tricep exercises · triceps workout · May 18, 2023

Sculpt Your Arms with These 10 Lateral Head Tricep Exercises

by Priya Samuel

Do you dream of having fabulous, sculpted arms? Then, my friend, it’s time to pay attention to your triceps, particularly the lateral head tricep.

Here’s why.

Your lateral head tricep is deemed to be the strongest of the 3 tricep heads as it contains a high percentage (67.5%) of fast-twitch type muscle fibers. These muscle fibers adapt more readily to resistance training, allowing you to build size and strength in your triceps more efficiently.

In this blog, we’ll cover the 10 best lateral head tricep exercises for mass, how exactly you can target the lateral head tricep, and the benefits of doing so.

So, are you ready to blow up your arms and rock those tight tees like a boss? Then, let’s go!

Benefits of Training the Lateral Head of Your Triceps

Here are a few of the top benefits of training the lateral head of your triceps.

1. Aesthetics

Know those coveted “horseshoe” triceps that bodybuilders flaunt? You can’t have triceps like that without training your lateral (and long) head!

Since the lateral head of the triceps is visible from the back and side, well-developed lateral heads can give your upper arms some serious mass and definition.

2. Improves your lockouts

The lateral head of the tricep is super important when you're bench pressing, especially at the top part of the movement.

So if you’ve ever struggled during the lockout phases of your bench presses and other compound presses including overhead and push presses, lateral head tricep workouts are a no-brainer.

3. Elbow health

Lateral head tricep exercises lead to a stronger lateral head which in turn contributes to a stronger, healthier, and injury-resistant elbow.

4. Increases overall strength

Lateral head tricep workouts help you develop stronger triceps that translate to improved overall strength, power, stamina, endurance, and injury resilience in daily activities, sports, and weightlifting.

How The Lateral Head Tricep Contributes To Performance

Know those fast-twitch muscle fibers we were talking about earlier? Another great thing about them is that they can generate explosive and powerful contractions under resistance!

So, if you have a well-developed lateral tricep head, you can generate more force and power during tricep exercises. This means your performance in any upper-body-strength-requiring activity such as weightlifting or sports is going to be off the charts!

How to Target the Lateral Head of Your Triceps

Here’s the first thing you need to understand about your tricep heads.

While you can’t ISOLATE a particular tricep head, you can EMPHASIZE a specific tricep head. The type of exercises, grip positions, and arm positions will all determine which tricep head is emphasized.

So how to target the lateral head of your triceps?

Choose tricep exercises that

Keep your arms at your sides and /or

Use an overhand or neutral grip.

Tricep kickbacks, overhand-grip pressdowns, and tricep dips are all excellent lateral head tricep exercises falling into this category.

Here are a few alternate ways to target the lateral head of your triceps:

Choose exercises that allow you to extend your elbow in a way that directs your forearm towards the side. Crossbody pushdowns or extensions are great examples of such lateral head tricep exercises.
Use the decline position for exercises such as close-grip bench presses, close-grip push-ups, and skull crushers.

10 Best Lateral Head Tricep Exercises

1. Dumbbell JM press

One of the top lateral head tricep exercises for women and men to increase your lockout strength for bench presses.

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.

You might like: 12 Simple But Effective At-Home Body Toning Exercises For Women

2. Dumbbell Triceps Kickback

Research shows that this lateral head tricep exercise with dumbbells provides a higher level of tricep activation than most other exercises.

lateral head tricep exercises

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Bend your left knee and position it on top of a flat bench while placing your right foot on the floor.
Place your left arm on the bench right beneath your shoulder.
Grab a dumbbell with your right palm using a neutral grip and bring it towards your chest such that your upper arm is parallel to the floor. This is the starting position.
Now push the dumbbell out behind you until your arm is fully extended,
Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

3. Decline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

As per a study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics, the decline position used in this lateral head tricep exercise for mass is excellent for activating the triceps.

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders

How to perform

Set a bench to a -15 degree decline.
Lie face up on the bench with your feet under ankle pads to secure them into position.
Grasp a barbell with a close overhand grip and position it above your chest with your arms fully extended. This is the starting position.
Slowly lower the bar until it touches your chest while keeping your elbows close by your side.
Pause for a moment and then drive the bar back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

4. Decline dumbbell skull crusher

This lateral head tricep exercise with dumbbells provides a great stretch on the lateral head and thus helps increase your triceps muscle mass.

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Set up a decline bench at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor.
Grab a pair of dumbbells one in each hand with a neutral grip and lie face up on the bench.
Begin by pushing your arms out to the full lockout position so that the dumbbells are over your head.
Lower the weights towards your shoulders while keeping the elbows close to your sides.
Once you feel a good stretch in your triceps, drive the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

Buy Burnlabs’ Adjustable Dumbbell Kit here.

5. Decline close-grip push up

Research shows that elevating your feet places more bodyweight on your arms leading to greater tricep activation thus making this one of the best lateral head tricep exercises without weights.

lateral head tricep exercises

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders, biceps, core.

How to perform

With your palms on the floor, rest your toes on a bench behind you.
Place your palms close to each other and directly beneath your shoulders.
Ensure that your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet. This is the starting position.
Keeping your elbows close to your body, lower down until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Raise yourself back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

6. Crossbody Pressdown with resistance band

Since this lateral head tricep exercise for beginners directs your forearm towards the side, it is awesome for emphasizing your lateral head tricep.

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Loop a resistance band around an anchor point above your head.
Stand to the side of the band’s anchor point about a foot away.
Hold the resistance band with your left hand. Your palms should be facing your body with your left hand below your right shoulder. This is the initial position.
Now pull the band out and to your left until your left arm is fully extended directly to your side.
Pause for a second and slowly return to the initial position.
Perform the desired number of reps before switching sides.

Buy Burnlab’s resistance band set here.

7. Triceps kickback using a cable machine

The bent-over position used in this lateral head tricep workout has been shown to increase lateral head activation.

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

Position yourself in front of a cable machine, setting the pulley at hip height. You could grip the ball on the cable instead of using a handle attachment.
Bend forward at the hips, maintaining a slight knee bend, and hold onto a stable part of the cable machine with one hand.
With the other hand, grasp the cable ball, keeping your elbow bent. This is the starting position.
Maintain a flat back and neutral neck position. Keep your upper arm still as you contract your tricep and extend your arm backward.
Control the movement as you bring your arm back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps on this side before switching sides.

8. Close grip parallel dips

This lateral head tricep exercise without weights allows for a larger range of motion that leads to higher muscle activation and growth.

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders.

How to perform

Grasp the parallel dip bars (use the narrow grip setting on the dip machine) and suspend your body with your arms straight and your torso held upright. Your legs should be off the ground with one leg crossed behind the other.
Keep your elbows tight to your body and your shoulder blades pinned back. This is the starting position.
Now inhale as you lower yourself by bending your elbows until your upper arms and forearms are at right angles to each other and your triceps are fully stretched.
Exhale and use your triceps to rise back up to the starting position.
Pause for a second and then perform the desired number of reps.

Tips

Don’t lower your body to the point where you feel excess stress on your shoulder joint. Instead, focus on the lockout and contraction of the triceps at the top position.

9. Cable pressdowns

One of the top lateral head tricep exercises for women and men as it improves your triceps’ strength imbalances over the biceps.

lateral head tricep exercises

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Stand facing a cable machine with a straight bar attachment set at a high position.
Grab the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Bring the bar down to a height where your upper arms are higher than parallel to the ground. Keep your elbows close to your body and shoulders pulled back. This is the starting position.
Now lower the bar down until it reaches your thighs and you can feel the contraction in your triceps.
Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

You might like: A Guide To Beginners Weightlifting Routines For Women

10. Seated Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension

This lateral head tricep exercise for beginners fires up your lateral head and is great for enhancing shoulder mobility.

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Grab a dumbbell with your right hand and sit on a bench.
Begin by lifting the dumbbell over your head with your elbow close to your ear.
Lower the dumbbell down behind your head in a controlled manner. You should feel the contraction in your triceps.
Now slowly bring the dumbbell back to the starting position. Your elbow should remain stationary throughout the movement.
Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.