How to Work the Medial Head of Your Tricep

No upper-body workout would be complete without some exercises that target your triceps, and we've got plenty for you to choose from! All of these exercises use all 3 heads of the muscle, but some target the medial head more than others. We'll start with easier exercises that don't require any equipment, then move into resistance exercises that use basic gym equipment to really get you burning and trigger strong lean muscle growth.

1

Close-grip push-ups

Do this exercise to create muscle-building tension in your triceps. Start in push-up position on your stomach with your legs extended and your toes on the floor. Place your hands flat in front of you, about shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows close to your side as you push up about halfway, then pause. Hold that position for about a second, then continue the push up until your elbows are fully extended. Lower back down to the starting position, then immediately do a full push-up without the pause to complete 1 pair of reps.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Do 3 sets of 5-6 pairs of reps for this exercise.
- While you're paused mid-rep, check your elbows and make sure they're still close to your sides, rather than flared out. Keep adjusting and over time your body will adapt to the correct form.
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2

Plank-ups

Try this one to feel the burn in your triceps. Do a forearm plank with your toes and forearms flat on the floor. Check that your arms are parallel and your hands are about shoulder-width apart with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Place your right palm on the floor as though you were about to do a plank-up, but hold that position for 4 seconds before you place your left palm on the floor and rise up to a full plank. Then lower back down to your forearms and repeat, leading with your left palm, to complete 1 rep.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Complete 5-6 more reps for 1 set, doing a total of 3 sets.
- For an extra challenge, lower back down onto your forearms one arm at a time, pausing for 4 seconds as you did when you were raising up.

3

Bodyweight extensions

Use this exercise to increase the endurance of your triceps. Rack a barbell 3 to 4 feet (0.91 to 1.22 m) off the ground and grip it with an overhand grip (palms facing down). Lean towards the bar in a plank position with your body straight and your core engaged. Bend your elbows to lower your head under the bar, then push back up to the starting position to complete the rep.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps of this exercise.
- Keep your elbows in as you lower your body to engage your triceps—don't flare them out.
- If you don't have a barbell, any sturdy bar at a similar height that you can grip will also work.
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4

Triceps dips

Start with bench dips as a beginner to build initial strength.^{[4]XExpert SourceElisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog TrainerExpert Interview. 3 September 2020.} Sit in front of a bench or box with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind you on the edge of the bench or box, about shoulder-width apart. Lift your body off the floor until your elbows are at right angles to come to your starting position. Then, lower your body slowly with control as far as you can. Press back up to the starting position to complete the rep.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Try to do 3 sets of 5 reps of this exercise.
- Because your knees are bent, you're dipping less than your body-weight in this position. As the exercise gets easier, you can extend your legs to dip with all of your body-weight. From there, you can progress to weighted dips.
- Use parallel bars about shoulder-width apart to dip your full body-weight. Attach weights to a belt for even more of a challenge!

5

Triceps kickbacks

Use dumbbells to build strength in your triceps.^{[6]XExpert SourceElisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog TrainerExpert Interview. 3 September 2020.} Pick up a dumbbell with your left hand and stand with your right leg forward. Keep your weight evenly distributed on both of your feet with a slight bend in the knees. Brace your abs and lean forward, placing your right hand on your right thigh. With your left arm close to your torso, bend your elbow at a 90-degree angle, then slowly straighten it backward. After fully extending your elbow, bring it back to the starting position slowly with control to complete 1 rep.^{[7]XResearch sourcev161718_b01]. 24 February 2021.}
- Do 10-15 reps, then switch to the other side. Do up to 3 sets on each side.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Remember to keep your shoulder blades pressed together along either side of your spine and your neck extended. If you're hunched over, your triceps won't be doing most of the work.
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6

Skull crushers

Isolate the medial head with this exercise. Get a dumbbell or other weighted object you can hold comfortably with 2 hands, then lie on your back on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your knees at right angles. Lift the weight over your head so that your elbows are fully extended and your arms are perpendicular to your body. Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weight towards your face until your elbows are at 90-degree angles, then lift back to start to complete the rep.^{[9]XExpert SourceElisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog TrainerExpert Interview. 3 September 2020.}
- Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps of this exercise.
- Because your arms are over your head, the medial head of your triceps does more of the work.^{[10]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}
- Raise and lower the weight slowly with control—don't jerk your arms, or you could injure your elbows.
- For an extra challenge, use 2 dumbbells (one in each hand) and lower them past your head.

7

Close-grip bench presses

Bench press dumbbells with an underhand grip to reach the medial head. Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet up so that your back is flat against the bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up. Keep your elbows close in along the sides of your torso as you extend the weights straight up, then lower with control to complete a rep.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps of this exercise.
- Pay attention to your form to target the medial head. Don't add more weight until you're doing presses consistently with perfect form.
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8

Cable overhead triceps extensions

Use a cable machine to target the medial head of your triceps.^{[12]XExpert SourceElisabeth Weiss
Professional Dog TrainerExpert Interview. 3 September 2020.} Use the rope attachment for the cable machine, attaching it to the lowest pulley. Face away from the machine, holding each end of the rope behind you with your palms facing toward each other. Slowly extend your elbows to lift the rope over your head, keeping your elbows close to the side of your head. Lower back down to the starting position to complete 1 rep.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Complete 10-15 reps for 1 set. Do up to 3 sets.
- The medial head of your triceps is doing the bulk of the work in this exercise because the movement is all overhead.^{[14]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}

9

Rope pushdowns

Attach a rope to a cable machine so your medial head does more work. Make sure the cable is all the way up before you attach the rope, then set your weights at a level where you can handle multiple repetitions. Grab the rope towards the ends with your palms facing each other. Take a step back and engage your core, pulling the rope towards your torso until your elbows are at acute angles. Slowly lower the ropes down to your sides until your arms are straight, keeping your elbows close to your torso. Return your arms to the starting position to complete 1 rep.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps of this exercise.
- Remember to keep your shoulder blades pressed together and your spine neutral so you don't hurt yourself.
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10

Cable unilateral triceps extensions

Try this exercise to isolate and focus on each arm. Stand in front of a cable machine in a staggered stance (one foot slightly in front of the other). With an underhand grip so your palm faces up, grab a handle attached to a high pulley. Pull the handle down until your elbow is at an acute angle (less than 90 degrees) next to your side. Then, extend your elbow until your arm is straight. Slowly return the weight to the starting position to complete 1 rep.^{[16]XResearch source}
- Go for 10-15 reps of this exercise, then switch and do it on the other side to complete a set. Do 3 sets total.

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Question
How do you modify exercises?
Alphonso White
Certified Personal Trainer, CompleteBody NYC
Alphonso White is a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach at CompleteBody in New York City. With over 20 years of experience in the personal fitness industry, Alphonso specializes in fat loss, toning, and functional training. As an ACE Certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT), he creates structured, personal workout plans geared towards short and long-term fitness goals. Alphonso also holds a BS in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Queens College and is a Black Belt in Seido Karate.
Alphonso White
Certified Personal Trainer, CompleteBody NYC
Expert Answer
You can modify exercises by adding dumbbells to increase training resistance. You can pair it with another exercise. E.g. Arm Curls, Shoulder Presses. Performing exercise quicker will increase train intensity.
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How do you do tricep kickbacks?
Alphonso White
Certified Personal Trainer, CompleteBody NYC
Alphonso White is a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach at CompleteBody in New York City. With over 20 years of experience in the personal fitness industry, Alphonso specializes in fat loss, toning, and functional training. As an ACE Certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT), he creates structured, personal workout plans geared towards short and long-term fitness goals. Alphonso also holds a BS in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Queens College and is a Black Belt in Seido Karate.
Alphonso White
Certified Personal Trainer, CompleteBody NYC
Expert Answer
Stand in a staggered stance with one leg forward and one leg back. Keep your back leg straight and your front knee slightly bent. Bend forward placing your hand without the dumbbell on your bent knee. Bend your arm with the dumbbell and bring it to your side. Straighten your arm while squeezing through your triceps. Return your arm to the bent position and repeat.
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Tips

The medial head of your triceps does the most work extending and flexing your elbow when your arm is above your head. Keep this in mind when doing triceps exercises.^{[17]XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source}
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