7 Best Long Head Tricep Exercises for Massive Arms

Introduction

You have been going to the gym for months. You do tricep pushdowns. You do dips. Maybe some close-grip bench press, too. But your arms still look the same. The sleeves of your T-shirt do not feel any tighter. Sound familiar?

Here is the truth. The problem is not your effort. The problem is your exercise selection. Most people completely ignore the most important part of the triceps, the long head. The triceps brachii long head is the biggest of all three tricep heads. It sits on the inner back side of your upper arm. And it is the single biggest driver of arm thickness and size.

If your routine does not include proper long head tricep exercises, you are leaving serious size on the table. No matter how hard you train, your arms will stay flat without targeting this muscle directly.

This guide is going to change that. You will learn exactly what the long head of the triceps is, why it needs special attention, and the 7 best long head tricep exercises to add to your routine right now. You will also get two complete workout plans, programming tips, common mistakes to avoid, and answers to the most commonly asked questions about tricep long head training.

Exercise Profile Table – Long Head Tricep Exercises

Exercise Profile	Details
Target Muscle Group	Triceps Brachii (Long Head Primary)
Exercise Type	Strength, Hypertrophy & Toning
Equipment Required	Dumbbells, Cables, EZ Bar, Resistance Bands, Bodyweight
Mechanics	Isolation (Primary) & Compound (Secondary)
Force Type	Push (Elbow Extension)
Experience Level	Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced

Understanding the Long Head of the Triceps Brachii

What Is the Long Head of the Triceps?

The triceps brachii is the large muscle sitting on the back of your upper arm. Most people know it simply as the “tricep.” But what most people do not know is that it has three separate parts, called heads.

These three heads are:

• The long head.
• The lateral head.
• The medial head.

All three heads work together to perform elbow extension, which simply means straightening your arm. Every time you push something away from your body, your triceps are working.

The lateral head and medial head both originate from the humerus, the bone of your upper arm. The long head, however, originates from the scapula, specifically a point called the infraglenoid tubercle on your shoulder blade.

This is a critical detail. Because the long head attaches to the scapula, it crosses both the shoulder joint and the elbow joint. This makes it a bi-articular muscle, meaning it is responsible for movement at two joints, not just one.

Besides straightening the elbow, the long head also helps with:

• Shoulder extension — bringing your arm from overhead back down to your side.
• Shoulder adduction — pulling your arm toward the midline of your body.

“The long head of the triceps brachii is the largest and most volumetrically significant portion of the triceps.”  — Dr. Brad Schoenfeld.

What Makes a Long Head Tricep Exercises Effective?

This is the section that most fitness blogs completely skip. And honestly, it is the most important thing to understand before you start doing long head tricep exercises.

Now that you understand the science, here are the exact principles to apply every time you do long head tricep exercises:

1. Arms Overhead Position Is Non-Negotiable

If an exercise does not put your arms overhead or at least behind your body, it is not optimally targeting the long head. Exercises like overhead dumbbell extensions, overhead cable extensions, and skull crushers with a slight backward angle are your best friends here.

2. Full Range of Motion Every Single Rep

This is where most people cheat themselves. They do half reps. They never let the weight fully lower into the stretch position. They never lock out completely at the top.

With long head tricep exercises specifically, the stretch at the bottom of the rep is where the magic happens. Do not rush through it. Lower slowly, feel the deep stretch, then press back up to full lockout. Every rep. No exceptions.

3. Mind-to-Muscle Connection

Going too heavy is one of the biggest mistakes people make with isolation work. When the weight is too heavy, your form breaks down, your elbows flare, your upper arms start moving, and suddenly, the long head is barely involved at all.

4. Time Under Tension

Do not just throw the weight up and drop it back down. Control every rep. A good tempo for long head tricep exercises is:

• 2 seconds down — feel the long head stretch.
• 1 second pause — hold the stretch briefly at the bottom.
• 1 second up — press with control to full lockout.

This approach maximizes time under tension, which is one of the key drivers of muscle hypertrophy.

Our guide on barbell exercises for full body strength covers this same principle applied across multiple muscle groups.

The 7 Best Long Head Tricep Exercises

These are the most effective long head tricep exercises you can add to your training. Each one is selected based on its ability to stretch and load the long head through the right range of motion. Follow the coaching cues carefully, form matters more than weight here.

1. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

This is arguably the best long head tricep exercises you can do. It directly places the long head in a fully stretched position by keeping your arms overhead throughout the movement.

Why It Targets the Long Head: The arms overhead position fully elongates the long head across both the shoulder joint and the elbow joint simultaneously. This creates maximum stretch and maximum muscle fiber engagement.

How to Do It:

1. Stand or sit on a bench with a neutral spine position. Keep your chest up and core tight.
2. Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands. Cup the top plate with your palms.
3. Your upper arms should stay stationary, pointing straight up toward the ceiling.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending the elbows. Go until you feel a deep stretch.
5. Only your forearms are moving, upper arms stay locked in place.
6. Press back up to full lockout. Squeeze the long head at the top.

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps.

Pro Tip: For a complete look at overhead tricep extension techniques and how to progress them over time, check out our guide on front delt exercises. It covers overhead pressing mechanics in detail that directly apply here, too.

2. Overhead Cable Tricep Extension

The cable machine is one of the best tools for long head tricep exercises because it provides constant tension throughout the entire movement. Even when your arms are fully extended at lockout, the cable is still pulling, and the muscle is still working.

Why It Targets the Long Head: The overhead position, combined with constant cable tension, makes this one of the most effective exercises for the triceps long head. There is no dead spot in the rep where the muscle gets to rest.

How to Do It:

1. Set the cable pulley to the lowest position and attach a rope.
2. Face away from the cable machine and grip the rope behind your head.
3. Step forward into a staggered stance for balance. Keep a neutral spine position.
4. Your upper arms should point straight up, keep them stationary throughout.
5. Press the rope forward and upward until your arms reach full extension.
6. Slowly return to the start, feel the long head stretch as the rope comes back behind your head.

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps.

Pro Tip: Lean slightly forward as you press. This keeps the forearms moving in a straight line and improves long head activation significantly.

3. Skull Crushers (Lying Tricep Extension)

Skull crushers, also called the lying triceps extension, are a classic for a reason. They work all three tricep heads, but with one small positional tweak, you can shift the emphasis strongly toward the long head.

Why It Targets the Long Head: When you angle the bar slightly behind your head rather than straight to your forehead, the upper arm moves past vertical. This increases the stretch on the long head at the bottom of the rep.

How to Do It:

1. Lie flat on a bench. Hold the EZ curl bar with arms extended directly over your chest.
2. Slowly lower the bar by bending the elbows. Aim it slightly behind your head, not straight to the forehead.
3. Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the long head.
4. Keep upper arms stationary, only forearms moving throughout.
5. Press back up to full lockout.

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps.

Pro Tip: The slight backward angle is the key detail here. Even just a few degrees makes a noticeable difference in how much the long head gets stretched at the bottom.

4. Incline Tricep Kickback (Drag Pushdown Variation)

The standard tricep kickback is decent. But the incline version is significantly better for the long head tricep. When you lie chest-down on an inclined bench press, your upper arm is naturally positioned behind your body. This is the arm behind the body position that activates the long head through shoulder extension.

Why It Targets the Long Head: The inclined position naturally places the humerus in extension relative to the torso. This stretches the long head more effectively than a bent-over kickback, where the upper arm is parallel to the floor.

How to Do It:

1. Set a bench to a low incline of 30–45 degrees. Lie face down.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down.
3. Raise your upper arms until they are parallel to the floor. This is your start position.
4. Extend your forearms back and up until your arms are fully straight. Pause at the top.
5. Slowly return to the start with full controlled movement.

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 12–15 reps.

Pro Tip: Do not swing the weight. If you want to pair these isolation moves with a structured push day routine, our 7-day gym workout plan shows you exactly how to organize push, pull, and leg days for maximum muscle growth.

5. Tricep Dips (Upright Torso)

Tricep dips are one of the best bodyweight long head tricep exercises, but only when done with the right torso position. Most people lean too far forward, which shifts the load onto the chest and shoulders.

Why It Targets the Long Head: An upright torso during dips keeps the humerus in a more vertical position, which increases the demand on the triceps, particularly the long head, throughout the full range of motion.

How to Do It:

1. Use parallel bars or the edge of a sturdy bench or chair.
2. Keep your torso as upright as possible, do not lean forward.
3. Lower your body by bending the elbows to about 90 degrees. Keep controlled movement throughout.
4. Press back up to full elbow extension.

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–15 reps. Add weight with a dip belt as you get stronger for progressive overload.

Pro Tip: If you are doing dips on a bench at home, keep your feet flat on the floor and your hips close to the bench. Our calisthenics workout plan shows you how to build impressive muscle using bodyweight movements like dips and push-ups with nothing but your own body weight.

6. PRJ Pullover (Tricep Pullover)

The PRJ pullover is often thought of as a back or chest exercise. But when performed with a slight elbow bend and a focus on the triceps, it puts the long head of the triceps brachii under maximum stretch. No other exercise bridges the shoulder joint and elbow joint in quite the same way.

Why It Targets the Long Head: The pullover takes the arm from an overhead position back through a large arc of shoulder extension. This is exactly the secondary function of the long head.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell or EZ curl bar held over your chest.
2. Keep a slight bend at the elbows, do not fully lock them out.
3. Lower the weight back and over your head in a slow, controlled arc.
4. Go until you feel a deep stretch in the long head and across the shoulder.
5. Pull it back to the starting position by squeezing the long head and driving the arm forward.

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–12 reps.

Pro Tip: Think about leading with your elbows as you pull back to the start. Our chest stretches guide covers flexibility work for the shoulder and chest that pairs perfectly with this exercise to keep your joints healthy.

7. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are the perfect no-equipment option for long head tricep exercises. They are ideal for beginners, for home workouts, and for adding volume at the end of a gym session without any extra loading on the joints.

Why It Targets the Long Head: The narrow hand position forces the elbows to travel close to the body during the push-up. This elbow path increases triceps involvement across all three heads.

How to Do It:

1. Get into a push-up position. Place your hands together beneath your chest.
2. Form a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers.
3. Lower your chest toward the back of your hands. Keep elbows tucked in close to your body.
4. Press back up to full elbow extension.

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 12–20 reps.

Pro Tip: Go slow on the way down. A 3-second lowering phase dramatically increases time under tension and makes the long head work much harder than a fast rep. For a full approach to building leg workouts with dumbbells and lower body strength alongside your tricep training.

Section 4: Long Head Tricep Workout Plans

Knowing the exercises is great. But having a structured plan is what actually produces results. Here are two complete long head tricep workout plans, one for beginners and one for intermediate and advanced lifters.

Beginner Long Head Tricep Workout

This plan is designed for people who are new to targeting the triceps long head specifically. The focus is on learning proper form, building the mind-to-muscle connection, and introducing overhead movements safely.

Close-Grip Bench Press	3	8–10	90 sec
Overhead Dumbbell Extension	3	10–12	60 sec
Diamond Push-Ups	2	12–15	60 sec

Intermediate / Advanced Long Head Tricep Workout

This plan is for lifters who already have a solid training base and want to seriously develop the triceps long head. It includes more volume, heavier compound loading, and a drop set on the final exercise to push past plateaus.

Close-Grip Bench Press	4	6–8	2 min
Overhead Cable Extension	4	10–12	90 sec
Skull Crushers — EZ Bar	3	10–12	90 sec
Banded Lying Tricep Extension	3	15 + Drop Set on Last	60 sec

Important Training Notes

Here are a few key points to keep in mind with both plans:

• Aim for 10 to 20 total tricep sets per week to support consistent muscle hypertrophy. Less than 10, and you may not be creating enough stimulus. More than 20, and recovery becomes an issue.
• Rest and recovery between sessions matter as much as the workout itself. Your muscles grow during rest, not during training. Give your triceps at least 48 hours before training them again.
• Drop sets are an advanced technique. Use them sparingly, once per session at most. Overusing them leads to excessive fatigue and slows down recovery.
• If you are combining this with a full body plan, our fat-burning workouts guide shows you how to pair strength training with cardio without compromising muscle growth.

“Progressive overload is the single most important principle in resistance training for hypertrophy. Without it, adaptation stops and muscle growth plateaus.”  — Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.

How to Program Long Head Tricep Training

Knowing the best long head tricep exercises is only half the battle. The other half is knowing how to fit them into your weekly training in a way that actually produces results without burning out your joints or stalling your recovery.

How Often Should You Train the Long Head Tricep?

For muscle hypertrophy, training your triceps 2 to 3 times per week is the sweet spot.

Once per week is not enough stimulus for the long head to grow at its maximum rate. More than three times per week, and you risk overloading the elbow joint, slowing muscle recovery, and developing chronic tendon irritation.

Maintenance	1–2	6–10
Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth)	2–3	10–20
Advanced Overload Phase	3	15–20

Our guide on cardio workouts at the gym also explains how to schedule cardio around strength sessions without compromising tricep recovery, useful if you train cardio on the same days.

Muscle Recovery Timelines

Here is what muscle recovery actually looks like after a hard, long head tricep workout:

• 24 to 48 hours — Muscle soreness peaks. This is normal. It is called delayed onset muscle soreness, and it means the long head was effectively stimulated.
• 48 to 72 hours — Muscles are repairing and rebuilding. This is when growth actually happens.
• 72+ hours — Muscles are recovered and ready to train again at full intensity.

For people dealing with joint pain during training, our guide on hip bursitis exercises shows how proper rehabilitation principles apply across different joints, many of the same recovery strategies work for elbow health, too.

Common Mistakes That Kill Long Head Tricep Growth

Mistake 1: Skipping Overhead Movements

This is the biggest mistake. Without arm overhead position exercises, the long head never gets a full stretch. No stretch means no growth. Add at least one overhead extension to every tricep session. This single change will transform your long head tricep development faster than anything else.

Mistake 2: Using Too Short a Range of Motion

Half reps produce half results. Always use the full range of motion, from a complete stretch at the bottom to full lockout at the top. Cutting the range short severely limits muscle fiber engagement in the long head. Every rep counts. Make every rep complete.

Mistake 3: Moving the Upper Arms

In all overhead extensions and skull crushers, the upper arms being stationary is the golden rule. Only forearms moving should happen during the rep. The moment your upper arms swing forward or backward, tension leaves the triceps long head immediately.

Mistake 4: Neglecting Mind-to-Muscle Connection

Going too heavy breaks your form and disconnects you from the muscle. Use a weight where you genuinely feel the long head of the triceps stretch and contract on every rep. The mind-to-muscle connection increases muscle activation significantly, especially in isolation exercises.

Mistake 5: Imbalanced Programming

Too many pushdowns and not enough overhead work is a recipe for flat arms. Pushdowns mostly target the lateral head. If you want thick inner arms, match every pushdown-style exercise with an overhead long head tricep exercises. Balance is everything.

Our exercise to jump higher explains how the same balanced programming principle applies to lower body training, neglecting one movement pattern always creates weak points.

Best Long Head Tricep Exercises by Equipment

Not everyone has access to a full gym. And that is completely fine. The long head of the triceps can be trained effectively with almost any equipment, as long as you apply the right principles.

Here is a complete breakdown of the best long head tricep exercises organized by equipment type:

Cable Machine	Overhead cable extension, drag pushdown	Constant tension throughout movement
Dumbbells	Overhead dumbbell extension, incline kickback	Versatile, great for unilateral work
EZ Curl Bar	Skull crushers, lying tricep extension	Reduces wrist strain under heavy load
Resistance Bands	Banded lying tricep extension, overhead band extension	Variable resistance, perfect for home gym
Bodyweight	Diamond push-ups, tricep dips	No equipment needed, great for beginners
Weight Plate	Overhead weight plate extension	Unique grip, joint-friendly finisher
Barbell	Close-grip bench press, skull crushers	Heavy compound loading for mass

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

If you have been training triceps without seeing the arm thickness you want, the long head tricep is almost certainly the missing piece.

Start with the beginner long head tricep workout if you are new to this style of training. Move to the intermediate and advanced plan once your form is solid and you are ready for more volume.

Give it 8 focused weeks. Track your progress. Your arms will look noticeably thicker and more developed, and you will finally understand why the long head of the triceps deserves to be the centerpiece of every serious arm training plan.

Want to build a complete upper body alongside your tricep long head workouts? Explore our guides on ladies chest exercises for a complete pushing muscle approach, back hyperextension workout for posterior chain strength, and our deadbugs workout for building the core stability that supports every heavy tricep movement you do.

Medical Disclaimer

This blog is written for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or fitness advice. Always consult your doctor or a certified fitness professional before starting any new exercise program, particularly if you have an existing injury or health condition. Imperial Fitness Hub holds no responsibility for any injury or harm resulting from the application of information shared in this article.