The Best Triceps Long Head Exercises for Mass
Want sleeve-splitting triceps? Do these long head triceps exercises. The post The Best Triceps Long Head Exercises for Mass appeared first on Legion Athletics.
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To build bigger arms, focusing on long head triceps exercises is crucial.
Why?
Two reasons.
First, the triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm mass. Thus, neglecting or phoning in your triceps training will seriously limit your overall arm size.
And second, the section that lies along the inside of your arm and closest to your body—the “long head”—is the largest part of the triceps.
That’s why tricep long head exercises, in particular, are pivotal—they specifically train the area that contributes most to the arm’s bulk. In other words, doing long head triceps exercises is the best way to turn your “pipe cleaners into pythons,” as the meatheads like to say.
In this expert guide, you’ll learn what the long head of the triceps is, the best long head triceps exercises for adding mass to your upper arms, the best long head triceps workout, and more.
- What Is the Long Head of the Triceps?
- The 8 Best Long Head Tricep Exercises
- 1. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
- 2. JM Press
- 3. Dumbbell Floor Press
- 4. Weighted Dips
- 5. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- 6. EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
- 7. Cable Triceps Pushdown
- 8. Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
- The Best Long Head Tricep Workout
- FAQ #1: Do dips work the long head?
- FAQ #2: How long does it take to grow long head triceps?
- FAQ #3: Why is my tricep long head not growing?
Table of Contents
What Is the Long Head of the Triceps?
The triceps muscle is on the back of your upper arm and has three heads: the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head.
Here’s what they look like from behind:
All three heads of the triceps work together to straighten your elbow, which is why your triceps contribute during all pressing exercises, including the bench press, overhead press, and push-up.
Unlike the medial and lateral heads, however, the long head of the triceps also plays smaller roles in shoulder extension (bringing your arms from overhead to your sides by moving in an arc in front of you) and shoulder adduction (bringing your arms toward your body’s midline).
The long head of the triceps is also the largest of the three triceps heads and thus contributes most to the overall size of your triceps. That’s why it’s wise to prioritize long head triceps exercises to maximize upper arm mass.
Adopting this strategy won’t hamper the development of your other triceps heads, either. Even the best long head triceps exercises don’t isolate the long head entirely—they also involve the other heads to a significant degree.
In other words, even when you prioritize triceps long head exercises, you don’t neglect the other parts of your triceps, which is why triceps long head exercises are a boon for upper arm development.
The 8 Best Long Head Tricep Exercises
Here are the best long-head triceps exercises to include in your triceps workouts.
1. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
The close-grip bench press is simultaneously one of the best long head triceps exercises and one of the best tricep exercises for all 3 heads because it allows you to lift heavy weights safely and progress regularly. It also trains several other upper-body muscle groups, such as the chest and shoulders, making it an outstanding all-around upper-body exercise.
How to Do the Close-Grip Bench Press:
- Lie on a flat bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower and unrack it so it’s directly above your chest.
- Lower the barbell to your lower chest while keeping your elbows tucked at about a 30-degree angle relative to your torso.
- When the bar touches your chest, explosively press the bar back to the starting position.
2. JM Press
The JM press combines the close-grip bench press and triceps extension. It isolates the triceps more than the close-grip bench press and trains them through a greater range of motion, which is usually better for muscle growth.
How to Do the JM Press:
- Lie on a flat bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grip the barbell with a slightly narrower than shoulder-width grip, and unrack the barbell so it’s directly above your chest.
- Lower the barbell toward your neck. As you do so, keep your elbows up and in front of your torso, and slightly bend your wrists backward so that your palms face the ceiling.
- When your forearms and biceps touch, explosively press the bar back to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell Floor Press
By limiting the range of motion, the dumbbell floor press emphasizes your triceps instead of your pecs. This helps you improve your “lockout strength” on pressing exercises and adds mass to your upper arms.
How to Do the Dumbbell Floor Press:
- While sitting on the floor, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs.
- Lie back and hoist the dumbbells so you’re holding them on either side of your chest and your triceps are in contact with the floor.
- With your palms facing your feet, press the dumbbells straight over your chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
4. Weighted Dips
Many people think dips are a chest exercise, but depending on how you do them, they’re also an excellent long head tricep exercise. Specifically, performing them with an upright back angle helps emphasize the triceps. When you start doing dips, you can make great progress with just your body weight, but as you get stronger, you’ll want to add weight by hanging weights from a dip belt around your waist or pinching a dumbbell between your thighs.
How to Do Weighted Dips:
- If you’re using a dip belt, wrap the chain around your waist, add the desired amount of weight to the chain, and fasten the carabiner.
- Grab both handles of a dip bar or dip station, then press yourself up by straightening your arms and gently jumping off the ground so that your arms are straight and supporting your entire body weight.
- Keep your torso upright to put the emphasis on your triceps, bend your knees to keep your feet from touching the ground, and lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Press hard into the handles to drive your body back to the starting position.
5. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
The dumbbell overhead triceps extension is one of the best long head tricep dumbbell exercises because it works the long head when fully stretched. This is important because research shows that training a muscle when stretched leads to more muscle growth.
How to Do the Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension:
- Sit up straight on a bench.
- Grip one end of a dumbbell using both palms and lift it overhead so your arms are straight. Your palms should be flat against the end of the dumbbell and facing the ceiling.
- Lower the weight until it’s behind your head by bending at the elbow, then straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
6. EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
The skullcrusher is a great exercise for training all parts of the triceps, ensuring you have defined, proportional upper arms. (Tip: To make it more of a long head triceps exercise, increase the range of motion and lower the bar behind your head until it’s almost touching the bench.)
How to Do the EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
- While lying on a flat bench, hold an EZ Bar above your chest with a shoulder-width grip.
- Bring the bar down to your forehead by bending at the elbow, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
7. Cable Triceps Pushdown
The cable triceps pushdown is particularly good for targeting the long head of the triceps, especially if you keep your elbows slightly behind your torso. It also trains the triceps through a full range of motion, which is ideal for muscle growth.
How to Do the Cable Triceps Pushdown:
- Set the pulley on a cable machine to slightly above head height and attach the rope handle.
- Stand upright or lean slightly forward (you can adopt a staggered stance if it helps you balance), grab one end of the rope in each hand, and push the rope downward by straightening your elbows.
- Once your arms are straight and at your sides, reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
8. Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
Like the cable triceps pushdown, research shows the triceps kickback emphasizes the long head of the triceps, especially if you position your elbow slightly behind your torso.
How to Do the Dumbbell Triceps Kickback:
- Set the pulley on a cable machine to the lowest setting and attach a single handle.
- While still facing the pulley, grab the handle in one hand and take a large step back so that there is tension in the cable.
- Bend at the hips so your upper body is almost parallel to the ground, and tuck your elbow into your side. Slightly bend your knees and stagger your stance if it feels more comfortable.
- Push the handle straight behind you by straightening your arm, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
The Best Long Head Tricep Workout
For a great long head tricep workout, do the following:
- Perform long head tricep exercises that allow you to handle heavy weights and progressively overload your triceps.
- Use a variety of rep ranges to ensure you train your triceps with the right amount of volume and intensity.
And that’s exactly what you’ll get in this simple but effective long head triceps workout:
- Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Dips (weighted if possible): 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
- Cable Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets of 10-to-12 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
FAQ #1: Do dips work the long head?
Dips work all three heads of the triceps. While they don’t fully stretch the long head, they allow you to lift heavy weights safely and increase the load you lift incrementally, making them an exceptional long head triceps exercise.
FAQ #2: How long does it take to grow long head triceps?
The time it takes to see noticeable growth in the long head of your triceps varies depending on several factors, such as your training regimen, experience level, diet, and genetics.
If you’re new to weightlifting, eating a high-protein diet, and following a well-designed training program containing plenty of effective long head triceps exercises, most people should see growth in 12 weeks or fewer.
If you’re more experienced, eating a suboptimal diet, and doing too few tricep long head exercises, it could be many months or years before your triceps long heads get noticeably bigger.
FAQ #3: Why is my tricep long head not growing?
The most likely reasons your triceps long heads aren’t growing are:
- You’re not eating enough calories: Muscle growth requires a calorie surplus (unless you’re a complete beginner). If you’re not consuming enough calories, your muscles, including the long head of your triceps, may not have the necessary energy to grow. To learn how many calories you should eat to drive muscle growth, take the Legion Diet Quiz.
- You’re not eating enough protein: Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth. If you’re not already, aim to eat 0.8-to-1.2 grams of protein daily. For a convenient source of protein, take Whey+ or Casein+.
- You’re not training hard enough: Most gym-goers don’t train hard enough to maximize progress. To fix this, ask yourself at the end of each set, “If I had to, how many more reps could I have gotten with good form?” If the answer is more than two, increase the weight or reps to make your next set more challenging.
- You’re not training your triceps enough: Studies show you need to train a muscle with 10-to-20 weekly sets to maximize growth. If you’re not training your triceps long heads with this many sets, they won’t grow optimally.
- You’re doing the wrong exercises: Your triceps won’t grow unless you do effective long head triceps exercises. Avoid wasting time with ineffective exercises by choosing from the list of the best triceps long head exercises above or following a well-designed training plan, such as Bigger Leaner Stronger or Thinner Leaner Stronger.
The post The Best Triceps Long Head Exercises for Mass appeared first on Legion Athletics.
