7 Ultimate Medial Head Tricep Exercises for Huge Arms

Introduction

Everyone wants bigger arms. That is no secret. But here is the truth most people miss. The biceps only make up about 30% of your upper arm. The other 70%? That comes from your triceps. And within the triceps, there is one head that almost every lifter ignores completely. That is the medial head.

Most people at the gym do pushdowns, dips, and skull crushers. They work hard. But they never see that full, dense, horseshoe shape they are chasing. Why? Because they are skipping the medial head tricep exercises that actually complete the look.

Whether you are a beginner or someone who has been training for years, this guide covers everything you need to know. The benefits of exercise extend far beyond physical appearance. A strong triceps also means a stronger bench press, healthier elbows, and better pushing power in everyday life.

“The triceps make up roughly two-thirds of the upper arm. If you want impressive arms, you simply cannot afford to ignore them.” — Jim Stoppani, PhD.

EXERCISE PROFILE — Medial Head Tricep Exercises

Exercise Profile	Details
Target Muscle Group	Triceps Brachii (Medial Head, Lateral Head & Long Head)
Exercise Type	Strength, Hypertrophy & Muscle Definition
Equipment Required	Dumbbells, Barbell, Cable Machine, Dip Bars & Bodyweight
Mechanics	Compound (Primary) & Isolation (Secondary)
Force Type	Push (Bilateral & Unilateral)
Experience Level	Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced

What Are the Triceps and Why Do They Matter?

Let’s start with the basics. The triceps brachii sit at the back of your upper arm. Its job is simple. It extends your arm at the elbow. Every time you push something away from your body, your triceps are working.

The name “triceps” literally means “three heads.” And that is exactly what this muscle has. Three separate heads. Each one has a different location, a different role, and a different response to training.

1. The Long Head – The long head is the biggest of the three. It runs along the inner and back side of your upper arm.
2. The Lateral Head – The lateral head sits on the outer part of your upper arm. This is the head you see most clearly from the side.
3. The Medial Head – The medial head of the triceps is the smallest of the three. It sits deep underneath the other two heads. You cannot even see it directly.

The leg muscle anatomy comparison is a good one here. Just like the vastus medialis fills in the inner quad and gives the knee a full, defined look, the medial head fills in the bottom of the triceps and gives the arm that dense, complete appearance.

Medial Deltoid vs. Medial Head Tricep

This is one of the most common points of confusion in fitness. Many people search for “medial deltoid exercises” when they actually mean medial head tricep exercises. And the other way around, too.

These are two completely different muscles. They are located in different places. They do different jobs. And they need different exercises.

What Is the Medial Deltoid?

The medial deltoid is also called the middle deltoid. It sits on the outer side of your shoulder. It is the middle section of the three-part deltoid muscle. Its main job is shoulder abduction. That means it lifts your arm out to the side. Lateral raises, upright rows, and Arnold presses are classic medial delt exercises.

The medial delt is what gives your shoulders that wide, rounded look from the front. It has nothing to do with your triceps.

What Is the Medial Head?

The medial head of the triceps is completely different. It is located at the back of your upper arm. It sits underneath the long and lateral heads. It is responsible for elbow extension, straightening your arm.

It has nothing to do with your shoulder. It works during all pushing and pressing movements.

Why Does This Confusion Happen?

The word “medial” simply means “middle” or “inner” in anatomy. Both the shoulder and the triceps have a head called the medial head. That is where the confusion starts. When you look at both muscles together during a pushing movement, like a shoulder press or bench press.

If you are looking for exercise for frozen shoulder, that involves the deltoid. If you are looking to build thicker arms and improve pressing strength, that involves medial head tricep exercises.

Can You Really Isolate the Medial Head of the Tricep?

This is the question almost every serious lifter asks at some point. The short answer is no. You cannot fully isolate the medial head of the tricep.

But here is the good news. You do not need to isolate it completely to develop it. You just need to emphasize it. And there are very clear, proven ways to do exactly that.

The 3 Keys to Emphasizing the Medial Head Tricep

1. Use a Reverse Grip

This is the single most effective technique for shifting emphasis toward the medial head. When your palms face upward during a pushdown or press, the mechanics of the movement change. The medial head is forced to work harder.

2. Keep Your Elbows Tucked at Your Sides

When your elbows stay pinned close to your body during pressing and extension movements, the long head is taken slightly out of the equation. The medial and lateral heads pick up more of the load.

3. Train in the 15 to 30 Rep Range

Remember the fiber type discussion from Section 2? The medial head is slow-twitch dominant. Slow-twitch fibers respond best to moderate to high reps with controlled tempo.

Does This Really Make a Difference?

Yes. Absolutely yes.

This is not bro science. It is backed by research. And it is the reason why experienced coaches and competitive bodybuilders always include specific medial head tricep exercises in their arm training programs.

Just like how dumbbell hammer curls shift emphasis to the brachialis over the biceps by changing grip position, changing your grip during tricep work shifts emphasis toward the medial head.

The 7 Best Medial Head Tricep Exercises

These 15 medial head tricep exercises have been selected based on anatomy, muscle fiber research, and real-world training results. Each one follows the three principles we covered, reverse grip, elbows tucked, and higher rep ranges where appropriate.

“The difference between good arms and great arms is not effort. It is exercise selection combined with precise technique.” — Lee Labrada, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder.

1. Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press

This is the king of compound medial head tricep exercises. The underhand grip shifts the load away from the chest and onto the triceps, especially the medial head.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Grip the barbell with an underhand grip. Thumbs should be about 12 inches apart.
3. Unrack the bar and hold it directly over your mid-chest.
4. Slowly lower the bar until it touches your lower chest Stretch. Keep your elbows tucked in at your sides throughout.
5. Press back up through your triceps to the starting position. Squeeze hard at the top.

Training Tips: Always use a spotter with this exercise. The reverse grip feels unusual at first. Start with a lighter weight than your normal bench press. This exercise pairs well with a pull day workout on the opposite training day for balanced upper body development.

Sets 4 sets — 8, 8, 10, 12 reps (pyramid up in reps, not weight).

2. JM Press (Reverse Grip)

The JM Press was invented by powerlifter JM Blakley. It sits between a skull crusher and a close-grip bench press. The bar path toward the neck rather than the chest makes this one of the most tricep-specific medial head tricep exercises you can do with a barbell.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet on the floor.
2. Grip the barbell with an underhand grip at shoulder width.
3. Unrack the bar and hold it above your mid-chest.
4. Slowly lower the bar toward your chin and neck. Elbows stay tucked tight at your sides.
5. Press explosively back up to the starting position. Contract the triceps hard at the top.

Training Tips: This exercise requires a spotter, no exceptions. Keep your forearms vertical throughout the descent. If your elbows flare even slightly, the exercise loses its medial head emphasis. Start very light until the movement feels natural.

Sets 4 sets — 6, 8, 8, 10 reps.

3. Reverse Grip Floor Press

This exercise is underrated. The floor limits your range of motion at the bottom. That actually works in your favor. It removes shoulder stress completely and keeps maximum tension on the triceps, particularly the medial head, throughout the movement.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Lie flat on the floor underneath a barbell set in a rack or on the floor.
2. Grip the bar with an underhand grip. Elbows rest on the floor at the starting position.
3. Press the bar up to full arm extension without raising your shoulders off the floor.
4. Lower back down slowly until your elbows touch the floor. Pause briefly.
5. Press back up. Maintain constant tension throughout.

Training Tips: The pause at the bottom is key. It removes any elastic bounce and forces your triceps to do all the work from a dead stop. This is excellent for building raw pressing strength. If you also do a barbell leg workout on lower body days, this fits perfectly into an upper-lower training split.

Sets 4 sets — 8, 10, 12, 15 reps.

4. Cable Rope Pushdown (Neutral Grip)

EMG research shows that the rope pushdown activates the medial and lateral heads almost equally. When you use higher reps with full extension, the medial head takes a serious hit. This makes it one of the most reliable medial head tricep exercises for cable training.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set the cable pulley to its highest position. Attach a rope handle.
2. Grip the rope at the base with both hands, palms facing each other.
3. Bring your hands to chest height. Elbows stay pinned at your sides.
4. Press down to full arm extension. At the bottom, split the rope apart slightly to increase the contraction.
5. Return slowly to the starting position under full control.

Training Tips: That small split of the rope at the bottom is the secret of this exercise. It increases the range of motion and squeezes the medial head harder at peak contraction. Do not rush. Slow and controlled reps do more here than fast and sloppy ones.

Sets 3 sets — 20, 20, 25 reps.

5. Cable Overhead Extension (Rope)

The cable overhead extension primarily targets the long head. But when you use higher reps and focus on full elbow extension at the top, the medial head gets serious work as a finisher. It is one of the best medial head tricep exercises for ending a session with a deep burn.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set the cable pulley to its highest position. Attach a rope handle.
2. Face away from the machine. Grab the rope with both hands behind your head.
3. Lean forward at about 30 degrees. Stagger your feet for balance.
4. With your elbows pointing forward, extend your arms fully overhead. Squeeze hard at the top.
5. Return slowly by bending your elbows. Feel the stretch through the entire triceps.

Training Tips: Keep your elbows pointing straight forward throughout. Do not let them flare to the sides. The key to hitting the medial head here is achieving complete lockout on every single rep. Half reps rob the medial head of its share of the work.

Sets 3 sets — 15, 20, 25 reps.

6. Tricep Dips (Upright Position)

Tricep dips are a compound powerhouse. When done with an upright torso, they place a tremendous load on all three triceps heads, including the medial head. They also allow progressive overload through added weight, making them one of the most scalable medial head tricep exercises available.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Stand between a pair of dip bars. Grip each bar firmly.
2. Press yourself up until your arms are fully extended. Cross your feet behind you.
3. Keep your torso upright and your chest tall. Do not lean forward.
4. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Press back up through the triceps to full arm extension. Squeeze hard at the top.

Training Tips: Lean forward, and this becomes a chest exercise. Stay upright, and it becomes a triceps exercise. That distinction is everything. Once bodyweight dips become easy, add a dip belt with weight plates. Similar to how hanging leg raises use bodyweight progressively, dips follow the same principle of mastering bodyweight before adding load.

Sets 3 sets — 8, 10, 12 reps (add weight when bodyweight becomes easy).

7. Diamond Push-Ups

The American Council on Exercise ranks diamond push-ups among the best tricep exercises available. They require zero equipment. They hit the medial and lateral heads hard. And they can be done anywhere. They belong in every medial head tricep exercises program regardless of training level.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Get into a standard push-up position on the floor.
2. Bring your hands close together beneath your chest. Touch your thumbs and index fingers together to form a diamond shape.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Brace your core.
4. Lower your chest slowly toward your hands. Keep your elbows tucked close to your body.
5. Press back up through the triceps to full arm extension. That is one rep.

Training Tips: If this is too challenging at first, start by keeping your knees on the floor. Progress to the full version over time. To make it harder, elevate your feet on a bench. The best bodyweight exercises for upper body development almost always include diamond push-ups because of how effectively they isolate the triceps without any equipment.

Sets 3 sets — to failure each set.

6 Common Mistakes That Kill Your Medial Head Development

You can do all the right medial head tricep exercises and still get poor results. How? By making these common mistakes. Most lifters make at least two or three of these errors without even knowing it. Fixing them can completely transform your triceps development in a matter of weeks.

• This is the number one technique error in all medial head tricep exercises. When your elbows drift outward during pushdowns, presses, or extensions, the chest and front deltoids jump in to help. The triceps, especially the medial head, lose their share of the tension immediately.
• Most lifters never use a reverse grip. They do overhand pushdowns. Overhand skull crushers. Overhand bench presses, and they wonder why their medial head never develops. The reverse grip is the single most powerful tool for emphasizing the medial head. Yet most people skip it entirely because it feels awkward at first.
• Ego loading is one of the most destructive habits in the gym. Loading too much weight on cable pushdowns, kickbacks, or concentration extensions forces your body to compensate. Your torso rocks forward. Your shoulders take over. Your elbows flare. And the medial head gets almost nothing.
• This mistake connects directly to the fiber type science we covered earlier. Many lifters only train in the 6 to 10 rep range. That is great for the lateral head. But it largely misses the medial head. The medial head has more slow-twitch fibers. It needs sets of 15 to 30 reps to be fully stimulated. If you never train medial head tricep exercises in that higher rep range.
• More is not always better. Especially with a muscle as small as the triceps. Here is something most people forget. Your triceps already get significant work every time you train your chest. Every bench press variation, every knee push-up, every dip, all of these hammer the triceps as a secondary muscle.
• Doing the same weight for the same reps week after week is a guarantee of zero progress. Your muscles adapt quickly. Once they adapt, they stop growing. You need to give them a new challenge regularly.

This is especially important because the benefits of exercise while fasting and other advanced strength training strategies only work when recovery is managed properly. Overtraining cancels out any benefit from smart nutrition or training timing.

Complete Medial Head Tricep Workout Plan

Now it is time to put everything together. Understanding medial head tricep exercises is one thing. Having a structured plan that tells you exactly what to do, when to do it, and how much to do it is another thing entirely.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish. Structure your training and the results will come with consistency.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Beginner Medial Head Tricep Workout (2x Per Week)

If you are new to direct tricep training, start here. The focus is on learning correct movement patterns. Do not rush to add weight. Master the technique first.

Workout A

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Reverse Grip Cable Pushdown	3	15–20	60 sec
Palm-Out Bench Dips	3	15–20	60 sec
Diamond Push-Ups	3	To Failure	90 sec

Workout B

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Cable Rope Pushdown	3	15–20	60 sec
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks	3	15 each arm	60 sec
Cable Overhead Extension	3	15–20	90 sec

Beginner Tips

Beginners who also want to develop their biceps alongside their triceps can check out a bicep workout without weights for complementary arm training that requires no additional equipment.

Intermediate Medial Head Tricep Workout (2x Per Week)

At this level, you have mastered the basics. Now it is time to add compound movements and increase training volume.

Workout A

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Close-Grip Reverse Dumbbell Press	4	10–15	90 sec
Reverse Grip Cable Pushdown	4	15–20	60 sec
Tate Press	3	10–12	75 sec
Diamond Push-Ups	3	To Failure	90 sec

Workout B

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Reverse Grip Floor Press	4	8–12	90 sec
Cable Rope Pushdown	4	15–20	60 sec
Dumbbell Skull Crushers	3	10–12	75 sec
Concentration Cable Extension	3	20–25 each arm	60 sec

Intermediate Tips

Start each session with a compound pressing movement. Follow it with cable medial head tricep exercises. Finish with isolation work.

Advanced Medial Head Tricep Workout (2x Per Week)

At the advanced level, the basics still apply. But now you add intensity techniques to push past plateaus and force new growth.

Workout A

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press	4	6–10	2 min
JM Press (Reverse Grip)	4	6–8	2 min
Reverse Grip Cable Pushdown	4	15–20 + Drop Set	90 sec
Tate Press	3	10–12	75 sec
Diamond Push-Ups	3	To Failure	90 sec

Workout B

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Tricep Dips (Weighted)	4	8–12	2 min
Reverse Grip Floor Press	4	8–10	90 sec
Concentration Cable Extension	4	20–25 each arm	60 sec
Dumbbell Skull Crushers	3	10–12 + Drop Set	75 sec
French Press	3	15–20	60 sec

If you also follow a structured abs workout gym routine, make sure your total weekly training volume across all muscle groups stays manageable. Recovery matters as much as training itself.

Fitting Recovery Into Your Plan

Training is only one half of the equation. Recovery is the other half. Your muscles do not grow during training. They grow during rest. The training session creates the stimulus. Sleep, nutrition, and rest create the adaptation.

Following a structured 7-day gym workout plan that includes planned rest days ensures your triceps and your entire body get the recovery time they need to grow and strengthen between sessions.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

Building impressive arms is not just about training harder. It is about training smarter. Most lifters spend years doing the same overhand pushdowns and standard skull crushers. They train hard. They stay consistent. But they never see that full, dense horseshoe shape they are chasing. The reason is almost always the same.

They have never properly trained their medical head. That gap between your long and lateral heads will start to disappear. The horseshoe will start to take shape. Your arms will look fuller, denser, and more complete from every angle.

For those who want to take their overall conditioning further alongside this program, combining medial head tricep exercises with a structured best fat-burning workouts routine will help you build lean, defined arms while reducing body fat at the same time. Strong and lean is always better than strong alone.

Medical Disclaimer

The content in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional fitness guidance. Individual results may vary based on fitness level, health condition, and consistency of training. Always consult your doctor or a certified fitness professional before beginning any new exercise program.