5 Tricep Workouts with Only Dumbbells
Build big triceps with only dumbbells by doing the right exercises.
The triceps make up around 70% of your arms, so don’t go skipping out on triceps exercises.
You don’t need machines, heavy barbell exercises, or progressive overload to grow your triceps. The tricep muscles are a smaller muscle group and respond best to volume.
Dumbbells, with a proper dumbbell training plan, can be an extremely effective tool for growing any muscle, including your triceps.
These are the best tricep dumbbell exercises:
French Presses
Skullcrushers
Seated Kickbacks with Supinated Grip
Reverse-Grip Push-Ups on Dumbbells
Single-Arm Overhead Extensions
Remember to flex your wrists on tricep exercises to activate the triceps as much as possible.
Grab your dumbbells and get ready to crank up the intensity to achieve a ridiculous tricep pump.
Tricep Dumbbell Workout #1
Lying Dumbbell Skullcrushers - 4 Sets of 15-20 Reps
These can be done on a flat bench, a bench with a slight decline, a bench with a slight incline, or from the floor if you don’t have a bench.
Flex the dumbbells from your shoulders up to the most painful part of the contraction and bring them back down to your shoulders.
Dumbbell French Press - 4 Sets of 15-20 Reps
Can be done seated or standing.
Hold a single dumbbell or two dumbbells pressed together behind your head and flex the dumbbell(s) up to the most painful point.
Reverse-Grip Push-Ups on Dumbbells - 4 Sets Until Failure
Place the dumbbells on the floor so they make a ‘V’ shape and grip them with a supinated grip.
Push yourself up using your triceps while allowing your hips to sag, which will keep more of the tension in your triceps.
Tricep Dumbbell Workout #2
Lying Single-Arm DB Skullcrusher with Slight Rotation - 4 Sets of 15-20
Set up like you would for a DB skullcrusher but use a more extreme angle and let the dumbbell come down lower than your shoulder.
Flex the dumbbell up and rotate your wrist so you end the movement with your palms facing up.
Single-Arm Overhead DB Extension with Elbow Pinned - 4 Sets of 15-20
Pin your elbow to a wall or an incline bench and flex the dumbbell up and away from your head.
Seated DB Kickbacks - 4 Sets of 15-20 (Or Until Failure)
Sit on a bench or in a chair and lean forward at your waist.
Hold the dumbbells with a pronated grip (palms down) and flex the dumbbells up and back slowly.
Watch the video below by Ryan Humiston to see the exercises and workout.
Tricep Dumbbell Workout #3
Take each first exercise in the combo to failure. These combos are set up as mechanical drop sets, so switching to the second exercise in the combo allows the muscle to keep working.
This workout can be completed in under 10 minutes.
Rest one minute between combos.
Combo One: Lying DB Extensions and Close Grip Press
Combo Two: Overhead DB Extensions and Floor Dips
Combo Three: Kneeling DB Kickbacks and Close Grip Push-Ups
Watch the video below by Athlean-X to see the exercises and workout.
Tricep Dumbbell Workout #4
Lying Dumbbell Skullcrushers Drop Sets - 4 Sets of 15-20 with 3 Drop Sets Each Set
You’ll need 4 sets of dumbbells at different weighs for the drop sets (I like to use 25s, 20s, 15s, and 10s)
Do 15-20 reps, drop to the next lighter DBs and do another 15-20 reps, drop again, etc.
Dumbbell French Press - 4 Sets of 15-20
Can be done seated or standing.
Hold a single dumbbell or two dumbbells pressed together behind your head and flex the dumbbell(s) up to the most painful point.
Bench Dips/Close Hand Push-Ups - 4 Sets of 10 Bench Dips/4 Sets Until Failure on Push-Ups
Do 10 bench dips to pre-exhaust your triceps.
Move directly to the close-hand push-ups and go until failure.
Tricep Dumbbell Workout #5
Seated DB Kickbacks with Rotation - 4 Sets of 15-20 (Or Until Failure)
Sit on a bench or in a chair and lean forward at your waist.
Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip and rotate to a pronated grip (palms down) as you flex the dumbbells up and back slowly.
Lying Dumbbell Skullcrushers Drop Sets - 4 Sets of 15-20 with 3 Drop Sets Each Set
You’ll need 4 sets of dumbbells at different weighs for the drop sets (I like to use 25s, 20s, 15s, and 10s)
Do 15-20 reps, drop to the next lighter DBs and do another 15-20 reps, drop again, etc.
Reverse-Grip Push-Ups on Dumbbells - 4 Sets Until Failure
Place the dumbbells on the floor so they make a ‘V’ shape and grip them with a supinated grip.
Push yourself up using your triceps while allowing your hips to sag, which will keep more of the tension in your triceps.
Now that we’ve covered triceps, check out these dumbbell arm workouts for biceps and triceps.
