incline (as shown in the video). This is the starting position.
• Now lower the dumbbells behind your head as far as you can go while keeping your upper arms stationary.
• Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

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3. One-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension

Emphasis on: Long tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Stand erect assuming a shoulder-width stance.
• Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing in. Your other hand can be on your hip.
• Lift the dumbbell and hold it directly behind your neck with your elbow bent and pointing up. 
• Your upper arm should be close to your head. This is the starting position.
• Squeeze your triceps and push the dumbbell up until your arm is extended.
• Pause for a second and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.

4. Lying dumbbell tricep extension

This is one of the best dumbbell tricep exercises as you can get a great stretch on the long head of the triceps due to the position of your arms.

Emphasis on: Long tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps, shoulders.

How to perform

• Lie back on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards and hold them beside your head.
• Your arms should be bent at 90 degrees. This is the starting position.
• Keeping your core engaged, extend your arms towards the ceiling without fully locking out your elbows.
• Feel the squeeze in your triceps and then slowly return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

5. Close grip dumbbell press

This dumbbell tricep exercise enables you to use heavy weights which have been proven to stimulate the type II muscle fibers that are found in your triceps.

Using a close grip also shifts most of the tension to the triceps, as suggested by a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Emphasis on: Lateral and medial tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders

How to perform

• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.
• Lie down on a flat bench with your feet on the floor.
• Begin by bringing both dumbbells together and extending your arms toward the ceiling. 
• Now slowly lower them until the dumbbells are right above your chest.
• Pause for a moment and then extend your arms to full lockout position. 
• Perform the desired number of reps.

6. Dumbbell JM press

Emphasis on: Lateral tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders

How to perform

• Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor.
• Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand extended towards the ceiling with your palms facing each other. This is the starting position.
• Lower your arms such that your elbows are ahead of the dumbbells and the dumbbells are just above your chest.
• Now roll up so that the dumbbells are by the sides of your mouth.
• Roll the dumbbells forward slightly and then explosively move your arms back to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

7. Standing dumbbell tricep kickback

Emphasis on: Lateral tricep head

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards.
• Keeping your back flat, bend forward with a slight bend in your knees and your arms hanging down. 
• Raise the dumbbell so that they are right by the sides of your chest. This is the starting position.
• Squeeze your core and extend your arms out behind you so that your arms are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your upper arms are stationary throughout the movement.
• Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

8. Close-grip dumbbell push-ups

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders

How to perform

• Place two dumbbells next to each other on the floor.
• Get into a plank position with one hand on each dumbbell and your palms facing each other.
• Ensure the dumbbells are directly under your shoulders. This is the starting position.
• Engage your core and lower your body down until your chest touches the dumbbells. Your elbows should stay close to the sides of your body as you do so.
• Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

9. Dumbbell tate press

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and lie down on a flat bench.
• Begin the movement by extending your arms towards the ceiling.
• Bend your elbows while lowering the inner portion of the dumbbells towards the chest. 
• Pause when the dumbbells touch your chest and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

10. Overhead extension thruster

Traditional thrusters generally incorporate more of your lower body, but in this dumbbell tricep exercise, you'll be extending your arms up overhead with your elbows out and hence heavily engage your triceps. 

Muscles worked: Triceps, legs, back, arms, glutes, shoulders. 

How to perform

• Get into a squat position with your feet at a hip-width distance.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent and the tops of the dumbbells resting on your shoulders. This is the starting position.
• Keeping your core engaged, get into a standing position and then push the dumbbells explosively up towards the ceiling. Ensure that your upper body remains stable.
• Pause for a second and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

Check out our top dumbbell exercises for the biceps, chest, shoulders, and lower back here!

Triceps training tips

Here are a few expert tips to keep in mind while doing triceps workout at home with dumbbells.

1. Maintain proper form

While doing tricep workouts with dumbbells, move only your forearms while keeping your shoulders, elbows, and wrists locked in place.

2. Focus on the contraction

You will get a 100% contraction in your triceps only when your arms are fully extended. So pause at the lockout position of each rep for a few seconds and feel the squeeze in your triceps.

3. Target all 3 heads of your triceps

To target the triceps long head, choose tricep exercises with dumbbells at home that take you through a full range of contraction and with your arms overhead including skullcrushers and overhead extensions.

The lateral head of the tricep can be targeted through dumbbell tricep exercises where your arms are by your side with an overhand grip such as dumbbell kickbacks.

To recruit the triceps medial head, the best tricep workout with dumbbells would be the ones with your hands by your side and an underhand grip.

4. Choose the right frequency of training

If you focus on different muscle groups each day, then try to get at least 2 days of upper arms workouts. Remember to exercise your triceps before you hit your biceps.

If it’s a weekly full-body routine that you follow, you could include a few dumbbell exercises for biceps and triceps along with your other muscle groups.

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Final words

There’s no point in having a strong chest or back if your triceps are weak as this would decrease your upper body strength, cause muscular imbalances, and increase your risk of injuries.

So, if you haven’t been paying much attention to your triceps so far, now’s the time to change that!

Pick up Burnlab’s adjustable dumbbell set today and try these dumbbell tricep exercises now!

Which of these best tricep workout with dumbbells is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!