If  you ask the average guy about arm training, he’s likely to talk all about biceps exercises. He’ll tell you what kinds of curls are best, how much he can curl, and the HUGE pump he got in his biceps the last time he worked out. You know, bro stuff. While training biceps is all well and good and essential to getting a big pair of arms, your triceps workout is what really matters. The triceps make up two thirds of the upper arm, and they are responsible for producing crushing strength in pressing movements like the bench press. Follow this routine if you really want your arm development to take off!

1. Close-Grip Bench Press

A lot of bodybuilders like to start their triceps workout with some kind of extension like a skull crusher or press-down, but I prefer the close-grip bench. Much like the bench press is best for chest training, nothing puts mass on the back of your arms and gives you that horseshoe shape like the close-grip bench.

The key to this movement is keeping your elbows tucked close to your sides. By doing this, you recruit mainly the triceps to do the work, even if your grip isn’t that close. Combine this technique with a shoulder-width or narrower grip, and your triceps will really feel it. Keep the same kind of proper body position as you would with a regular bench press, and use a full range of motion. Work up to a heavy set of 4-6 reps, add weight to the bar every workout, and watch your arms take off like never before.

2. Triceps Dips

Lifters often use dips as a chest movement, but they can be a great triceps builder, as well. The key to making your arms do the work is the same as with the close-grips bench. Keep your elbows close to your side, and dip just low enough that you feel your chest and shoulders start to take over. At this point, press back up and start over. Your range of motion might be fairly small if you perform the movement this way, but your triceps will do ALL the work! Since you already went super-heavy on the first exercise, do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps for dips. If this is too easy with just your bodyweight, add more weight with a dip belt.

3. Skull Crushers

You’ve already exhausted your arms with two pressing movements, but no triceps workout would be complete without a couple of extension exercises, as well. For this movement, I like to use the EZ bar because it’s easier on the wrists. Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar, lie back onto a flat bench, and bring the bar down to your forehead. Extend your forearms to bring the weight back up, allowing only minimal movement in your shoulders.

This exercise can be hard on your elbows, and you’ve already done some heavy work in this workout, so use more moderate weight here. After warming up enough so that your elbows feel good, do 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps. Keep your form tight! You don’t want to turn this into some kind of weird-looking bench press.

4. Press-downs

Your triceps workout is almost done! You’ll be too fatigued at this point to do any more work with free weights, so head on over to the cable station and pick your favorite attachment for press-downs. Straight bar, V-bar, rope, it doesn’t really matter. You’re just trying to flush more blood into the triceps for a killer pump. Do 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps, and keep your form strict. This movement isn’t going to build much muscle on its own, but it will help just to get plenty of blood flow to your triceps and elbow joints.

Follow these 4 triceps exercises and you’ll see bigger arms in no time.

Learn the secrets to extreme muscle building in the ebook, Bigger Better Faster Now by Justin Woltering. To learn more triceps exercises and to receive the free teaser of Bigger Better Faster Now, visit Justin’s blog at