12 Best Tricep Workout At Home (Without Equipment)

When it comes to working out at home, tricep exercises are a great way to build strength and tone your arms.

But where do you start? You can perform an effective tricep workout in the comfort of your own home. Bodyweight exercises, like push-ups and dips, are an effective way to train the tricep at home. The dip is my favorite choice when I train at home.

Here, I will share with you the 10 best exercises (based on experience and science) for training at home without or with basic equipment.

Below, you will also find a sample workout routine and tips for effective tricep training. 

So, let’s dive in

Best At-Home Tricep Workouts Without Equipment

Here are the best Bodyweight triceps workouts, which you can do at home without equipment, to build stronger and bigger triceps.

1. Knee Diamond push-up

If you’re looking for a straightforward bodyweight tricep workout to add to your home workout routine, diamond push-up is a great staple exercise to get you started without equipment.

The diamond push-up on the knees is a brilliant beginner exercise for developing the triceps brachii. You perform it by bringing your hands together in a diamond or triangle below your chest and placing the knee on the floor.

How To Do

1. Get into a push-up position, supporting your body on your hands and knees instead of on your hands and forefeet.
2. Use your hands to make a diamond shape. Just touch your thumbs and index fingers together—it’s like making a heart, but a pointer.
3. Keep your body nice and straight – think plank, not wet noodles. Tuck those elbows in close, like you’re trying to hide something under your armpits.
4. Take a deep breath in as you slowly lower your chest towards the floor.
5. Exhale as you extend your elbows and push your body back up to the starting position.
6. Repeat.

2. Bench Dip

A bench dip is a medium-intensity exercise that uses your own body weight to strengthen your triceps. It is fairly simple to learn and can be done almost anywhere, making it a great home workout.

When done correctly, bench dips can add muscle mass to your tricep and help build strength for other exercises, like bench presses.

A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that diamond push-ups and dips were the most effective bodyweight exercises for targeting the triceps.

How To Do

1. Place your hands on the side of a flat bench so that your body is perpendicular to the bench when you place your feet out in front of you.
2. Only your heels should be on the floor and your legs should be straight. Keep your knees and hips bent.
3. Your arms should be fully extended with just your palms on the bench.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body down until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Now, extend your arms to lift your body back to the starting position, flexing your triceps hard at the top.

3. Kneeling bodyweight triceps extension

This movement isolates the triceps more effectively than standard push-ups, as your arms perform most of the work by pushing your body weight from a kneeling position.

It’s an ideal beginner’s exercise for those with limited upper body strength, and it can be used to build muscle and strength progressively.

As your strength improves, you can progress to more challenging variations, like full-body triceps extensions or weighted exercises.

How To Do

1. Get on all fours with your hands together under your chest. Keep your elbows tucked into your body. Do not flare them out.
2. Slowly lower your upper body towards the floor, like you’re trying to eavesdrop on your downstairs neighbors.
3. When you’re ready to push back up, let out a breath like you’re trying to blow out birthday candles. Use those triceps to extend your elbows and lift yourself back up.
4. Inhale as you lower your elbows to the starting position by flexing your elbows.

4. Close grip push up

The close-grip push-up is a variation of the push-up that focuses on hitting the triceps. This workout is another great option for targeting the triceps and growing your arms at home without equipment.

If you encounter difficulty while doing a close-grip push-up, feel free to perform the push-up on your knees.

How To Do

1. Okay, first up, get into that plank position. Make sure your wrists are right under your shoulders.
2. Now, keep that booty in line. Imagine you’ve got a pizza balanced on your back: keep everything straight so it doesn’t slide off.
3. Keep elbows tucked into the sides. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the ground.
4. Pause, then push back up to the starting position without locking your elbows.

5. Plank Push up

The Plank Push-Up targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps (like a standard push-up) and engages your core, glutes, and even your legs.

When you remain in a plank position, your core muscles—including the abs, obliques, and lower back—are constantly engaged.

When you do the transition from plank to push-up, the load on your shoulders and triceps increases.

How To Do

1. Lie face down on an exercise mat. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart, your knees about hip-width apart, your head facing forward, and your palms flat on the floor.
2. Start by getting into a push-up position. Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
3. Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
4. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
5. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched in the gut.
6. Press your body up into the top position of a push-up by extending your arms one at a time.
7. Pause, then reverse the movement and return to your elbows. That’s 1 rep.

6. Hindu push up

The Hindu Push-Up works multiple muscles simultaneously, including your chest, shoulders, triceps, core, back, and legs. It also increases your upper and lower body strength and flexibility simultaneously.

The sweeping motion from downward dog to cobra stretches and strengthens the spine. It helps decompress the spine, relieving tension in the lower back and promoting better posture.

The Hindu push-up is a traditional Indian-style exercise practised by wrestlers ( Indian martial artists). Each repetition involves going from a downward dog position to a cobra pose and swooping by holding the head and body close to the ground.

How To Do

1. Start in a downward dog pose. Hands and feet on the ground, butt high in the air, like you’re trying to peek through your legs. Your body is V-shaped, and your feet are hip-width apart.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the ground while keeping your back flat. As you do this, allow your hips to drop slightly, creating a smooth arc with your body.
3. In a scooping motion, lift your head upward while arching your lower and upper back, then enter a cobra pose.
4. It’s time to reverse it! Push your hips back up, through the sweeping, arching motion.

7. Pike Push Up

Pike Push-ups aka shoulder push-up is a variation of the pushups that increases strength and stability in the shoulders and triceps. Performing the exercise in a more upright position will target the shoulders, tricep more than the chest.

The pike push-up looks like a mash-up of Downward-Facing Dog and Dolphin Pose, and this move can build major strength.

How To Do

1. Start in a standard push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and elbows completely locked out.
2. Lift the hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep arms and legs as straight as possible.
3. Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground. Once your head is about to contact the ground, pause for a second.
4. Then slowly push back until your arms are straight, and you’re in the inverted V position.

Tricep Exercises At Home – Minimal Equipment Needed

You don’t need a fully decked-out home gym to sculpt a strong, defined tricep With just a few simple pieces of equipment, you can work your tricep from all angles right from your living room.

8. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The overhead tricep extension is an isolation exercise that specifically targets the tricep. It is particularly useful in targeting the long head of the triceps muscle.

The overhead dumbbell tricep extension can be done in a seated or standing position, with one or both arms, and with different variations to target different areas of the triceps.

How To Do

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an overhand grip and extend your arm overhead.
2. Keep the upper arm still and stationary throughout the move. Don’t swing or bounce the weight; strict form activates the triceps better.
3. Slowly bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell behind the head until you feel a stretch
4. Press dumbbell back overhead by straightening elbow and flexing triceps
5. Complete reps, then switch arms

9. Dumbbell Kickback

The dumbbell tricep kickback is an isolation exercise. Unlike other exercises, such as the diamond push-up or close-grip bench press, it specifically targets the tricep muscle.

It requires limited space and no other special equipment, making it a perfect workout-at-home option for people who cannot afford to go to the gym daily.

How To Do

1. Place your right knee and palm on a flat bench so your torso is parallel with the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in the left hand and keep the left foot flat on the floor.
3. Press your left arm tight against your side with the upper arm parallel to the floor.
4. Extend the elbow until your arm is straight back and fully extended.
5. Flex the triceps hard for a second, then reverse to the starting position.
6. Complete all reps on the left arm and then repeat on the right.

10. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

The One-arm lying dumbbell tricep extension is one of the best dumbbell tricep exercises you can do because it stretches the muscle and allows for a full range of motion during the movement.

The lying position allows for a greater range of motion than other tricep exercises, allowing for better muscle activation.

It can be done on the floor with a dumbbell, so it’s a good exercise for home or travel.

How To Do

1. Lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip.
2. Extend your arm so that the dumbbell is straight up from your right shoulder.
3. Without moving your upper arm, bend at the elbow to bring the dumbbell down to the side of your head.
4. Exhale as you extend your elbow and push the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
5. Complete as many reps as desired, then repeat with the left arm.

11. Band Tricep Pushdown

The Tricep band Pushdown is a popular alternative to weight-based tricep workouts. It employs the dynamic resistance of a band to target and strengthen the triceps.

Bands provide progressive resistance, which increases the tension as the band is stretched. This exercise especially appeals to those who prefer low-impact workouts or don’t have access to traditional gym equipment.

The study has demonstrated that resistance training using elastic devices offers strength gains comparable to conventional equipment.

How To Do

1. Anchor the resistance band overhead—this could be on a pull-up bar, a hook, or even a door frame using a door anchor.
2. Stand facing the anchor point with feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Grasp the ends of the band with both hands, palms facing down.
4. Start by placing your hands close to your body, with your elbows bent and close to your chest.
5. Extend your arms downward and push the band down until your arms are almost straight.
6. Pause at the bottom of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.

12. Band Tricep Extension

Band tricep extensions effectively engage all three heads of the triceps brachii: the long, lateral, and medial heads.

You can perform band tricep extensions almost anywhere—at home, in the gym, or while traveling.

How To Do

1. Stand with one foot slightly in front of the other and place the center of the band under the back foot.
2. Bring handles together straight up above the top of your head.
3. Slowly lower the handles behind the back of your head until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, keeping your elbows close to the side of your head.
4. Press hands back up overhead slowly.

At-Home Tricep Workout Plan Without Equipment

Adjust the sets and reps based on your fitness level. If it’s too challenging, reduce the reps or sets. If it’s too easy, increase them or slow down the repetitions for increased time under tension.

• Bodyweight Tricep Workout Routine

• Resistance Band Tricep Workout Routine At Home

FAQ

Can you build a bigger Tricep without weights?

Building big tricep muscles is a common goal when strengthening them. These exercises will help you build some tricep muscles in the early stages of your fitness journey.

You can progress them by adding more volume and repetition.

However, as you progress, these exercises will become too easy, and you will need external resistance to continue challenging them enough to stimulate muscle growth.

Can you build your triceps without weights?

Achieving defined and muscular triceps does not require hours lifting weights in the gym. The secret to building this muscle is using exercises that target all three heads.

Effective bodyweight triceps exercises can strengthen the muscle’s power, strength, and tone—no equipment is required.

Takeaways

These triceps exercises are highly recommended for anyone interested in building triceps muscles and gaining strength.

They are an excellent starting point and progression for your equipment-free tricep workout program. It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details.

If done consistently, the results will speak for themselves.

References

• Krzysztofik, M.; Wilk, M.; Wojdała, G.; Gołaś, A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 4897.
• Lopes, J. S. S., Machado, A. F., Micheletti, J. K., Almeida, A. C., Cavina, A. P., & Pastre, C. M. (2019). Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Medicine, 7, 2050312119831116. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312119831116

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.