At Home Tricep Workouts No Weights

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, working out at home has become an appealing option for many. 

During the first lockdown, I began doing bodyweight workouts to fill the void of not going to the gym. And to my surprise, I loved it. 

I would go into my backyard or walk along the trail near my house to find an open clearing. I would alternate between push-ups, squats, bounding leaps, bear crawls, and lunges. 

There was something primal about exercising outdoors using nothing but my body weight. It gave me a sense of adventure that working out in a gym with artificial lighting, rubber flooring, and recycled air never could.

The only thing I felt I was missing was a solid arm training routine. I bought a pull-up bar and did chin-ups to help target my biceps, but the triceps are a bit more tricky. 

Below, I have compiled a list of triceps exercises you can do at home. The majority require no equipment, and you can complete the others with as little as a set of dumbbells.

Triceps Overview

What are the triceps muscles?

The triceps muscles (triceps brachii) are located between the biceps and the shoulder in the upper arms. They consist of three heads on the back of the arm: the medial head (near the elbow), the lateral head (next to the bicep), and the long head (closest to the shoulder).

What do the triceps do?

The primary triceps function is elbow extension, which means it helps the elbow joint straighten or extend your arms. The triceps also function as an antagonist to the biceps, which means your triceps lengthen to allow the biceps to contract. 

The long head of the triceps is attached to the shoulder blades (scapula) and helps to stabilize the shoulder joint.

Why is understanding the nature of the muscle important?

Understanding the triceps can help you choose specific exercises to develop all three heads of the muscle. Doing so gives the triceps a full look, with the visible division between the long and lateral heads, while building the medial head can make your lower arms appear larger.

Can you achieve maximal tricep development with no weight?

If your goal is hypertrophy (increased muscle size), you must incorporate heavier loads than your body weight alone can provide. But if you can’t get the equipment right now or you’re looking for an excellent place to start, these exercises can help improve your fitness and produce a muscle growth response in the short term.  

I’ve also included a two-day per week/eight-week sample plan incorporating these exercises. You can do them independently or build the rest of your routine around the free sample to work multiple muscle groups on the same day.

Here are some other articles you will love!

The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Chest (+ Sample Workouts)

Top 5 Upper Body Exercises at Home (+ 5 Sample Workouts)

The Ultimate Back and Bicep Dumbbell Workout

Bodyweight Tricep Exercises

Tricep Dips

Tricep dips are the classic bodyweight tricep exercise. You can do them on a weightlifting bench, park bench, or any elevated flat surface.

How to Do Tricep Dips

Get into the starting position, placing your palms on a bench. Face away from the bench and extend your legs so your heels are on the ground and your toes are facing up. Keep your spine erect (don’t fold forward). Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Pause briefly at the bottom. Then, drive upward, focusing on squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement. 

You can place a weight plate on your lap or wear a weighted vest for added resistance.

Chest-Focused Dips

Chest-focused dips are almost identical to triceps-focused dips. And just as tricep dips will include your chest, chest-focused dips will include the triceps.

How to Do Chest-Focused Dips

The setup is the same: palms on the edge of a bench, legs extended out in front of you. Lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degrees. This time, instead of pushing straight up, bend slightly at the waist and push up and out. This angle better engages the chest muscles while still including the triceps. Squeeze your chest briefly at the top of the range of motion.

Bodyweight Tricep Extension

The bodyweight tricep extension is one of the best exercises for this muscle group. A counter, weight bench, or picnic table works best for this exercise, which simulates the overhead extension you usually use with a weight or cable.

How to Do Bodyweight Tricep Extensions

Place your hands in a neutral grip on a sturdy, flat surface. Walk your feet back until you fully extend your legs. Slowly lower your head to your hands until your arms are at a 90-degree angle. Press yourself up and repeat.

Low to High Planks

Low-to-high planks are a killer tricep exercise that also engages the core muscles. Do these for time, attempting to get as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. 

How to Do Low to High Planks

Start in a low plank position with your hands flat on the ground. Core engaged. Don’t let your hips dip toward the ground by keeping your glutes tight. Drive upward through through one palm then the other to reach the high plank position. The high plank position is exactly like the low one, except your elbows are fully extended. In a controlled manner, lower yourself back to the low plank position one side at a time. Make sure to concentrate on the slow eccentric lowering motion.

Push-Up Variations

Push-ups are an excellent exercise for working the triceps. Standard, incline, or decline push-ups are great options. I’ve also included a few of my favorite variations for developing strong triceps.

Military Push-Ups

Military push-ups, also called close-grip push-ups, are a great way to work the triceps, chest, and shoulders.

How to do Military Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position. Then, move your hands in and down so they are under the outer part of your chest. The position of the hands is critical because that forces more triceps and lower pecs engagement.

From there, perform a push-up. Focus on the contraction as you push up, then lower yourself slowly. Unlike in the military, where push-ups are timed, you are not in a race against the clock. Get as much as you can out of the movement. That’s how you get stronger. That’s how you progress.

Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups get their name from the diamond shape your hands make when you put them together. The diamond push-up is not only one of the best tricep exercises you can do without any weights, but they are also great for the entire upper body, working the chest and shoulder muscles.

How to Do Diamond Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position. Bring your hands together, touching the first finger and thumb of your left hand to the first finger and thumb of your right hand, forming the diamond shape. From there, perform a regular push-up. Lower yourself slightly above the ground, then push yourself up fully extending your arms.

Parallel Bar Dips

If you have access to parallel bars or live near a park or trail that offers them, this is a fantastic way to do dips.

How to Do Parallel Bar Dips

Unlike bench dips in which your feet are placed on the ground in front of you, parallel bar dips require you to elevate yourself off the ground. Start with each hand gripping a bar. Fully extend your arms and bend your legs so they are not touching the ground. Lower yourself in a controlled manner until the arms form a 90-degree angle. Pause briefly at the bottom, then press yourself back to full elbow extension. Perform all reps before allowing your feet to touch the ground again.

If you don’t have parallel bar dips available, don’t sweat it. Check out this quick demo video on how to do bench dips.

Here are a few bonus isolation exercises for those with access to a set of dumbbells.

Skull Crushers

Aside from having the coolest exercise name, skull crushers work all three heads of the triceps. They are one of my favorite arm exercises because they give you a great muscle pump. I prefer skull crushers with kettlebells or dumbbells, which allow you to work the triceps unilaterally, as opposed to a bar, which can favor a stronger arm.

How to Do Skull Crushers

Start by laying on a bench or elevated flat surface. Lower the weight by hinging at the elbow to just behind your head. Press the weight upward and out to ensure you hit the long head of the triceps.

https://youtu.be/1WISEy5itxo?si=UOZD-3hxi_7eKLbQ

Kickbacks

You can do kickbacks on a bench or elevated flat surface. Kickbacks are very difficult to do with heavy weight. A light dumbbell or resistance band is perfect for this one.

How to Do Kickbacks

Start with one knee on a bench. Bend over so your back is flat, and place your hand on the bench to stabilize yourself. Elevate your elbow just above your rib cage. From there, hinge at the elbow by extending the weight or band backward like you’re trying to hand it to someone behind you. Lower it slowly, exaggerating the eccentric motion. Keep your elbow stationary throughout the movement.

Close-Grip Bench Press

You can do the close-grip bench press with a barbell, or you can do it with a dumbbell. We’ll focus on the dumbbell.

How to Do Close-Grip Bench Press with a Dumbbell

Start by laying flat on a bench or flat surface. Hold the dumbbell with both hands vertically by the head, allowing it to rest on your chest. Push the dumbbell straight up, fully extending your arms. Flex your triceps at the top of the range of motion, accentuating the mind-muscle connection. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down.

Sample At Home Tricep Workouts No Weights (Bodyweight Only)

What I love most about these triceps exercises is that they can be done anywhere: the beach, the park, and even the trail. However, you might have to substitute a bench for a large stone or fallen tree.

This routine would combine triceps training with chest two days per week. I wrote this sample workout without equipment so that you can do it from home. 

Sets & Reps

I started with a moderate-high rep range of 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets. Feel free to adjust the reps to fit your fitness level. The important thing is that over the course of the eight weeks you try to add a few reps to each workout. If you can only get three reps on each exercise, shoot for four reps next time you do the workout.

During weeks five through eight you will also increase the number of sets from two to three to three to four. The increase of reps and sets throughout the eight week training period achieves progressive overload, which is the increase of intensity over time to produce muscular adaptations like strength and hypertrophy (size).

Weeks 1 – 4

Chest and Triceps

Sets 2-3 depending on starting strength level; Reps 12-15; 2x per week

• Military Push-Ups
• Diamond Push-Ups
• Low-to-High Planks
• Chest-Focused Dips
• Tricep Extension (counter or table)

Weeks 5 – 8

Chest and Triceps

Sets 3-4 depending on starting strength level; Reps 15-25; 2x per week

• Military Push-Up
• Incline Push-Up
• Parallel Bar Dips
• Tricep-Focused Bench Dips
• Low to High Planks

These are only a few options for organizing at home tricep workouts. Feel free to experiment with different exercises. Consult with a healthcare provider whenever you begin a new exercise program.

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