Best At-home Arm Exercises for Flabby Triceps

When it comes to fitness, many people’s goal is to achieve a toned look in their upper arms. Most of the time, the area they would like to improve and work on is the one covered by the triceps brachii muscle, in short triceps, which encompasses the side and the back of the arm. 

This area is, in fact, prone to muscle atrophy and/or fat accumulation, which can lead to sagging of the skin. The triceps have three heads (medial, lateral, and long) that attach at different points of the scapula, humerus, and ulna, and for this reason, you must ensure you hit all of the sections of the muscle to achieve maximal results. 

The triceps enable us to extend the arms, so it is very important to keep it strong not only for improving your aesthetics but for health reasons too. In this article, we will discuss how you can work on your flabby triceps in the comfort of your home so that you can improve the look of your arms without the need to go to the gym. 

5 Exercises To Do At Home To Tone Up Your Triceps 

Especially when it comes to building muscles, many people still refrain from exercising at home for this purpose due to the popular misbelief that you can’t achieve good results when training in your own house. 

However, far are the times when the only way to get in shape was to have a gym membership. In recent years, in fact, home workouts increased in popularity, and more and more people are now indulging in buying fitness equipment to create their own gym. For this reason, we scouted the 5 best exercises to strengthen and tone up the triceps for those who want to train at home.

Narrow Push Ups

This push-up alternative requires you to maintain a narrower hand stance, which enables you to target your triceps’ long and lateral heads more effectively than its standard variation. If you are just starting out, you may want to perform this exercise on your knees rather than with your legs extended. 

Execution

1. Start by kneeling down on the floor

2. Place yourself in an extended plank with your hands positioned in line with your shoulders

3. Gently lower your body down to the floor by bending your elbows and maintaining your body straight

4. Use your triceps to push yourself back up so that your arms are fully extended. This is one repetition

Sets: 3-4

Repetitions: 12

Frequency: 2-3 times a week if you want to specifically target the triceps, otherwise 1 time a week if you want to work on the overall body

Dips

Dips are a compound movement that fully engages all three parts of the triceps muscle, making it one of the most effective exercises to tone up the back of your arms. 

Execution

1. Place yourself in front of a low surface, such as a chair, bench, or coffee table

2. Sit on the edge of it and move your arms down your sides

3. Place your palms flat on the surface and wrap the edge with your fingers

4. From this position, extend your legs out, with only the heel of your feet touching the floor

5. Keeping your palms on the chair and your legs straight, lift your lower body from the chair and drop it gently down to the floor by bending the elbows

6. Using your triceps, push yourself back up until your arms are fully extended. This is one repetition

Sets: 3-4

Repetitions: 12

Frequency: 2-3 times a week if you want to specifically target the triceps, otherwise 1 time a week if you want to work on the overall body

Triceps Kickback with Dumbbells

This exercise also works all three heads of the triceps muscle, although with a slightly lower intensity compared to the dips, as triceps kickbacks are an isolation movement rather than a compound exercise. However, it is still a great inclusion in your triceps workout as it enables you to work this muscle in isolation.

Execution

1. Stand upright while holding one dumbbell in each hand, with the palms facing in toward your legs

2. Hinge forward to bring your torso in line with the floor, making sure to leave some flexibility in your knees

3. From this position, gently move the dumbbells up to your shoulder, maintaining the elbows tucked into your waist

4. Keeping the elbow locked into the waist, move the dumbbells back until your arms are fully extended and your triceps are contracted. This is one repetition

Sets: 3-4

Repetitions: 12

Frequency: 2-3 times a week if you want to specifically target the triceps, otherwise 1 time a week if you want to work on the overall body

Standing Overhead Extensions 

This exercise is great for isolating and targeting the lateral head of the triceps and allows you to develop more strength in this muscle. 

Execution

1. Start by standing upright while holding one dumbbell in your hands

2. Hold the dumbbell from the handle using both hands, making sure you can maintain a tight and secure grip

3. Move the dumbbell above your head and fully extend your arms 

4. Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending the elbows

5. Using your triceps and maintaining your elbows locked in place, move the weight back up above your head by extending your arms. This is one repetition

Sets: 3-4

Repetitions: 12

Frequency: 2-3 times a week if you want to specifically target the triceps, otherwise 1 time a week if you want to work on the overall body

Straight Arm Pulldown with Elastic Band

In this exercise, the triceps work as a stabilizer, which results in moderate engagement of the full muscle. In fact, as the arms are maintained straight throughout the execution, this results in the triceps being fully extended and contracted to maintain the correct posture. 

Execution

1. Take the anchor provided with your elastic bands and lock it on the top of the door frame. Then attach the bands

2. Grab one side of the band with each hand, and straighten your arms

3. Walk back a couple of steps and hinge slightly forward

4. Maintaining your arms straight, pull the elastic band down towards yourself until your hands are in line with your hips

5. Slowly move the arms back up in their original position whilst maintaining them straight. This is one repetition

Sets: 3-4

Repetitions: 12

Frequency: 2-3 times a week if you want to specifically target the triceps, otherwise 1 time a week if you want to work on the overall body

Final thoughts

If you want to target your triceps, you can perform these 5 exercises 2-3 times a week. Ideally, you should perform all five in each sitting to increase exercise volume and hypertrophy, which ultimately is what helps tone up your arms. If your triceps area is also flabby due to excess fat accumulation, then you may decide to follow a nutrition plan alongside your training to maximize results. 

References

Landin, D., Thompson, M. and Jackson, M., 2018. Functions of the triceps brachii in humans: a review. Journal of clinical medicine research, 10(4), p.290.

Madsen, M., Marx, R.G., Millett, P.J., Rodeo, S.A., Sperling, J.W. and Warren, R.F., 2006. Surgical anatomy of the triceps brachii tendon: anatomical study and clinical correlation. The American journal of sports medicine, 34(11), pp.1839-1843.

Morton, R.W., Colenso-Semple, L. and Phillips, S.M., 2019. Training for strength and hypertrophy: an evidence-based approach. Current Opinion in Physiology, 10, pp.90-95.