Are you looking to sculpt your arms and build stronger triceps without any equipment? Bodyweight tricep exercises are a fantastic option, especially for home workouts. These exercises target the triceps efficiently, helping you build strength, endurance, and definition in your arms—all with just your body weight.

These exercises can be adjusted to match your fitness level and will help you see noticeable changes in muscle tone over time.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best bodyweight tricep exercises you can do at home to get those arms stronger and more defined in no time.

Why Focus on Bodyweight Tricep Exercises?

You may be wondering why bodyweight exercises are so effective for targeting your triceps. Here’s why:

• Convenience: You don’t need a gym or fancy equipment. All you need is your body and a little bit of space.
• Effective for All Levels: Bodyweight exercises can be easily modified to fit your skill level.
• No Impact on Joints: These exercises focus on controlled, slow movements, which are easier on your joints than heavy weights.
• Increase Functional Strength: Bodyweight exercises mimic everyday movements, making them great for building functional strength that translates into your daily activities.

With that said, let’s dive into some of the best bodyweight tricep exercises to get your arms into top shape.

Top Bodyweight Tricep Exercises You Can Do at Home

Here are some of the best bodyweight tricep exercises to add to your workout routine. No equipment is necessary here, just you and your own body!

1. Tricep Dips

Tricep dips are one of the most well-known bodyweight tricep exercises. You can do them on a sturdy chair, bench, or even the edge of your couch. Here’s how to do them:

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• Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench, placing your hands on the edge beside your hips.
• Slide your hips off the edge, keeping your legs extended or bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Lower your body toward the ground by bending your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle.
• Push back up to the starting position, focusing on using your triceps to lift your body.

2. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are a variation of the classic push-up but with a narrower hand position to target your triceps more directly. This variation really isolates your triceps and shoulders.

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How to do it:

• Get into a standard push-up position, but place your hands closer together so your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape beneath your chest.
• Lower your body down, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Push back up to the starting position, focusing on squeezing your triceps at the top.

3. Close-Grip Push-Ups

Push-ups are already a fantastic full-body exercise, but switching up your hand positioning can make them even more effective for targeting your triceps. Close-grip push-ups place more emphasis on your triceps compared to traditional push-ups.

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How to do it:

• Start in a regular push-up position, but this time, keep your hands directly under your shoulders and close together.
• Lower your body down as you normally would in a push-up, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
• Push yourself back up, focusing on using your triceps to lift your body.

4. Tricep Push-Ups (aka Triceps Push-Up Extension)

Tricep push-ups are a modification of the regular push-up, focusing on isolating the triceps even more.

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How to do it:

• Start in a standard push-up position with your hands positioned slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
• As you lower yourself down, keep your elbows close to your body, almost brushing your ribs.
• Push back up while keeping your elbows tightly tucked to your sides.

5. Bodyweight Skull Crushers

This exercise is a great way to target the triceps with just body weight, simulating the skull crusher movement typically done with dumbbells.

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How to do it:

• Stand facing the bar, positioning it at waist height.​
• Grasp the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away), hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.​
• Step back, extending your arms fully, so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.​
• Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine.​
• Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the bar, aiming to bring your forehead near the bar.​
• Keep your elbows pointing downward, close to your sides, throughout the movement.​

6. Plank to Push-Up

This full-body move also targets the triceps by incorporating a push-up motion while holding a plank. It’s a great way to engage your triceps, shoulders, and core all in one exercise.

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How to do it:

• Start in a forearm plank position, with your elbows under your shoulders.
• Push up onto your hands one arm at a time to get into a full push-up position.
• Lower back down one arm at a time to return to the plank position.
• Repeat this for a set amount of time or reps.

7. Decline Push-Ups

This move shifts more of your bodyweight onto your triceps, making it a more challenging variation of the regular push-up.

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How to do it:

• Place your feet on an elevated surface like a bench or chair, with your hands on the ground in a regular push-up position.
• Lower your body as you would in a standard push-up, but with more emphasis on using your triceps to press up.

Now that you have all these exercises, let’s talk about how often you should do them.

How Often Should You Do These Bodyweight Tricep Exercises?

Consistency is key when it comes to building muscle. To see noticeable changes, aim to incorporate bodyweight tricep exercises into your workout routine 2-3 times a week. This allows your muscles time to recover and grow. For beginners, start with one set of each exercise and gradually build up to three sets as your strength improves.

With consistent effort, you can expect to start seeing muscle tone and definition in your triceps in about 4-6 weeks. For more visible results, especially if you’re looking to reduce body fat around the arms, it may take 8-12 weeks, depending on your diet, consistency, and overall fitness level.

Conclusion

Incorporating bodyweight tricep exercises into your routine is a great way to build strength, define your arms, and improve your overall fitness. These exercises are effective, easy to do at home, and can be adapted to fit any skill level. The key is consistency—stick with it, and in a few weeks, you'll start noticing a stronger, more defined tricep area.

If you’re looking to really step up your workout or need personalized guidance on form, our trainers at Mixed Movement Fitness are ready to help. We’ll be with you every step of the way to help you get those arms stronger and more sculpted. Ready to feel the burn and see the results? Let’s get started today!

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