Updated Post: Here is a video I shot just the other day demonstrating some of these exercises (except for the hanging dips… sorry!)… but hopefully this will really help you to use these in your workouts. (For more help on workouts check out the 12 week at home boot camp: Body Fat Blasting Boot Camp)
When I first became a trainer quite a ways back I thought that the number one spot women would ask to tone would be their butt and thighs… but nope. Turns out women want to learn how to tone up their arms! And they are very visual about it, most of the time a lady will hold her arm up, shake the underside of it with her other hand and say “how can I get rid of this?”
Okay then… here you go!
Worry no more because here are my favorite tricep exercises, and to make it easier watch the video so that you can make sure you’re keeping proper form to make those muscle fibers fire away!
I don’t know about you but when I think of sexy arms I think of that nice “V” in the backside of the arm… it is the indication of a nice toned, tricep and overall great pair of arms to show off.
Before you know it, with the right workouts and proper eating you may just wake up one day with arms like Cameron Diaz or Jessica Biel.
Tricep Press
So let’s get you going on the pack of tricep perfecting with…
My favorite tricep exercises for women.
Add in just 1 or 2 of these exercises to the end of your normal workout, 2-3 times a week… because after all this is to be apart of a workout not an actual workout in and of itself. A workout that that targets the entire body and big muscles is the one that is going to help burn off the fat so your triceps an other muscles look toned and awesome.
1. Hanging Dips: Not only great tricep exercise but also a great shoulder, core and balance exercise. Many gyms have dip bars available, but if yours doesn’t just do dips off a bench. For hanging: Hold yourself up on the two dip handles and slowly bend your arms, lowering yourself towards the ground… lower until arms are at 90 degrees. If on a bench, dip down till 90 degrees make sure not to go lower as this can put pressure on your shoulders. A great tip… slow the move down so it takes 4-6 seconds to lower to 90 degrees then press up and repeat the slow negative (lowering).
2. Dumbbell Tricep Extension: Sit straight or stand for this one. Grab a dumbbell holding it over your head with both arms and slowly lower down behind your head… and return to start. You can also use just one arm at a time but of course make sure to lower the weight you would use.
3. Skull crusher: I just like the name of this move… Lay on a bench with a small barbell, the gym often has smaller 3 ft. pre-weighted ones… hold it up straight and slowly bend the arms lowering the bar towards your forehead. Work on slow lowering of 4-6 seconds.
4. Close Grip push-ups: This one you can do anywhere! And like the dips it’s an overall muscle workout. Core, back, chest and especially the triceps. Get into a push up position and place hands directly under your shoulders. Keeping elbows in by your side lower down for push ups and return to start. Make sure you’re squeezing your stomach and butt at the same time!
These 4 tricep exercises for women are great! You’ll instantly feel the burn. Just make sure to not work this muscle back to back days; just 2-3 days unconsecutively is all you need. With 3 sets and 8-10 reps!
Other helpful Workouts:
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
workout has the letter r in it, the opening banner has workout spelled wrong, thought you should know
Wow… how I missed that… I don’t know. That’s pretty funny!
Thanks anony… I appreciate you pointing that out and stopping Taylor and I looking like idiots.
omg ur soo good… I really like these exercises!
I am curious as to why you use close fists in the Close Grip push-ups?
Also, how heavy of weights should I as a beginner use? ( I am 59 years old)
Thanks!
Linda
hi!
I guess I should further describe myself for the heaviness of the weights – I am 5’3″ and weigh 127 lb. Have small bones and tiny wrists. I am 59 years old and new to free weight training. Walk 2 miles every day and am in good condition – just have week flabby arms. ( have done yoga, aerobics, dance over the years – like to exercise.)
Hey Linda… for the close grip push-ups I don’t use close fists. But the grip is close and with your elbows by your side the entire time you use your triceps much more than with the standard push-up which uses more of the chest and shoulders. With the close grip it is very heavy on the triceps and chest.
For a beginner, I would start with a light weight that you find pretty easy to handle for the first few workouts just to make sure you have form down. After that go with a weight that pushes you where you can finish your sets but can’t go past them. So if you doing these use weight where you can get 8-10 reps in but not 11.
I am sorry I can’t give a specific weight amount as everyone is different. But for the first few times really go light just to make sure you have the exercise down to a T, hope this helps!
I would like to work out my triceps however my bicep is torn at the rotator any suggestions?
First off…. have you gotten a go ahead from the doctor to start strength training? Make sure it’s ok, as even with isolated moves alot of times you will still be working the other muscles even if minimally.
If it’s good to go, I would start with some of the machines. No, I am not usually a big supporter of machines but since they are isolated they may help you work your triceps in a rehab fashion (once they are easy get away from them, I hate machines) without hurting anything else. The tricep press-down machine. Other moves that may not hurt so much would be skull crushers with a barbell. Foot ball throws are a good idea, and db kick backs… again though this is a hard one you should really be healed first. Hope this helps.
this would be a more helpful if you had pictures showing how the exercises work. Because without that its hard to follow along and understand exactly what you are trying to say. (so it’s not really helpful)
Hi, I would like to work on my flabby upper arms. I have a little arthritis in my left shoulder and any excercise I do irritates my shoulder. Can you suggest an excercise for me? I’ve seen the ad on tv where you shake something that looks similar to a hand weight, but don’t know if that would really work. Thanks
Hey Cindy, for less tension on your shoulder moves like a tricep kick back might be better. With that you can start on all 4s with a weight in one hand. Have your arm bent by your side and 90 degrees, elbow in, and move the weight back so your arm is straight and pointed back behind you. Bend at the elbow to return. Other good toning moves that won’t hit the shoulder would be curls (there are several variations so you don’t get bored). For the shake weight I actually have written a post on it before… read it here: Shake Weight
hey..i have strong biceps from playing sports but weaker and flatter triceps.will these exercises help strengthen them,aside from looking toned?..i have trouble doing the regular close grip push-ups but the push ups where ur knees are on the ground are very easy .is there somthing thats in between the two versions of pushups?
Hey lydia,,, yes they will help strengthen them as well! A variation you can do with the push-ups is to do them on a slight incline and see if that is a mix in the middle. Up on a bench is a great height. Put hands on, and just make sure to keep the close grip form with elbows in.
Okay, love your site , watched the video above, appreciate how caring you are to answer everyone so earnestly, thank you for all you write, read everyone’s questions but still would like to know how SPECIFICALLY you get rid of the “shriveled looking hanging droopy, crepe looking flab that starts right smack dab in your armpit and continues in the INTERIOR V of your arm almost all the way down to the elbow…the part of the inner arm that is DIRECTLY facing the side of your body adjacent to your breast OR the part of your arm that when you keep your arms close to the side of your body it is still hanging and shriveled next to your body? I am sorry for this very winded in plain english description and do apologize but what is considered a bicep and a tricep exercise seems to build muscle on the outer part of ones arm , the front and back of ones arm and not the one I am questioning above. In no way can one wear sleeveless anymore with that crepidy old flabby skin hanging and drooping. I never thought the day would come but low and behold, you wake up one day and even though your arms are skinny as could be..there it is!!! Perfect for grandkids to snuggle up to but OMG, so horrible to look at! Sooooo, aside from the right exercise for that specific area could you also please describe one step after the other, how and which arm exercies would u then incorporate as an EXCELLENT ENTIRE arms routine and in what order, how often, how manuy reps etc. THANK YOU!!!!! M
Wow, Margie that is quite a question! And I appreciate the detail to help me give you a detailed answer. The bottom line is this… the workouts I have here are great for toning the tricep of course but for the whole arm we have to work bicep, triceps, and shoulders… plus the pain issue with the “flabby” skin isn’t all toning but it’s also losing body fat which is done best with 20-25 minutes of interval training (running, slowing down, sprinting, slowing down, etc)… the best arm specific workout I would do myself if I were in your shoes would go something like this: 3 sets of 15 reps of the following: Push-ups, reverse curl to press, tricep exercise (one listed here). Because I am all about total body workouts instead of targeting on body part my own workout would probably go like this with extra arm emphasis:
Lunge walks with curl
Push-ups
Step up with press
Reverse row or pull-ups (assisted if needed)
reverse Curl to shoulder press
Box Jumps
Plank Walks
Good luck.
This video was very helpful. It’s hard to find exercises that target certain parts for women and for me my arms are it. It made sense and made it easy.
Thanks.
Hello Taylor,
I have a question or two?. I am 20 years old, I weigh 232 give or take. I weighed 275 before, but didnt really put much effort into excercises other then just eating less. I have now been working out alot more and I am determined to lose this fat once and for all. I am wondering how many days a week should I do toning exercises? I do cardio 3 times a day for an hour but, I am putting together a routine for myself of toning exercises, and would like to know how much is too much?. I do them usually until i cant keep the proper form is that okay?. I want to get the most out of it. How long until I see some change in how my arms and legs look?. as well as my waist?. I have lost close to 8 inches so far which is great but, I just want the most from my work out. AHHHH helppp
thanks 
love the videos by the way 
Awesome work Chelsea! You’re going great. Are you doing a total of 3hrs a day of cardio or it it three times all together is an hour? If it’s three hours that is way too much, girlie! For toning, make sure that the workout is designed around fat burning. So I recommend keeping reps high, and doing total body workouts three days a week, every other day. Never on back to back days. A good workout doesn’t need to last over 45 minutes, and most of mine that I design are closer to 30 minutes. It depends on your genetics, and the efficiency of the workout as to when you see results. But you will see good changes normally in around 2 weeks. I recommend taking pictures to see the changes best. Also, you should be able to complete the set in perfect form. But can’t go past it. Breaking form could increase your chances of injury. Trust me you don’t want to pull your back out. Hope this helps! Best of luck. If you want help designing your workout remember about Theartofweightlifting.com
Just getting started on the triceps…. great video
hi taylor,
i need some consultations, i’m 19 yrs. old, 5’4 height, weighting 145 lbs. . i’m a chubby type since i was a child, and i’m really tired having this type of body. i tried to workout on a gym while taking diet pills and i can say that i really burned a lot of fat, i lose 10 lbs for 2 weeks, many of my friends really notice that i lose weight, i noticed it also because my blouses and pants became big on me. but then i noticed that while my waist line is getting smaller, my arms (particularly upper arms) stays the same. it doesn’t look proportioned. i cant wear sleeveless, what can i do? is there particular foods that i should avoid so that my upper arms become small? im visiting the gym 5 days a week, is it okay? i’ll be waiting for your reply. i know you can help me. thanks in advance. .:)
Miaka, unfortunately there is no food that is targeted to one body part to help lose weight. I wish it were that easy. Are you doing weight training? If your arms are your major concern, I would do a total body workout but with extra emphasis on your arms to help tone and tighten them up. What is your current program? Also i def recommend staying away from diet pills. They aren’t for long term results and offer false hope. Plus many are bad for your body.
hey I’m tryin to work on my triceps, and I have been doing exercises for over two years now consistently and nothings working. I maintain a steady weight but its not where I wanna be. I want to lose the flabby triceps but I don’t know what else to do. I use a yoga weight band in the morning and at night, and I do push-ups every morning and night. Any suggestions as to how I can lose the tricep flubbiness.
Chelsea, there are a few recommendations I have… first off, you can’t spot reduce. meaning you can’t lose weight in just one area of our body. If it’s flabby, that means excess skin and body fat. To lose it you need total body weight training workouts and cardio workouts. Intervals are amazing at dropping fat and so are circuit workouts. Next switch it up… make it harder on yourself by getting harder resistance bands or heavier weights. Also, push-ups are great exercises but regular push-ups work your chest the most. To hit your triceps more and see more definition try doing close grip push-ups. You might have to start out on your knees and work your way up to regular close-grips. And last, food is really important. what’s your current diet like? The quality food you eat accounts for 80% of what you look like so make sure to have a balanced, clean diet. Good luck!
I’m so happy to have found this site
I’m 5’3 135lbs, I used to be 120 but after I had my daughter I’ve stayed at this weight for the last 2 years. Id like to get back to my pre-baby weight and tone up. I have a treadmill, dumbells and a stepper thingy that has a space for spot for each foot and underneath looks like a slinky (its manual) at home. Is this enough to develop a routine and if so what would you recommend? Thanks so much!
It’s definitely enough for a routine. I would start with circuit workouts, choosing exercises to do back to back with little or no rest. There are great body weight exercises too that can give amazing results. Plus, circuits are awesome for fat burning, and can burn upwards of 400 calories in less than 30 minutes if really intense. I recommend checking out theartofweightlifting.com for specific workouts that can help. Also remember that what you eat counts for upwards of 80% for how we look. Its really important to eat clean if you want to lose the weight and keep it off.
Hi! I go to the gym 6 times a week and sometimes twice a day. I eat a balanced diet of grilled chicken, salad, fruit, almonds, and i have a major sweet tooth so i try and stick to 60 calorie sugar free jello. I am so upset because ever since i got out of high school 2 years ago, I cant get below 120. I fluctuate between 121-125. In high school I did basketball and softball so I know that had something to do with it. I am 21 years old and am doing everything im supposed to but I still have flabby triceps and stomach. What would you recommend eating and exercise wise? And what is a good weight for me to be at? Im 5’5! Thank you so much, I have so many questions but never get them answered
I know you will help thank you!!
120 is a great weight for you at your height. I think you might actually be working out too much, in which your body doesn’t get to recover and you can’t see results. Make sure you’re changing up workouts regularly, if you’ve been doing the same routines you’re body doesn’t register it as exercise any more. Change it up, lift heavier and think about cutting back to three days of heavy full body weight training workouts (every other day) and maybe sprint intervals in the days between. Diet is extremely important, make sure you’re eating enough to keep your metabolism on high blast, cutting back too much only lowers metabolism and decreasing your ability to burn fat. Good luck!
Hi taylor! I’m 21 years old, 5ft and currently weight 123lbs. Ive been doing jillian michaels thirty day shred every day for the past 2 weeks. I saw that you said not to do exercises every day. May I ask why? Is it harmful to my body if I do it everyday? Also Ive been eating under 1400 calories with a balance meal; my RDI is 1400. This is my first serious workout routine so any help will be really appreciated. So far Ive toned my biceps but Im having problems with losing my flabby skin on my under arm. Im thinking doing one of your tricep workouts everday, alternating between them and also doing my workout video. Thanks!
Thanks May for the questions! Congrats on the dedication you have. And the answer to your first question, yes it can be harmful on your body to work the same muscle groups every day when it comes to strength training. Your body gets results not during the workout but during the time it can recover and rebuild after workouts. Give yourself at least 48 hours between working the same muscle groups. With that, I wouldn’t do the tricep wkout every day but every other day is fine. If you don’t give the muscles time to rest you risk injury, overtraining and lack of results.
Calorie wise, 1400-1500 of clean eating is a good range. But make sure it’s clean. no processed foods, etc. 300 calories of cookies is much different than 300 calories of chicken. Good luck!
Hi, i stumbled on this site just looking for exercises to tone triceps and get rid of my flabby underarms. Thank you very much for the tips and i will start soon. I am 36 yrs old, 5’4″ and weight 138 lbs. I have recently started working out quite regularly 5 times a week min, doing 30-40 mins of cardio plus working on different areas of my body with little weights and about 3 sets of 25-30 reps. I am doing this on my own. My problem area is my belly, it has been considerably reduced in about 3 months. I want to target it and do whatever it takes to continue to reduce it but not quite sure about what exercises to do besides the regular sit up on the machine. I had lipo about 8 yrs ago and it worked wonders on my sides but i did not have the same result in the center of my stomach. Now i have this pouch that i am sure will go away with hard work and dedication. Please help!
Hi taylor! I followed your advice and lost 10lbs in one month with the jillian michael exercise while also doing your tricep exercise for the last 2 weeks. I noticed though that while I lost weight, my triceps became way more flabbier. May I know what im doing wrong? Im doing the elliptical for 30min now and also doing tricep exercises with 30lbs, 60 times, both exercises 4x to 5x a day. Thanks so much taylor!
I am 62 and 5′ 1″ and 145 and need to lose at least 20 lbs. I love working out and am trying to get back into it 4-5 times a week. I have flappy triceps so will be doing these 4 trcepts exercises.
I also have the belly fat I need to work on so any help would be appreciated.
thanks,
Hi! I’m 23 yrs old and do an hour of cardio, six times a week, sometimes twice a day, yet seem to keep toned everywhere except for the back of my arms. I’m wanting to start these exercises with light weights so that I tone and don’t build up. However, for example, if I add the hanging dips, scull crusher and close grip push ups to my work outs, should I do three sets of ten for each? Or more? Thanks
Hi Victoria, make sure you’re not doing too much exercise. Overtraining is a big issue and can really hold you back from your results. You can read about it in another post I did: How Do You Know if You’re Working Out Too Much?
As for these exercises, to tone up I suggest 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Good luck!
Hi Taylor,
I am 22 years old who is almost 5’3 and i weght 145 pounds. i will say i have a very muscular built to me because ive been in gymantics when i was younger, and always enjoyed working out. Over the past year i did not go as much and i feel that i have very chubby arms with a lot of muscle under the fat. I am back at the gym and i have lost a few inches just not weight. I feel that my arms look the same even though i lost an inch off of them. I do lift pretty heavy weights because if i dont i do not feel anything. My problem is i do not want to get my arms bigger than they are but i just cant seem to get the back area of my triceps to slim dowm. Should i do more cardio? I do it 4 times a week i try and do 30 but i get very bored. Any ideas?
Hi Tanya, great job so far. YOu are clearly seeing results and it can be frustrating when they don’t come as quickly as you want. Even though you don’t notice the inch off, you’ve lost an inch! You should be proud and feel as if you’re going in the right direction.
Your cardio schedule is fine, you don’t want to over do it, however have you thought about doing interval programs instead of steady state boring 30-minutes? Intervals are 5 times more effective at burning body fat than steady state but you have to push hard with them. Give it your all for a short time then bring the intensity down to rest, then back up all over again. Plus you only have to do about 25 minutes of them and they work!
Awesome article. I think that skull crushers are one of the most essential tricep exercies for anyone wanting to get bigger arms. The beauty of this exercise is that it doesn’t take a huge amount of weight to see results. It’s all about form. I’m keeping tuned into future posts you make. Thanks!
Major thankies for the blog article. Awesome.
I TEND TO NOT FEEL MOTAVATED TO WORK OUT….BUT HATE THE FLAB!!
Thanks so much for this, it’s exactly what I was looking for. Any advice on what weight of dumbell to use? I usually rock climb once a week, so would you recommend starting with a 5kg weight or a 10kg?
Everyone is different with strength. I used a 15 lb in the video. The trick is to find a weight that is heavy enough where you have a tough time finishing the set but not too heavy where you can’t keep proper form and can’t get to the end.
Generally speaking, sticking between 8-15 lbs is a good range.
Looking to firm up.
hi,
i watched the video and i think it will be a great help for me.
my arms are fluffy and big and not proportion to my body size.i just want to know i if do this exercise how long before i see improvements.
thanks
I am glad you enjoyed the video! Just make sure that along with the exercises, you’re also following a good diet and overall total body workout plan.
So glad to find this site.
I have limited mobility and need to build up my core and upper arm strength to maintain health and independence.
These exercises (I modified for my particular situation) are fabulous.
I already feel a difference in my triceps after one session.
Do you have any exercises for the glutes and thigh areas?
Thanks for visiting!
Yes, I do have some for lower body that might help:
http://www.liftingrevolution.com/my-killer-butt-and-leg-workout/
Enjoy!
Hi.
Just wondering if I just do the dips on a bench (doing so many, for eg 3×20 or however many I can that I cant do any more) 4 days a week, is that enough to tone triceps alone? If i dont want to use dumb bells. Can I tone triceps just doing dips? realistically I dont think a person can manage all of those exercises, doing so many repetitions of each. Well I know I cant anyway, as by the time I do my cardio I am tired. Also I am one of these who cannot get on my knees to do pushs up so obviously not an option for me. I have tried using the wall, but just isnt comfortable either. How do you tone biceps? if you are 5ft 7, and a size 12 you are not going to see much definition there. Im not wanting to get down in size, just improve strength and tone.
Yes dips are a great way to tone your triceps but I don’t suggest JUST doing them, change it up so that you hit the muscle at different angles. Even without the push-ups you can do extensions with dumbbells, bands, etc. YOu can also do press downs at the gym with the cable machine. Limiting to just one move can slow results and make workouts boring. Using weights won’t bulk you up it will help. ALso make sure to hit the biceps to give a balanced arm training workout.
To the person who said about bigger arms, no its not good for anyone. I dont want bigger arms, not after the manish look. Women can bulk up and I dont particularly want to thanks.Its not a good look, maybe for some ,if your goal is to be a bodybuilder then thats a different story. Rather still look feminine.
Hello,
I loved your video and tips. I am wondering what is the best way to lose total body fat (treadmill, elliptical, strength training… etc)… What is a good routine to follow on a daily basis? I am a dedicated person but I worry about not seeing results after all the hard work. I currently do 20 minutes treadmill, 20 elliptical, 10 stair master, and then some strength training, between side kicks, sit-ups, and arm toning exercises. I am 160 aiming for 140.
Thank you!
Sounds like you have quite a plan, make sure to change up your excercises, don’t do the same ones over and over again. Same with the cardio, play around and change intensities, time on each machine and overall program. For more help feel free to give the Fat Blasting Boot camp or Torched in 20 programs a try over on the right side!
Yes I loved the video
I have lost 60 lbs
Now I have the dreaded loose slkin
HELP
By the way just turned 60 this year
Ironic huh lost 60 and turned 60
Hope to start getting emails soon
Thank you
Jana
Congrats on the success you’ve had! Keep up with the workouts and healthy eating and you’ll keep seeing them. Unfortunately “lose” skin for weight loss is a problem for a lot of people and is a result of the inelasticity of the skin. While it might get tighter, unfortunately a lot of people require help from a plastic surgeon.
Can these exercises be done with a kettleball?
Absolutely!
I’m so happy i found your videos on triceps. I am 83 and still want my triceps to look good, THANKS
Awesome Vivian! Glad that you found them too! You’re very inspirational, thanks for stopping in!
Thanks for the great video. These exercises are simple but really target the triceps, which are a problem for me.