No arm is complete without strong triceps muscles. Everyone always talks about biceps, but triceps are important too. What if you could get those strong tricep muscles without weights?
Without properly developed triceps, you’ll lack the strength necessary to build the rest of your body.
Luckily, these are the best tricep exercises (without weights) you can find!
Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.
List Of 20+ Tricep Bodyweight Exercises And Workouts
Build big, beautiful triceps with these convenient exercises:
1. Push-ups
A compound exercise like the push-up engages your chest and triceps muscles.
By building stronger triceps, you’ll be able to do better push-ups, helping you build a stronger chest and upper body.
2. Diamond Push-up
Diamond push-ups put greater emphasis on your triceps. Instead of having your hands shoulder-width apart, you put them into a diamond shape together. By doing this, you work your triceps harder instead of your pecs.
You might not be able to get the “perfect” diamond at first, but you can start out with your diamond a little more spread out.
As you gain strength, begin to move your fingers together until they’re touching.
3. Iguana Push-Up
This tricep exercise involves holding on to a bar with both hands, crossing one leg over the other, and performing a push-up. Think about it like doing a plank except not on the floor. Pretty difficult, right? It requires intense balance and will give you a greater core and triceps workout.
4. Handstand Push-up
Handstand push-ups are primarily a shoulders workout, but they also involve the triceps. This is an intense upper body workout.
If you need assistance, start by doing handstand push-ups while leaning against a wall.
Don’t worry if you are still struggling. It’s okay – start by training with the pike pushup below and work your way up to the handstand push-up.
5. Pike Push-up
The pike push-up is the introduction exercise to handstand push-ups. Place your hands on the floor, feet on the floor, and push your glutes up towards the ceiling. Keep your head in line with your back as you bend your elbows and do a push-up.
Pike push-ups will help you develop stronger shoulder and triceps muscles.
6. Close-hands Push-up
Similar to diamond push-ups but a bit easier and more comfortable. Place your hands closer than if you were doing a regular push-up. You will feel your triceps kick in as you lower your body and keep your elbows in tight to your side.
The closer your hands get, the more you activate your triceps rather than your chest muscles.
Remember make sure to keep your elbows tucked in – don’t let them flare to the sides.
7. Weighted Push-up
If you have that regular push-up down, it’s time to up the ante. Weighted push-ups will help in your triceps progression.
Instead of moving from beginner to intermediate/expert bodyweight exercises, just add weight to the simple push-up to further build your triceps. In fact, your entire body will benefit from weighted push-ups.
8. Tricep Dip
Dips and dip variations are great exercises for building the chest and triceps.
In the video above, Scott will teach you how properly dip to target the triceps muscle specifically.
If you don’t have parallel bars, get clever to find dip alternatives: a corner of a fence, ledge, countertop, etc. Put those arms behind you and get going. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your hips, knees, and ankles are at a 90 degree angle.
9. Weighted Tricep Dip
Once you master dips and are knocking out 20+ reps in a set, start adding resistance. Get into that dip position, but add some weights to your legs as you dip down.
By adding weight, you’ll be able to add much more volume to your exercises in less time.
10. Bench Dip
The bench dip is a great alternative if you don’t have parallel bars. It’s the same idea as the tricep dip except you are using a bench. Keep your back straight as you lower your body using your arms.
You’re not limited to benches though – you can use a ledge, chair, bed, stairs, etc.
11. Elevated Feet Bench Dip
Elevating your feet will put greater stress on your triceps and your shoulders. This move will bring your fitness level up by engaging your triceps and deltoids.
12. Weighted Bench Dip
Similar to the bench dip, place your hands behind you, and bend your elbows to engage your triceps. The difference here is adding a heavy plate to your quads for added resistance.
13. Ring Dip
Ever see those rings at the gym and think there was no way? They are too high or you aren’t strong enough? Think again. While ring dips require strong shoulders, triceps, and core muscles, if you use the rings, it will really bring your triceps to attention quickly.
Once you master dips and weighted dips, then you can move on to begin the more difficult ring dips.
14. L-Sit
Another great core and triceps exercise. Place your palms flat on the floor right next to your hips. Lift up your body with your legs straight out in front of you and hold your body weight with your arms.
In the video, Al will show you the proper L-Sit progression, as well as some variations for different equipment.
15. Triceps Extension
This exercise looks a lot easier than it actually is, so don’t be deceived. With your feet shoulder-width apart, place a dumbbell in both hands and extend your arms directly over your head. Bend your elbows and let the weight drop behind your head. Extend it back up and feel those triceps working.
16. Standing Skullcrusher
This tricep extension is performed lying on your back with a dumbbell held in both hands above your head. Bend your elbows and lower the weight toward your forehead–hence the name skullcrusher.
This exercise will help build powerful triceps. Keep in mind that can use other equipment such as a barbell instead of dumbbells to perform these exercises.
17. Side-lying Triceps Extension
While lots of people don’t love this exercise, it’s ultra-effective and shouldn’t be ignored. It works the entire tricep muscle group.
Your starting position will be lying on your side and wrapping the arm that is on the floor across your stomach. Take the other arm across your body and place your hand onto the floor to push your body up. Make sure that you aren’t locking your elbow. Keep your elbow slightly bent the whole time. If you want some core work added to this exercise, lift your legs up as you press up.
18. Dive Bomber
A great exercise for your shoulders and your triceps. This exercise has a starting position of a downward dog. Both hands are flat on the floor. You are going to let your glutes drop down until you are in a push-up position. Once you are there, push your chest all of the way up to a downward dog. The only thing is your body is still completely off the floor. No rest for the weary with this intense muscle exercise.
We love this one because it’s difficult and it requires no equipment.
19. Straight Bar Dip
A nice transitioning exercise for muscle-ups and the only equipment you need is a bar.
Start with your arms and legs straight, holding your body up with the bar near your waist. Unlock your elbows and dip your body down until your forearms are parallel to the floor. Drive your body back up to the starting position. Yay you did a dip! This exercise is great for your triceps and your shoulders.
The straight bar dip is convenient because you can do it practically anywhere: the barbells at the gym, pull-up bar, and even jungle gyms at the park.
20. Negative Dip
Negative training will help you get the benefits of eccentric contractions. It’s a great exercise for the triceps and your core.
Start with your hands on the bars and slowly bend your elbows as you dip for about 5 seconds. Jump back up to the starting position and do it all again. This upper body workout is intense so you don’t need to go crazy with the number of reps.
21. Dip Hold
If you’re struggling to perform dips, practice dip holds and negative dips to increase your base tricep strength. It’s an excellent way to get your fitness level up while putting all of the upper body to work.
Bodyweight 2.0 - Hybrid Athlete
Bodyweight tactics for the experienced.
The bodyweight 2.0 is the sequel to the reader favorite Bodyweight 1.0. It adds a bit of difficulty, though it can be done by beginners by adjusting loads and reps.
- Skill level: Intermediate
- 4-week program, 4 workouts each week
- Workouts vary in length, up to 45 minutes
- No equipment required, but a yoga or exercise mat, towel, and water bottle are helpful.
- Free Bonus: Intro to Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- Links to videos, detailing each exercise
- Printable PDF workout calendar
Best Tricep Exercises Without Weights
Here are some of our favorite tricep exercises without weights
Dips
Dips are one of the best ways to get those triceps working. You have always had amazing biceps so you need to turn it up with triceps as well. Make sure you keep your back straight and your knees, hips, and ankles at a 90-degree angle. Best part of this exercise is that you don’t need any weights and you will feel your triceps working.
Diamond Push-ups
Remember once you have regular push-ups working your chest, it’s time to get to those push-ups that are going to engage your triceps. Holding your hands in a diamond makes for a much harder impact on the tricep.
Standing Skullcrusher
A standing skull crusher will work your triceps as well as those shoulders. Start with a single dumbbell behind your head, holding it with both hands. Push the dumbbell until it is above your head and then lower it back down. That is one rep. Keep going like that for as many reps as you can.
Simple, efficient, and easy(er).
And you don’t need any equipment for these three exercises!
Don’t wait to start building your triceps.
Begin building functional strength into your training program today with these simple exercises.
Our team at The Fitness Tribe often collaborates together to produce content. Many times the content is not written by a single author, instead it is usually a team effort.