7 Best Barbell Triceps Exercises For Mass and Strength

Barbell triceps exercises are a great way to build muscle mass and strengthen your triceps. Due to the mechanical tension, they activate more than one muscle group at a time.

I have tested dozens of variations on hundreds of clients, from complete beginners to competitive powerlifters.

These 7 exercises consistently produce the best results for strength and hypertrophy development.

Best Barbell Exercises For Triceps for Mass and Strength

Here are the seven best barbell exercises to build stronger triceps.

1. Lying Barbell Triceps Extension

​The Lying Barbell Triceps Extension, often referred to as the “skull crusher,” is a cornerstone exercise in any serious strength training program.

You can do this exercise while lying on a flat bench and using a flat barbell, EZ bar, or dumbbell.

I always tell my clients to start with lighter weights and higher reps to build confidence before going heavy (6–8 reps).

How To Do

1.  Lie flat on a bench, feet planted firmly on the floor for stability. Have a loaded barbell (or an EZ bar, which many find easier on the wrists).
2. Use an overhand grip, about shoulder-width apart (or slightly narrower).
3. Extend the bar directly upwards above your upper chest or forehead, arms perpendicular to the floor. Your elbows should be slightly bent to keep tension on the triceps, not locked out.
4. Slowly and under control, lower the bar towards your forehead or slightly behind your head by only bending at the elbows.
5. Contract your triceps forcefully to extend your arms back to the starting position.
6. To maintain tension, briefly pause and squeeze your triceps at the top, but avoid locking out your elbows completely.

2. Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension

Overhead Barbell Tricep Extension heavily targets the long head of the triceps.

When your arms are overhead, the long head of the muscle is stretched the most at the bottom of the movement. This happens because it crosses both the elbow and shoulder joints. The lateral and medial heads are still working as powerful synergists and stabilizers.

You can do this seated or standing. Seated offers more stability, benefiting heavier loads and isolating the triceps. Standing adds a core and shoulder stability challenge.

How To Do

1. Sit on a low-back bench and hold a barbell with an overhead grip with a shoulder-width grip.
2. Press or lift the bar carefully overhead until your arms are fully extended (but elbows are not locked out). The bar should be directly above your head, and your upper arms should be close to your ears.
3. Slowly lower the bar behind your head until your elbows form 90-degree angles.  Do not let your elbows flare outwards or your upper arms drift forward.
4. Once you reach the desired point, pause briefly to feel the stretch in your triceps.
5. Then, push the barbell back up to the starting position again.
6. Repeat for 8–12 reps and 3–4 sets.

3. Close Grip Bench Press

The close grip bench press is another great exercise you can add to your barbell triceps exercises.

This is a foundational compound exercise that rigorously assesses pressing strength. It effectively targets all three heads of the triceps and significantly engages the chest and shoulders.

Unlike extensions that target the elbow joint, the Close-Grip bench press engages both the shoulder and elbow joints, which means it allows you to lift heavier weights.

How To Do

1. Lie flat on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar. Plant your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Establish a slight arch in your lower back, retract and depress your shoulder blades (pull them back and down).
3. Use an overhand grip narrower than your standard bench press. A good starting point is slightly inside shoulder-width, with your hands roughly directly above your shoulders when the bar is on your chest. 
4. Avoid putting your hands so close that they touch – this puts excessive strain on the wrists and elbows and limits the load. Find a grip width where your wrists feel comfortable and you can keep your elbows relatively tucked.
5. Unrack the bar and slowly lower it to your lower chest. Keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible.
6. At the bottom of the movement, your elbows should be a little lower than your shoulders.
7. Press the bar back up to the starting position.

4. Incline Barbell Tricep Extension

The incline barbell tricep extension helps to build muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.

This exercise is performed on an incline bench, which changes the angle of resistance compared to flat or overhead tricep exercises.

The benefit of these movements is that they cause a deeper stretch in the muscle, which activates more muscle fibers.

• Flat bench: Targets all three tricep heads equally.
• Moderate incline (30-45 degrees): Emphasizes the long head.
• Steeper incline (45-60 degrees): Isolates the medial head.

Use an EZ bar to reduce wrist strain. I recommend this for clients with joint discomfort, especially beginners.

How To Do

1. Set an incline bench to 30–45 degrees and lie back, feet flat on the floor for stability.
2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Extend your arms over your shoulders and then slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
4. Hold this position for a count, and then lift your arms back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions.

5. Decline Barbell Tricep Extension

When you do extensions on a decline bench, the angle of gravity in relation to your body changes, and most importantly, how your arms move.

This makes the triceps stretch deeper at the bottom of the movement and makes the resistance feel different throughout the exercise compared to flat or overhead versions.

How To Do Decline Barbell Tricep Extension

1. Grab a barbell and lie against a decline bench with your feet firmly on the pads.
2. Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing up.
3. Keep your elbows perfectly still and pointing directly at the ceiling – do not allow them to move (flare) out to the sides or backward with the bar.
4. Then, you bend your elbows to lower the barbell towards your forehead or just past your head.
5. Hold this position for a count. Lift your arms back up to the starting position in a controlled motion.
6. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

6. Reverse Grip Barbell Press

If you switch up your grip (reverse grip) on a standard bench press, you’ll totally change the focus of the exercise. Instead of just working your chest, it becomes a fantastic way to build up those triceps.

It is a simple and highly effective shoulder-friendly pressing variation that helps build strength in your triceps.

Because the supinated grip feels unnatural at first, I start clients with 50–60% of their standard bench press weight to master form.

How To Do

1. Lie flat on the bench with your eyes under the bar. Plant your feet firmly. Retract and depress your shoulder blades to create a stable base.
2. Reach up and grab the barbell with an underhand (supinated) grip. Your palms should be facing towards your face. Start with a grip about shoulder-width apart. 
3. Avoid gripping too narrowly—this puts extreme strain on the wrists. A grip slightly wider than shoulder width might feel more natural for some.
4. Lower the bar towards your lower chest or upper abdomen slowly and under complete control. 
5. Press the bar back up to the starting position and squeeze your triceps.
6. Inhale slowly as you lower the bar to your chest, and exhale during the push upward.

7. Single Arm Landmine Press

If you’re looking for a way to be more creative with your barbell triceps exercises, why not try the Single-Arm Landmine Press?

Barbells can be tough on your elbows and shoulders because the barbell locks your joints into a certain range of motion.

So, not everyone can train the triceps pain-free, and this is where the landmine press comes in.

The single-arm, neutral grip and gripping the fat end of the barbell make it easier on your elbow and shoulder joints while training the hard and heavy triceps.  

How To Do

1. Stand holding the weighted end of the barbell with one hand.
2. Clean that bar to shoulder height and tuck your elbow into your side.
3. Make sure the barbell is wedged securely in a landmine device or corner.
4. Your feet should be level and shoulder-width apart.
5. Keeping your core braced and knees soft, press the bar up and away from you, fully extending your arm at the top.
6. Press the weight up with one hand until your arm is extended, then bring it back down slowly.
7. With control, lower the bar back down to the starting position.

Barbell Triceps Exercises Training Tips

Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:

Tricep Weekly Sets

When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress. 

• Beginners: ~10 sets per week
• Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
• Advanced: ~20 sets per week.

Training Plan As Per Your Goal

1. For muscle endurance: Aim for 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps, with moderate resistance.
2. For muscle strength: Aim for 3–5 sets of 6–10 reps, with more resistance.
3. For muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size): Aim for 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, with a moderate to heavy amount of resistance.

It is always best to start with fewer reps and sets and gradually increase them as your strength improves.

Furthermore, it is important to allow for adequate rest between sets, typically 60–90 seconds.

Tricep Barbell Workout Plan For Beginners

For Intermediate

Here is an intermediate barbell tricep workout routine that can be done at anywhere:

FAQs

How do you train a tricep with a barbell?

You can do numerous effective exercises with a barbell to train the triceps. Here is the list of the best exercises to train the tricep muscle with barbells:

1. Lying Barbell Triceps Extension
2. Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension
3. Incline Barbell Tricep Extension
4. Decline Barbell Tricep Extension
5. Close-Grip Bench Press
6. Reverse Grip Barbell Press
7. Single Arm Landmine Press

What are barbell Skull Crushers?

The barbell skull crushers, also known as barbell lying triceps extensions, are isolation exercises that build the triceps muscle group in the back of the upper arm.

The barbell skull crusher exercise is typically performed lying on your back (supine) with a barbell. Other forms of skull crushers include incline and decline skull crushers.

What tricep exercise hits all 3 heads?

Diamond pushups and close-grip bench presses are great ways to hit all three heads of the triceps simultaneously. Several other exercises target all three triceps parts: kickbacks, tricep dips, and Reverse grip presses.

Conclusion

This barbell triceps exercise is highly recommended for anyone interested in building bigger triceps and gaining strength.

It is a good idea to add various exercises to your tricep workout routine to target the muscle from different angles and provide overall muscle growth.

Be smart: Don’t limit yourself to barbell tricep exercises. Use their benefits and add other tricep exercises when needed.

• Triceps Workout With Dumbbells
• 15 Bodyweight Triceps Exercises: Beginner To Advanced
• Triceps Cable Exercises For Building Bigger Arms

References

• Farias DA, Willardson JM, Paz GA, Bezerra ES, Miranda H. Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Jul;31(7):1879-1887. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001651. PMID: 27669189.
• Hussain J, Sundaraj K, Subramaniam ID, Lam CK. Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of Triceps Brachii During Intensity and Speed Variations of Triceps Push-Down Exercise. Front Physiol. 2020 Feb 21;11:112. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00112. PMID: 32153422; PMCID: PMC7047337.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.