5 Lateral Triceps Head Exercises You Should Be Doing in Your Workout

If you want to build your triceps, adding lateral triceps head exercises to your routine can be beneficial.

The lateral head is the strongest of the three heads of the triceps, making it a big portion of your upper arm. It is the outermost and most visible triceps muscle. While you can’t really isolate the lateral head by changing your grip and elbow positioning, you can certainly focus more on this muscle.

In this article, we highlight some of the best lateral triceps head exercises for you to add to your workout routine. The following exercises will help increase your muscle mass and strengthen your triceps and arms as a whole.

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Best Lateral Triceps Head Exercises to Include in Your Workout

Try the given lateral head exercises on your next arm training day and see how they work for you:

1. Triceps Pushdown

The triceps pushdown is considered one of the best lateral triceps head exercises that’s sure to boost the size and strength of the lateral head of your triceps by specifically targeting this single muscle. It is a great non-fatiguing exercise that should be included in your arms training routine.

Here's how to do the triceps pushdown:

• Stand straight facing a cable machine and hold the rope attachment or the cable bar.
• Use an overhand grip to hold the bar and adjust it to your chest level.
• Engage your abdominal muscles, tuck your elbows at your sides, and place your feet slightly wider than your shoulder width.
• Next, start to push the rope down until your elbows get fully extended but not straight.
• Remember to slightly bend your knees on the pushdown and keep your back as straight as you can.
• Return to the start using a controlled movement, and repeat the exercise.

Triceps pushdown exercise develops the lateral head muscles. (Photo via Pexels/Julia Larson)

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2. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are one of the best bodyweight lateral triceps head exercises that not only target the lateral triceps head but work on multiple muscle groups across the body as well. This exercise increases core strength and can be added to your home workout routine too.

Here's how to do diamond push-ups:

• Take a standard push-up position with your legs extended behind and your hands in the front.
• Form a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers and ensure that your hands are positioned just under your lower chest.
• With your face down, slowly push the floor away from you until your elbows get a complete extension.
• As you do this, be sure not to drop your hips towards the floor.
• Repeat the exercise.

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3. Dumbbell French Press

The dumbbell French press is among the most beneficial lateral triceps head exercises that help develop stronger and bigger triceps muscles. This exercise isolates the triceps, particularly the lateral head, and also improves stabilization.

Here's how to do the dumbbell French press:

• Lie on an exercise bench with your feet flat and knees bent.
• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and straighten your arms over your chest.
• Now with your palms facing each other, slowly bend your elbows and lower the weights towards your shoulder muscles until your lower arm gets to a 45-degree angle to your upper arm.
• Pause at this position for a few seconds, then press the dumbbells back up to their initial position.
• Repeat the exercise.

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4. Close Grip Dips

Close-grip dips are another potent lateral triceps head exercise that improves flexibility and also helps reduce injuries. This variation of the standard dips exercise is much more accessible and suited for intermediate fitness levels as well.

Here's how to do close grip dips:

• Stand in between parallel bars and hold onto each bar tightly.
• Start to push the weight of your body up until your elbows get completely extended. Now lean forward and lower your body until your elbow gets flexed at a 90-degree angle.
• Push yourself up into a complete extension of your elbows, then return to the start.
• Repeat the exercise.

Close grip dips are a great lateral head exercise. (Photo via Pexels/Frame Kings)

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5. Triceps Cable Kickback

The triceps cable kickback is one of the most effective lateral triceps head exercises that help improve flexibility, balance, and strength in your entire arm and also build lifting skills so you can bench press and perform other overhead lifting exercises easily.

Here's how to do the triceps cable kickback:

• Hold the cable handle with your right hand and stand straight with your feet placed at a shoulder-width distance.
• Bend at your hips until your torso gets parallel to the floor.
• Keeping your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, pull your hand back until your elbow gets fully extended, then bring your elbow back to the start.
• Repeat the exercise.

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Takeaway

Now that you have this list of some of the most productive lateral triceps head exercises, add them to your workout routine to build stronger and bigger triceps. If you are a beginner, aim to complete three sets of 10 reps, and increase the set and reps as you gain more fitness. Also, increase the amount of weight you use gradually while performing lateral triceps head exercises when you become stronger and more confident.