Build Bigger Arms: Effective Long Head Tricep Exercises You Can Do Today

Myles King 25 Aug 2025

Want arms that truly stand out, like, really make a statement? Then you'll want to pay close attention to your triceps, especially that often-overlooked long head. This part of your arm muscle is actually a big deal for both size and strength, you know, for those impressive pushes.

Your triceps muscle, located on the back of your upper arm, makes up a good two-thirds of your arm's total size, which is a lot. People often focus a lot on their biceps, but truly powerful, well-rounded arms need strong triceps, too. It's just how it works, basically.

Among the three parts of your triceps, the long head is particularly interesting because it crosses two joints, which is kind of unique. This means you can target it in special ways to get some serious growth. Today, October 26, 2023, we're going to explore some really good long head tricep exercises that can help you build those impressive, strong arms, you know, the kind you're probably aiming for.

Understanding Your Triceps
- The Three Parts of Your Triceps
- Why the Long Head Matters
Key Principles for Targeting the Long Head
- Overhead Movement for a Good Stretch
- Feeling the Muscle Work
Effective Long Head Tricep Exercises
Putting It All Together: A Sample Workout
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Frequently Asked Questions About Long Head Triceps
Getting Those Triceps to Grow

Understanding Your Triceps

Your triceps brachii muscle, that's its full name, is pretty important for arm extension, you know, straightening your arm. It helps with pushing movements, which is why it's a big player in things like bench presses and overhead presses. Learning about it helps you train it better, too.

The Three Parts of Your Triceps

The triceps muscle actually has three distinct parts, or "heads," as they are often called. There's the lateral head, the medial head, and then the long head. Each one has a slightly different job and placement, so, you know, they all contribute to the arm's overall look and capability.

The lateral head sits on the outside of your arm. It gives that horseshoe shape when you flex. The medial head is located more towards the middle, closer to your body. It's often hidden a bit, but it does a lot of work, especially with lighter loads, basically.

Why the Long Head Matters

The long head is unique because it's the only one of the three heads that crosses your shoulder joint. The other two only cross the elbow joint. This means the long head helps with both elbow extension and also with shoulder extension, which is when you bring your arm back behind your body, you know, like in a rowing motion.

Because it crosses the shoulder, you can really put a good stretch on the long head by bringing your arm overhead. This stretch is what helps you get more muscle fibers involved, leading to more growth over time. It's a big contributor to arm size, too, especially the back of your arm.

Key Principles for Targeting the Long Head

To really get the long head of your triceps to work, there are a few things to keep in mind when you pick and perform exercises. These principles will help you feel the muscle doing the work, which is pretty important for making progress, really.

Overhead Movement for a Good Stretch

The best way to get the long head involved is by putting it in a stretched position. This typically means doing exercises where your arms are overhead, or where your elbows are well above your shoulders. When your arm is up high, the long head gets a nice, long stretch, and that can make it work harder, you know, during the movement.

Think about movements where your upper arm is close to your ear. This position lengthens the long head muscle fibers, allowing for a stronger contraction when you straighten your arm. It's a key way to make sure this part of your triceps gets its share of the effort, basically.

Feeling the Muscle Work

Sometimes, people just move weight without thinking about the muscle. For targeting the long head, it's pretty important to focus on the muscle itself. Try to feel the long head contracting and stretching with each repetition. This is often called the mind-muscle connection, and it's a real thing, honestly.

Slow down your movements a bit, especially on the way down, the eccentric part of the lift. This controlled movement can help you feel the stretch and the work happening in the right spot. It's not about how much weight you lift, but how well you lift it for the muscle you want to grow, you know.

Effective Long Head Tricep Exercises

Here are some exercises that tend to be really good for working that long head. We'll go through them one by one, with some tips for each. Remember, form is more important than how heavy you go, always.

Overhead Dumbbell Extension (Two-Arm or Single-Arm)

This is probably one of the most popular exercises for the long head, and for good reason. You can do it sitting or standing. Take one dumbbell, hold it with both hands, or use two dumbbells, one in each hand, you know. Extend your arms straight up over your head.

From that position, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbows. Keep your elbows pointing forward, not flaring out to the sides too much. You should feel a good stretch in the back of your upper arm. Then, push the weight back up, straightening your arms completely. This movement really isolates the long head, you know, making it do a lot of the lifting.

Rope Overhead Extension (Cable)

Using a cable machine for overhead extensions provides constant tension, which is pretty good for muscle growth. Attach a rope handle to a low pulley. Turn around, face away from the machine, and grab the rope with both hands, bringing it over your head. Your arms should be extended, holding the rope behind your head, so, you know, your elbows are pointing up.

Keeping your upper arms still, extend your forearms upwards, pushing the rope towards the ceiling. Feel the triceps working to straighten your arms. Slowly let the rope come back down, controlling the movement and feeling that stretch again. This exercise is really good for getting a full range of motion, you know, and a consistent pull.

Close-Grip Bench Press

While often seen as a chest exercise, a close-grip bench press can actually hit the triceps, especially the long head, quite well. Lie on a flat bench, just like you would for a regular bench press. Take a barbell with your hands closer together than shoulder-width, but not so close that it hurts your wrists, you know. A grip that's about 6-8 inches apart is often good.

Lower the bar slowly towards your chest, tucking your elbows in close to your body. You should feel your triceps working hard to control the descent. Then, push the bar back up, really focusing on using your triceps to extend your arms. This movement allows you to lift some heavier weight while still getting good tricep involvement, basically.

Decline Dumbbell Extension

Doing triceps extensions on a decline bench can change the angle of the resistance, which some people find really hits the long head differently. Lie on a decline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms straight up, over your chest.

Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head, bending your elbows. Let your elbows point slightly forward, not out to the sides. The decline angle helps to keep tension on the triceps throughout the movement. Push the dumbbells back up, straightening your arms. This variation, you know, can offer a unique stimulus.

Incline Dumbbell Extension

Similar to the decline, doing extensions on an incline bench also changes the muscle's working angle. Lie on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms straight up, over your chest, so, you know, your arms are perpendicular to the floor.

Lower the dumbbells towards your head, bending your elbows. Keep your upper arms relatively still. The incline position can put a good stretch on the long head at the bottom of the movement, which is pretty helpful. Extend your arms back up, squeezing the triceps at the top. This is another good way to vary your tricep work, too.

Skullcrushers (EZ Bar or Dumbbell)

Skullcrushers are a classic tricep builder. You can use an EZ bar, which is often more comfortable for your wrists, or dumbbells. Lie on a flat bench, holding the bar or dumbbells with your arms extended straight up over your chest. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart, you know.

Slowly lower the weight towards your forehead (hence the name!) by bending your elbows. Keep your upper arms stationary, only moving your forearms. Feel that stretch in your triceps. Then, push the weight back up, extending your arms fully. This exercise really isolates the triceps, and the long head gets a good workout, basically. You can learn more about tricep training techniques on our site.

Cable Kickbacks (with Long Head Focus)

Cable kickbacks are often done with light weight, but with the right focus, they can be good for the long head. Attach a single handle to a low pulley. Stand facing the machine, lean forward slightly, and grab the handle. Pull your elbow back so your upper arm is parallel to the floor, and your forearm is bent, holding the handle.

From this position, extend your arm straight back, squeezing your triceps at the top. The key here for long head focus is to really squeeze and hold that contraction for a moment. Control the weight as you let your arm bend back to the starting position. This movement, you know, really emphasizes the peak contraction.

Tate Press

The Tate Press is a less common but very effective exercise for hitting the triceps, and some people find it really targets the long head. Lie on a flat bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms straight up over your chest, palms facing each other, so, you know, the dumbbells are touching.

From this position, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells towards your chest, letting them separate slightly and pointing your elbows out to the sides. Your forearms will come down towards your upper arms. It's almost like you're trying to touch your chest with the ends of the dumbbells. Then, push them back up to the starting position, straightening your arms and bringing the dumbbells back together. This movement provides a unique angle of resistance, basically.

Putting It All Together: A Sample Workout

Here's an idea for how you could put some of these long head tricep exercises into a workout. Remember to warm up properly before you start, you know, with some light cardio and dynamic stretches. This is just a suggestion, and you can change it to fit what works for you, really.

Overhead Dumbbell Extension (Two-Arm): 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Rope Overhead Extension (Cable): 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions
Skullcrushers (EZ Bar): 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

Rest about 60-90 seconds between sets. Focus on good form and feeling the muscle work. You might want to adjust the number of sets and reps based on your own experience and goals, too. It's about finding what helps you make progress.

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