Triceps Power - Strengthen The Triceps To Push Up Pressing Poundage

Triceps training deserves a seat at the table for any lifter trying to push up pressing poundage. Biceps get the attention, but triceps finish the job. Bench presses, overhead presses, narrow-grip work, dips, hard lockouts, and direct triceps exercises all matter when the goal is to drive heavier weights to full extension.

Triceps - Give This Muscle a Seat at the Table

“My God son! What is this terrible swelling on the back of your arm?!” My old friend Bill Pearl, shown above, knew how to swell-up some triceps. In his gargantuan exercise encyclopedia, Keys to the Inner Universe, Bill identifies 100+ different types of triceps exercises.

One of the greatest compliments I ever received was inadvertent. I was undergoing a mandatory physical examination for football right before the start of summer two-a-day practices. The physician came in as I sat shirtless on the examining table. He looked at me and his eyes bugged out. “My God son!” he yelled as he rushed across the room and began prodding my right arm. “What is this terrible swelling on the back of your arm!” He was truly freaking out.

Had he discovered patient zero in a suburban outbreak of elephantiasis? Had a horde of wasps attacked me? I pridefully flexed my triceps. He jumped backward like he’d been gut shot. “Wow!” I thought, I was over the moon, “Those weighted dips are really working!”

Triceps are the critical arm muscle. While its counterparts on the other side of the arm, the biceps, get all the acclaim and attention, it’s the triceps that matter. Biceps are small, relatively insignificant muscles that get an undue amount of attention. The function of the biceps is to pull the fist in towards the shoulder, a fairly limited role. The triceps role is to extend the arm, to aid in pushing. Pushing outward occurs a lot in life.

Biceps Pull, Triceps Push

The biceps are involved anytime a payload is pulled towards the body. There is not a lot of need for this function. Biceps activation occurs to a lesser degree when the arms are used in back work. Every back exercise has the athlete pull a payload in towards them or pull it upward. Rowing, seated rows, chins, under-grip narrow-grip lat pulldowns, 70-degree “Dorian” rows, all stimulate the biceps to greater and lesser degrees. None stimulate the biceps to nearly the degree that curls do.

If a proper curl can stimulate 100% of the biceps, an under-grip narrow-grip chin or pulldown will stimulate perhaps 70-80% of the biceps. Good, but not nearly as good as curls. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that to build biceps, you don’t need curls.

Elite trainees try and figure ways to take the biceps out of back training. Having the biceps assist when pulling on a row or pulldown dilutes the exercise’s impact on the target muscle, the lats. Elite athletes will often use lifting straps in order to get the biceps out of back work. The goal of training the lats is to pull a weight towards the body using lats and lats only. When the biceps, a much weaker muscle, aids the effort it lessens the depth of the inroad.

The triceps are activated anytime a poundage is pushed to arms-length in any direction. Overhead pressing, incline pressing, flat bench pressing, decline benching, dips, any triceps isolation movement, all activate the triceps to a significant degree. While there are clever ways in which to take the biceps out of back work, there are no strategies for taking the triceps out of pressing exercises.

Triceps Are the Weak Link in Pressing

Triceps are the “weak link” in all pushing movements. The other push muscles are stronger than the triceps. The triceps job is to kick in and finish the push already started by the stronger pecs and delts. As the payload approaches lockout, the other muscles drop off, leaving the smaller and weaker triceps to finish the exercise solo.

This is the primary reason it is important to develop momentum during the first ¾ of any pushing movement: the goal is to create velocity and momentum to aid the tiny triceps and conclude the lockout.

Most trainees use a “soft lockout” in their pushing movements. A soft lockout occurs when the athlete pushes a bench press or overhead press, or any triceps isolation exercise, to the point where the triceps take over; and instead of pushing to full and complete lockout the trainee allows the weight to fall back downward. Partial reps equate to partial results.

There is a strong element of ego involved in using a soft lockout. A man that doesn’t fully lock his bench presses might be able to handle 250-pounds for reps in the flat bench. When this same individual is forced to use a full and complete lockout on every rep, they find 205 is all that they can handle.

Bodybuilding legend Bill Pearl displaying his massively muscular biceps and triceps muscles.

Full Lockout Comes First

Because the triceps are the weak link in all pressing movements, elite trainers will, first and foremost, use a full and complete ROM and lock out every rep of every set. Elite trainers will always allot a certain portion of their training regimen to direct triceps exercises. You should do likewise.

When training triceps don’t get tangled up in bodybuilder minutia: many lifters get too clever by half and “attack” the three parts of the triceps: the lower, middle, and upper “heads,” breaking tri-training into diced segments. This is a ridiculous undertaking that leads the trainee to embrace ridiculous and ineffectual triceps movements. There are quite a few excellent exercises that if done consistently and properly can yield spectacular results.

Pressing Movements That Build Triceps Power

• All incline, flat or decline bench pressing activate the triceps.
• The narrower the bench press grip, the more triceps isolative.
• Reverse-grip barbell bench press.
• All benching requires triceps activation to a significant degree to attain a hard lockout.
• All overhead pressing: military, standing, seated, front, or behind the neck.
• The narrower the overhead press grip, the more triceps isolative.
• All overhead pressing requires the triceps to activate to a significant degree to attain a hard lockout.

Triceps Isolation Exercises

• Overhead triceps press, barbell or dumbbells, standing or seated.
• Triceps press on a weight bench: incline, flat, or decline.
• Reverse-grip triceps overhead press.
• Reverse-grip triceps press on bench, incline, flat, or decline.
• Narrow-grip push-ups.
• Dips, regular and weighted.

Sets, Reps, Frequency, and Managing Expectations

Classically, triceps are trained at the end of the training session. If triceps are trained before benching or overhead pressing, the poundage-handling ability in those exercises is ruined. Classically, triceps are trained after bench pressing. Usually the heaviest triceps exercises are done on bench day.

Some of the iron elite will train the triceps once weekly while others will come back 2-3 days later to hit the triceps in a second session, often using lighter movements. Reps and rep speed will vary, exercise to exercise. Here is a hypothetical triceps workout for an intermediate level athlete.

Day 1: After Bench Pressing

• Narrow-grip bench press, 14-inch grip: two progressive sets of 8 reps and 6 reps.
• Single-dumbbell overhead triceps extension: two progressive sets of 8 reps and 6 reps.
• Narrow-grip pushup, diamond grip: one set to failure.

Day 2: Two Days Later

• Dips: 1st set 10 reps, 2nd set strap on weight, 3rd set strap on more weight, 4th set no weight to failure.
• Flat bench skull-crushers: 1st set 50% x 8, 2nd set 75% x 6, 3rd set 100% x 4-6, 4th set rep out 75%.
• Cable pushdowns: three sets — 12 reps, add weight for 8 reps, add weight for 6 reps, cut weight and rep out.

Make Time for Triceps

Make time for triceps. Even if you can only train them once a week, do them faithfully after bench pressing. Bench pressing and training triceps go together like bacon and eggs, Mick and Keith, Beyoncé and JZ.

Avoid the biggest sin in triceps training: using way too much weight, compromising the range-of-motion in order to handle more ego-inflating poundage. Partial reps net partial results. Better to use 50-pounds properly than 100-pounds sloppy and shortened.

To get a bigger bench or overhead press, make a place at the training table for triceps.

Equipment Notes for Triceps Power

Triceps power is built with basic tools used properly. A stable bench station, dependable bar, and direct triceps station can all support serious pressing and arm training when the lifter respects full range-of-motion and a hard lockout.

For heavy pressing, the Defiant Strength Olympic bench press with plate storage supports dedicated bench press work. For direct arm training, the TKO Achieve Duals bicep curl and tricep extension can provide a structured option for triceps extensions after the heavy pressing is finished. A basic Olympic bar such as the CAP Barbell 7 ft. chromed Olympic weight bar belongs in any serious pressing setup.

The equipment does not create the triceps power. The lifter does. The equipment simply gives the lifter a place to practice complete reps, hard lockouts, and progressive loading without hiding behind soft, ego-saving partials.

Safety Note for Triceps Training

Triceps training should be progressed gradually, especially when using narrow-grip pressing, weighted dips, skull-crushers, heavy extensions, or failure-based sets. Use full control, protect the elbows and shoulders, avoid bouncing or shortened ego reps, and scale the load to current ability. This article is educational and should not be treated as personalized medical, rehabilitation, or programming advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are triceps important for bench press strength?

The triceps finish the bench press. The pecs and delts start the push, but as the bar approaches lockout the triceps become the critical muscle group. Weak triceps can limit pressing poundage even when the chest and shoulders are strong.

What is a soft lockout?

A soft lockout occurs when a lifter stops short of full extension and lets the weight fall back down before the triceps fully finish the rep. Marty Gallagher argues that soft lockouts allow bigger ego poundage but produce partial results.

What are the best triceps exercises for pressing power?

Useful triceps exercises include narrow-grip bench presses, overhead triceps presses, dumbbell extensions, skull-crushers, weighted dips, narrow-grip push-ups, cable pushdowns, and reverse-grip pressing variations.

Should triceps be trained before or after bench pressing?

For most lifters, triceps should be trained after bench pressing. If the triceps are trained hard before benching or overhead pressing, pressing poundage usually drops because the lockout muscle is already fatigued.

How often should triceps be trained?

Many lifters can train triceps once per week after bench pressing. Some advanced or well-recovered trainees may add a second lighter triceps session 2-3 days later. Frequency should match recovery, elbow tolerance, pressing volume, and training goals.

How do you fix a weak bench press lockout?

Fixing a weak bench press lockout usually starts with stricter full-ROM pressing and direct triceps work. Narrow-grip bench presses, hard lockouts, dips, overhead extensions, skull-crushers, and controlled pushdowns can all help when programmed intelligently.