10 Best Dumbbell Tricep Exercises for Bigger, Defined Arms

Discover the 10 best dumbbell tricep exercises to quickly build stronger, bigger, and more defined arms. Step-by-step instructions, tips for perfect form, and fresh moves to enhance your routine and achieve that impressive tricep “horseshoe” shape.

Your triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm size, so you should focus on them more if you want bigger and stronger arms. And dumbbells are the perfect piece of fitness equipment that you can use at home to transform your triceps.

If you’re limited to dumbbells and not getting results with your tricep size and definition, you could just be doing the wrong exercises or not using proper form. There’s nothing worse than wasting your time by doing the wrong tricep exercises and having only frustrating results to show for it.

In my almost 20 years as a personal trainer, I found these 10 dumbbell tricep exercises to be the best for targeting all three heads of your tricep muscle. So keep going to uncover the best exercises (for advanced and beginner lifters) you can do to transform your triceps with only dumbbells. I’ll break down each exercise so you get the fastest results safely.

How to Train Your Triceps with Dumbbells for Maximum Gains

The triceps muscle makes up about 70% of your upper arm size and your bicep muscle makes up the remaining 30%. So if you want bigger stronger arms then you’ll get the fastest results by increasing muscle volume by exercising your triceps.

The triceps muscles are made up of three heads (parts). The long head of your triceps is closest to your body and the biggest of the three. The lateral head is on the outer side of your upper arm and gives your arms the rounding horseshoe look. And the medial head is in the middle beneath the long and lateral heads.

The long head of your triceps crosses your elbow and shoulder joint, making it best activated when your arms are overhead or behind your torso. Overhead Triceps Extension, Incline Dumbbell Kickbacks, Dumbbell Skull Crushers, and One-Arm Overhead Tricep Extensions will work the long head the best.

The lateral head of your triceps gives your arm width and definition. It’s best activated when your arms are at your sides with palms facing your body. So Dumbbell Kickbacks, Close Grip Bench Press will train your lateral head the best. Be sure to keep your elbows locked to your sides since it’ll be easy for your elbows to flare out and start recruiting the bigger stronger long head for help.

And the medial head of your triceps has to work the hardest during all tricep movement and it’s considered the “workhorse.” The lateral and long heads are more angle dependent on the exercise, but the medial head is all elbow extension.

The medial head fires during all tricep exercises, even light low-load movements. Be sure to lock out your elbow and fully flex your triceps muscles at the end of an exercise to completely activate the medial head.

You can check out my 10 best dumbbell exercises for biceps here.

3 Must-Have Factors for Dumbbell Bicep Exercises

High muscle activation in your triceps means your muscles have to work harder during that particular exercise. It’s how many muscle fibers in the triceps are recruited during that exercise. And the harder your tricep has to work, then the more strength and growth you’ll get from that exercise.

High mechanical tension in your tricep muscle is also a result of high muscle activation. It’s the force that’s placed on your muscle fibers in the triceps when they’re stretching and loading. Mechanical tension is one of the primary drivers of muscle growth.

It basically happens when a muscle is produces force under stretch and load during an exercise. And the more muscle activation then the more motor units and muscle fibers are involved.

To maximize mechanical tension on your triceps you’ll also want a good stretch on one end of the exercise and a strong contraction at the other. Mechanical tension is greatest when the muscle is under load while it’s stretched and then contracts forceully under that load.

All of the dumbbell tricep exercises below follow these principles to maximize strength, gains, and muscle growth in the triceps muscles.

Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension

The dumbbell overhead tricep extension targets the inner long head of the triceps. The overhead position stretches the long head, allowing for greater mechanical tension and muscle growth. If you’re looking to grow your arm size then this is a great exercise to do so.

1. Stand and grab a dumbbell in each hand, bringing them to your chest and holding them together in a diamond position. Then raise your arms over your head and keep your elbows in, but do not fully lock out your elbows at the top.
2. Tighten your abs to keep your lower back from arching. Then slowly bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head. Lower the dumbbell as far as you can do so comfortably and feel the deep stretch in your triceps at the bottom.
3. Keep your elbows in and pointing forward, and don’t allow them to flare out. Then, slowly extend your arms back to the starting position by straightening your arms overhead. At the top, focus on squeezing your triceps muscles.

One-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension

The one-arm version of the dumbbell overhead tricep extension will give you more range of motion and a deeper stretch. Since your arm can go lower behind your head, it’ll enhance long head activation. But since your elbow will flare out more, the lateral head of your triceps will be more involved. This exercise variation can be great for addressing imbalances between your tricep muscles on each arm.

1. Stand and grab a dumbbell in one hand, then fully extend your arm over your head with your palm facing inward. Try to keep your triceps by your ear and your elbow tucked in, but it is fine if it flares out a little bit which is natural due to shoulder mobility.
2. Tighten your core to keep your lower back from arching, and avoid leaning or swinging. You can use your opposite hand to hold the torso side that is doing the lifting to improve stability.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbell back behind your head by bending your elbow. At the bottom feel a deep stretch in your triceps, especially the inner long head. And do your best to keep your elbow pointing forward and not flaring out.
4. Slowly bring the dumbbell back up by straightening your arm back over your head. You can stop short of fully locking out your elbow if you feel any pain in the joint. Raise your triceps hard at the top to maximize muscle contraction in your triceps.

Dumbbell Kickbacks

Dumbbell kickbacks are an excellent exercise for isolating the lateral head of your triceps, especially when your arm is fully extended in the lockout phase. When your arm is at full extension, your triceps will be under maximum mechanical tension, which improves muscle definition and toning.

1. Stand and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your sides as well. Next, tighten your abs and hinge forward at your waist like you’re going to do a bent-over row. Keep your back flat with a neutral spine.
2. Tuck your elbows by your sides and raise your upper arm until it’s parallel with your torso. Your upper arm shouldn’t move during the exercise and should be locked to your side.
3. Then, extend your arm by straightening your elbow to drive the dumbbell back until your arm is fully extended. A big tip is to rotate your palms at the end so they’re now facing upward to maximize contraction in the triceps’ lateral head.
4. Squeeze your triceps hard at the top, and after briefly pausing, slowly lower the dumbbells under control back down into the starting position until your arms are at a 90-degree bend.
5. Focus on keeping the dumbbells under control and do your best to avoid swinging or allowing your elbows to drop or flare outward

Dumbbell Skull Crushers

Dumbbell skull crushers can give you a slightly greater range of motion than the straight or EZ-bar curl and also help to address muscle imbalances because each arm has to work independently. For some, using dumbbells can give you a more comfortable joint angle and put less stress on your wrists and elbows.

1. Lie flat on a bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Then, extend your arms straight above your shoulders with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
2. Keep your elbows locked in position and in line with your shoulders. Don’t let your elbows flare out. This will keep tension off your shoulders and on your tricep muscles.
3. Bend your elbows to slowly lower the dumbbells just outside the top of your head or even slightly behind it.
4. Pause and feel the stretch at your triceps at the bottom before extending your elbows back to the top and straightening out your arms.  At the top, squeeze your tricep muscle to maximize the contraction, but don’t lock out too hard all the way.

Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

The incline dumbbell tricep extension exercise stretches the long head of the triceps to the maximum. The incline position is better than the flat bench because it puts your arms farther behind your head, which creates a deeper stretch and more mechanical tension in the long head. The incline also locks your shoulders in place and makes it less likely you will cheat by using your shoulders.

1. Set up an adjustable bench at a 45-degree45-degree angle. Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended above your shoulders, and palms facing each other in a neutral grip.
2. Keep your elbows facing in as you begin to lower the dumbbells slowly back behind your head. Keep your arms angled back and not completely vertical to keep mechanical tension on your triceps.
3. At the bottom with the dumbbells behind your head, rotate your wrists so your palms are facing the ground. This helps to accentuate the stretch in your triceps.
4. Then slowly extend your arms back into the starting position by straightening your elbows and keeping your upper arms stable in place. At the top, slightly rotate your wrists so your palms are now facing forward to better maximize tricep muscle contraction.

Titan Press

This dumbbell triceps exercise blends the close-grip bench press and skull crusher to emphasize engagement in the tricep muscle with a unique pressing motion. The Titan Dumbbell Press mostly targets the long and medial heads of your triceps. It’s a unique exercise with a unique angle that makes it a great way to mix things up in your tricep workouts.

1. Set up an adjustable bench at a 45-degree angle, hold a dumbbell in each hand, and lie back on the bench.  
2. Bring the dumbbells up so they’re over your chest, and flare your elbows out to the sides.
3. Rotate your shoulders inward so your elbows move closer to your head and the dumbbells towards your toes.
4. Press the dumbbells up by extending your elbows. Keep the dumbbells close together throughout the movement and maintain the same elbow positioning.
5. At the top squeeze your triceps before slowly lowering the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
6. Briefly pause the bottom to stretch the triceps before repeating.

Incline Dumbbell Kickbacks

Doing dumbbell kickbacks face down on an incline bench can reduce swinging and momentum while isolating your tricep muscle at a different angle to maintain constant tension. I generally prefer to do dumbbell kickbacks like this on an incline bench since it isolates the tricep muscle better.

1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle. Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand and lay face down on the bench, but don’t sit all the way down. Stand so the top of your chest is at the top of the bench.
2. Keep your elbows locked to your sides as you extend them to lift the dumbbells back behind you.
3. When your elbows lock out, rotate your wrists so your palms face upward behind you to maximize the contraction in your lateral head. Squeeze the muscle at the top for a brief second.
4. Then, slowly lower your dumbbells back down to the starting position, always making sure your elbows stay by your sides and lock to position throughout the entire movement.

L-Extension Press

I like doing the L-extension press towards the end of my triceps workouts. It really targets the inner long head of your triceps. You can do it on an incline or flat bench. One big tip is to keep your upper arm leaning in towards the exercise to keep tension on your triceps (don’t let your upper arm go completely vertical).

1. Grab a dumbbell and one arm and lay back on a bench. Raise your arm straight up so it’s in line with your shoulder.
2. Slowly lower the dumbbell down towards your opposite shoulder and let your upper arm lean into the stretch at the bottom.
3. Hold your elbow in this position and then raise the dumbbell back up by extending your elbows.
4. Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your tricep muscle to maximize the contraction before repeating. Don’t let your upper arm go completely vertical, and let it lean into the movement.

Dumbbell Close Grip Floor Press

I prefer to do my close-grip presses on the floor for higher tricep muscle activation. Due to the limited range of motion at the bottom, you’ll be more elbow-dominant instead of chest and shoulders. This is also less stressful on your shoulders, and you can focus more on locking out at the top to emphasize tricep muscle contraction.

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the ground.  Hold a dumbbell on each hand, shoulder width apart with your palms facing inward.
2. Slowly lower the dumbbell by bending your elbows down towards the floor.
3. Keep your elbows by your sides throughout the entire movement. Your elbows don’t need to touch the ground and can stop right before it.
4. Press the dumbbells back up and focus on squeezing your tricep muscles at the top by locking out your elbows to maximize the contraction.  Pause for a second to really maximize contraction.

Dumbbell Close Grip Push-ups

I like doing close-grip push-ups with dumbbells instead of the floor because you’ll have an increased range of motion.  You can go lower towards the ground to really stretch your triceps and at the top you get higher muscle activation.  You can squeeze your triceps more intensely at the top when you’re using dumbbells instead of with your palms flat on the floor. It’s also easier on your wrists.

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand and kneel down on the floor.  Place the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and get into the push-up position by holding the dumbbells, keeping your back straight and your toes on the floor.
2. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows. Be sure to keep your elbows locked to your sides throughout the entire movement.
3. At the bottom, briefly pause to stretch your triceps and then press back up through your arms.  At the top, try to lock out your elbows and fully squeeze your tricep muscles to maximize the contraction.

Tips When Doing These Tricep Exercises with Dumbbells

Try to use a heavier dumbbell weight that allows you to keep proper form throughout the movement. Going too light can make it hard to really challenge your tricep muscle during the exercise.

Your muscles need a challenging weight, so your tricep muscle recruits more motor units.  This increases the stimulus for muscle growth by working harder under resistance. The sweet spot is a heavy enough load to push your tricep near fatigue within the targeted rep range, while maintaining strict form and allowing for a full range of motion.  This maximizes mechanical tension, resulting in optimal muscle growth.

The eccentric phase when doing triceps is when you lower the weight towards the ground. A slow eccentric phase will increase the amount of time your triceps are working by boosting time under tension. This creates more mechanical tension and helps to trigger more stimulus to trigger muscle growth.

The eccentric phase generates more force, creating greater mechanical stress, which also increases micro damage in your muscles.  These microscopic muscle fiber tears in your tricep muscle stimulate stronger muscle repair and growth.  

To maximize mechanical tension throughout the entire muscle, make sure you use a full range of motion by stretching your triceps at the bottom and then fully contracting at the top. Fully stretching and contracting your tricep muscle will engage more motor units and fibers than just doing partial reps. 

Training near failure for each set increases mechanical tension in your triceps by recruiting more muscle fibers.  In the beginning, your triceps will use lower-effort muscle fibers, but as you approach failure, your body is forced to switch to using larger, stronger fibers.  These high threshold ones give you the greatest growth potential.

When you’re lifting near failure, your triceps have to generate a higher force, which creates peak mechanical tension in your triceps. This intensity is the most effective because it’s done under the highest internal muscle tension and signals your body to adapt by growing and strengthening your muscles.  

Be sure to consume enough protein daily to get results. Your muscles need protein for recovery and growth. No protein? No progress.

Try using a low-carb protein powder to make it easier to meet your daily protein requirements. I recommend the one below: