Tricep Workout for Women to Show Off Steel Toned Arms Naturally

You may find many triceps exercises for women on the internet that claim to help you achieve strong and well-developed triceps which can sometimes be confusing. That’s why, in this article, we’ll suggest triceps exercises designed especially for women that cater to beginners starting their fitness journey as well as seasoned enthusiasts looking to take their strength and definition to the next level. Plus, combining these exercises with a balanced diet and regular cardiovascular activity will help you achieve your fitness aspirations to achieve triceps sculpting and become a stronger you.

The triceps are an important muscle group that helps us extend our arm from the shoulder joint and provides stability to our shoulder and arm movements. Incorporating this triceps exercise into your routine can improve arm flexibility, and increase range of motion, thereby increasing overall upper body strength and boosting your confidence. Before diving any further, it’s important to remember, consistency is key to achieving and maintaining better results.

What Are Triceps?

The triceps brachii muscle, located on the dorsal (back) side of the upper arm, is a large, thick muscle that has a horseshoe-like appearance. The key role that the triceps play in our body is the extension of the elbow joint. It consists of three distinct heads (tri = three, cep = head): the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. Despite their different origins, these tendons join distally to form a single tendon (1).

The three parts of the triceps muscle are:

1. Head Length: The largest of the three heads, the long head of the triceps originates from the scapula (scapula) at the infraglenoid tubercle. It extends down the back of the arm and attaches to the olecranon process of the ulna, which is the bony prominence at the back of the elbow. It functions in elbow extension and other minor actions such as preventing humeral displacement by stabilizing the humeral head in the glenoid cavity at the glenohumeral joint. It also helps with extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint.
2. Side Head: The strongest head of the three, the lateral head originates from the humerus (upper arm bone) along the posterior trunk. It runs along the outer side of the arm and also attaches to the olecranon process of the ulna. It plays a role in extension of the forearm at the elbow joint as it is active during supination or pronation of the forearm.
3. Head of Media: The medial head, as the name implies, is located on the inside of the arm. It originates from the humerus, just below the area where the long head originates, and is also attached to the olecranon process of the ulna. This head is also activated during supination or pronation of the forearm.

The three heads of the triceps work together to perform actions such as extending the forearm (straightening the elbow) and helping stabilize the shoulder joint. To achieve all-round tricep development, it’s important to combine exercises that target all three heads, ensuring balanced strength in the upper arms.

Tips for Tricep Exercises:

Some effective exercise tips and tricks to get you on track to achieve stronger and more defined triceps while minimizing your risk of injury and optimizing your overall training experience are as follows:

• Warmup: Before starting your triceps workout, do a dynamic warm-up that includes light cardio and dynamic stretches to increase blood flow to your muscles and prepare your joints for the workout (2).
• Exact form: Focus on maintaining proper form throughout each exercise. This not only prevents injury but also ensures that you are effectively targeting your triceps. Avoid using momentum or swing to lift the weight. Also, remember to work each exercise through its full range of motion. This ensures that you engage the entire muscle and avoid imbalances.
• Pros of Progressive: Gradually increase resistance or lift heavier weights as you get stronger. Progressive overload is essential for muscle growth and development.
• Variation: Rotate between different triceps exercises to prevent plateaus and keep your muscles challenged. It also helps target all three heads of the triceps effectively (3).
• Breathing: Breathe naturally on each repetition. Exhale during the concentric (raising) phase and inhale during the eccentric (down) phase. (4).
• Rest Between Sets: Allow adequate rest between sets to recover and perform at your best. Rest duration may vary based on your goals – shorter breaks for hypertrophy (muscle growth) and slightly longer breaks for strength.
• Nutrition: Fuel your body with a balanced diet that includes sufficient protein to support muscle repair and growth. Stay hydrated before, during and after exercise (4).
• Recovery: Give your triceps time to recover between exercises. Aim to work your triceps 2-3 times per week, allowing at least 48 hours of rest between sessions (4).
• Stretching: After exercise, do static stretches to increase flexibility and aid muscle recovery (4).
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body’s signals. If you feel pain or discomfort, stop the exercise and assess your form. Push yourself, but don’t force the pain.
• Consult a Professional: If you are new to exercise or have a pre-existing condition, consider working with a professional or personal fitness trainer to devise a safe and effective triceps training plan.

Best Tricep Exercises for Women:

Women tend to store more fat around their limbs than men due to hormonal differences. Also, losing fat is a more strenuous procedure for women due to lower testosterone levels, which means slower muscle development (5). However, it’s not impossible, it just takes more time, effort, and patience to train those triceps to say goodbye to flabby arms.

Our list of effective triceps exercises incorporates a good mix of compound exercises such as bench presses or close grip dips and isolation exercises such as tricep kickbacks or rope attachment pushdowns. It’s important to add both to your training routine because while compound movements engage multiple muscle groups, promoting overall strength development, isolated exercises target the triceps more directly and help tone the muscles.

Here are some triceps exercises for women that can be done easily by both beginners and experts:

1. Tricep Dips:

1. Position yourself on a parallel bar or a firm edge of a chair/bench with your hands gripping the surface behind you.
2. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Push through your palms to lift your body back to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This targets all three heads of the triceps.
• This helps build overall tricep strength.
• This can be modified for different fitness levels.

2. Pushups:

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body to the ground by bending your elbows.
3. Push your palms back to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This is one of the most popular bodyweight exercises that involve the triceps along with the chest and core muscles.
• It builds upper body strength and stability.
• It can be easily adjusted for different levels of difficulty.

3. Tricep Kick:

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat.
2. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and extend your forearms back.
3. Slowly return to starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This isolates the triceps effectively.
• This helps tone and define the back of the arm.
• It can be done with minimal equipment.

4. Bench Press close grip:

1. Lie on a bench and hold a barbell with your hands closer than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
3. Push the barbell back to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This emphasizes the triceps while also engaging the chest and shoulders.
• This improves overall upper body strength.

5. Overhead Tricep Extension:

1. Hold a dumbbell or dumbbell with both hands above your head.
2. Lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows.
3. Extend your arms to lift the weight back up.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• It focuses on the long head of the triceps.
• This helps increase tricep muscle mass and strength.

6. Skull Crusher:

1. Lie on a bench and hold a dumbbell or dumbbell over your chest.
2. Lower the weight towards the forehead by bending the elbows.
3. Extend your arms to return to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This targets the long head of the triceps.
• This improves overall tricep definition and strength.

6. Diamond Push-ups:

1. Begin in a push-up position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your thumb and forefinger.
2. Lower your body while keeping your elbows close to your sides.
3. Push back to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• It focuses on the inner triceps.
• This provides a challenging variation of the traditional push-up.

7. Tricep Rope Pushdown:

1. Attach the rope handle to the cable machine and hold the rope by the handrails.
2. Keep your upper arms still and push the rope down until your arms are fully extended.
3. Slowly let the rope return to the starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This targets the lateral head of the triceps.
• It isolates the triceps effectively for muscle definition.

8. Bench Dips:

1. Sit on the edge of a bench or chair and place your hands beside your hips.
2. Slide your hips off the bench and lower your body by bending your elbows.
3. Push through your palms to lift your body back up.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This involves all three heads of the triceps.
• It requires minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere.

9. Overhead Tricep Extension:

1. Attach the straight bar to the cable machine and hold it by the handrails.
2. Extend your arms down, keeping your upper arms stationary.
3. Slowly return the bar to its starting position.

The benefits of doing this exercise are:

• This targets all three heads of the triceps.
• This provides constant tension throughout the movement for muscle growth.

Remember to gradually increase the weight and intensity as your strength increases. Incorporating these exercises into your routine will help you achieve sculpted and strong triceps while increasing your overall upper body strength.

Conclusion

Triceps workouts for women are specially curated to be easy to incorporate into your routine to help you set yourself on track to reach your fitness goals. Plus, following the tips and guidelines provided will help you boost your confidence, and enjoy the rewards of a stronger, healthier you. As you challenge yourself and push your limits, remember to prioritize proper form and technique to prevent injury. Listen to your body and allow adequate time to recover between workouts, allowing your triceps to recover and grow stronger. So now that you have all the scientifically backed information, you can take the first step and accept the challenge without hesitation and see your triceps transform with hard work and pure determination.

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