The three best tricep exercises to build a bigger bench press
If building a big and powerful bench press is a goal for you then it is VITAL to focus on the triceps.
The triceps help straighten and extend your elbow. Given the strong correlation between muscle size and muscular strength, we need a blend of hypertrophy and strength in the triceps in order to reach that goal (1).
In addition, think about how much of the upper arm, your triceps are…if you want a strong bench press with arms that fill even the loosest shirt on the market, we NEED to build those triceps!
This blog is aimed specifically at focusing on the tricep in regard to your bench press and how tricep strength carries over to a strong bench press. We recommend that the tricep exercises are accessory-based with the focus on supporting the bench press as much as possible.
These are three of our favorite exercises to build the bench press.
JM Press
The JM Press is very similar to a skull crusher and was invented by Bench Press Legend JM Blakley. Invented to address the exact need of building his triceps, with less fatigue. (he wasn’t able to recover from 2-3 triceps exercises at the time). He has an official tutorial on youtube that we highly recommend if you want to learn the movement from the man himself.
How we coach it:
Use a shoulder-width grip and keep your elbows at around 45 degrees from midline (what you would do for a typical push up). As your elbows descend, curl your wrists so that they stay over your shoulders.
It is important to keep your elbows above your torso as you are moving the bar down (if you do this right the bar should not touch your body at the bottom).
Finish by pressing the bar up as you normally would a bench press, with wrists and elbows stacked, matching how you started.
If you are new to this exercise or training in general, start light. If you do too much too soon AND too fast, your elbows may become irritated. Start with 2-3 sets x 6-10 reps and build from there.
Rolling Dumbbell Triceps Extension
One of MY personal favorites. It is very similar to a skull crusher but includes a “rolling” motion that puts you into the position of a close grip press to finish the movement. With this motion, you can load the triceps with more weight than you could with a traditional skull crusher.
How we coach it:
Start with the dumbbells shoulder width apart and palms facing each other.
Start the exercise by leading the dumbbells behind you - it’s okay to let the elbows move back a bit since we want to use more weight than your traditional skull crusher.
Once you reach the lowest tolerable point, “roll” the weights forward onto your shoulders - to know you did this right you should essentially be in a position similar to the bottom of a close grip press - and finish by punching the weight to the ceiling.
This exercise is versatile and can be modified. You can perform it on a flat bench, an incline bench, or dead bug from the floor. For extra spiciness, you can add a resistance band that wraps around your body (similar to how you would perform a Banded push up). 3-4 sets x 6-10 reps is our preference.
Dumbbell Tate Press
A great option to use if your shoulders can’t tolerate a traditional skull crusher. A similar motion to the skull crusher but with a different arm position which makes all the difference.
How we coach it:
Dumbbells start over the shoulders and the palms face away from your face.
At the top, the heads of the dumbbells should be touching each other, as the dumbbells come down, the elbows go out to the side (keep them high) and the heads of the dumbbells remain in contact.
After you touch your chest - keeping the dumbbell heads together - extend back to the starting position.
Another versatile exercise that can be done flat, inclined, or on the floor in the dead bug position. This exercise does well with higher reps and lighter weights, so go for 3-4 sets x 10-15 reps to get that tricep pump.
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Citations:
Schoenfeld BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(10):2857-2872. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3