8 Best Tricep Exercises for Women (30-Minute Tricep Workout)

How To Do Single Arm Tricep Kickbacks

1. Start with feet hip-distance apart, slight bend in the knees and hinge forward. Option to stagger the feet to support the lower back.
2. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand at your side (palm facing your body) with your left arm bent at a 90-degree angle. Think shoulders down and back away from your ears.
3. ‘Kickback,’ extending the left elbow so your left arm forms a straight line as you push the dumbbell back past your hips. At the top of the movement, elbow is fully extended.
4. With control, slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position.

How To Do Overhead Tricep Extensions

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees.
2. Hold one dumbbell or two dumbbells vertically overhead and activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell(s) behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).

How To Do Tricep Push Ups

1. Start in high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers. Pull your kneecaps up towards your belly.
2. Hold this position maintaining a straight line with your body, flat back, tight core, and neck in line with spine, gaze slightly in front of you.
3. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides. Keeping your elbows narrow engages your triceps rather than your chest muscles, like a standard push up would. Maintain a straight line with your body — head, chest and legs in one straight line.
4. Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank.

Modification: Option to add an incline by placing your hands on a chair or bench. Or modify the tricep pushups by dropping down to your knees. You can also check out this post for more ways to modify push ups. 

How To Do A Narrow Floor Press

1. Lay flat on your back (on the ground, on a flat bench, or on a stability ball) with one dumbbell in each hand, elbows at your sides, dumbbells at mid-chest point. Legs bent at 90 degrees with feet firmly on the floor.
2. Activate your chest by pressing the dumbbells together.
3. Exhale as you press the dumbbells up in a straight line overhead, ending with your wrists stacked over shoulders.
4. Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest with control. Repeat this narrow chest press movement.

How To Do Skull Crushers

1. Lie flat on the ground or on a bench or stability ball; legs bent at 90 degrees.
2. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms so the dumbbells are directly overhead (palms facing one another).
3. Bending at the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head (just bending at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells towards your temples).
4. Then press the dumbbells back overhead to return to the starting position.

How To Do A Side Lying Tricep Press

1. Lie down on one side, stacking your shoulders, hips, and feet. Option to bend your legs or keep them extended long.
2. Plant your top hand to the mat directly in front of your bottom shoulder. Gently hold your top shoulder with your bottom hand (this keeps the shoulder stable and ensures the work is coming from your triceps).
3. Pressing through the palm of your hand on the mat, push yourself up off the mat until your arm is almost fully extended.
4. With control, lower yourself back to the mat returning to the starting position.

How To Do A Banded Tricep Push Down

1. Start with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Option to slightly stagger your feet.
2. Hold the top of the resistance band at your left shoulder with your right hand. Then loop your left hand/palm through the bottom of the resistance band.
3. Slightly hinge forward at the hips and perform a tricep kickback on the left arm. Extend the left arm long behind you as you pull the band band back towards your left hips/butt (left arm straight).
4. With control, slowly return your left hand to the starting position.

How To Do Tricep Dips

1. Grip the edge of a chair or bench, fingertips pointed toward your butt or toes, elbows bent. Note, you can also perform tricep dips sitting on the ground with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your hands behind you (fingertips facing your butt).
2. Keeping your back close to the chair, lower yourself, bending at the elbows until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle.
3. Press through your palms, using your triceps to push you back up to starting position.

Modification: The closer your feet are to the bench, the easier the tricep dips will be.