Best Exercises for the Long Head of the Triceps

If your triceps look decent from the side but disappear the moment your arm relaxes, the long head is probably the culprit. This is the big triceps head that runs down the back-inside of your upper arm and helps create that thick back-of-the-arm look. It is also the head most lifters undertrain because they do endless pushdowns, call it arm day, then wonder why their sleeves still have breathing room.

The good news: you do not need a secret exercise invented by a shredded wizard in compression pants. You need the right long head tricep exercises, enough weekly work, clean form, and a little patience. Annoying, yes. Effective, also yes.

What Makes the Long Head Different?

The triceps has three heads: lateral, medial and long. All three extend the elbow, which is the basic job of straightening your arm. The long head is different because it also crosses the shoulder joint. That means its position changes depending on where your upper arm is.

When your arm is down by your side, the long head is in a relatively shorter position. When your arm is overhead, the long head is lengthened. That matters because muscles often respond well when they are trained through challenging ranges, especially when tension is high in a stretched position.

A 2022 study comparing overhead cable elbow extensions with neutral-position cable elbow extensions found greater triceps growth from the overhead version, with the long head showing a particularly large difference. The overhead group achieved this despite using lighter loads, which is a very rude reminder that your ego does not get a vote in hypertrophy math.

The Best Long Head Tricep Exercises

1. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

This is the current king for most lifters. Cables keep tension more consistent than free weights, the overhead arm position lengthens the long head, and the movement is usually easier to control than heavy skull crushers.

How to do it: Set a cable around low to mid height, grab a rope or handles, face away from the stack, bring your arms overhead, and let your elbows bend until you feel a controlled stretch through the triceps. Extend your elbows hard without turning it into a standing crunch.

Best rep range: 10–20 reps. Use smooth control. If every rep looks like you are trying to escape a bear trap, go lighter.

2. Single-Arm Overhead Cable Extension

The single-arm version gives you more freedom to find a comfortable elbow path. It is excellent for people whose elbows hate fixed-bar overhead work or who notice one side doing all the work while the other side emotionally watches.

Use a D-handle, set the cable low, and extend one arm overhead. Let the handle travel behind your head slightly, then straighten the elbow while keeping your shoulder position stable. The goal is a deep but tolerable stretch and a clean squeeze at lockout.

3. Incline Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Standard skull crushers can be effective, but the incline version often gives the long head a better stretch because your upper arm sits slightly behind or above your torso. Dumbbells also let your wrists and elbows move more naturally than a straight bar.

Set a bench at a slight incline, hold dumbbells above your chest, and lower them behind your head rather than directly to your forehead. Extend through the elbow and stop short of turning the rep into a dumbbell pullover.

Best rep range: 8–15 reps. Go controlled. Skull crushers punish stupidity faster than most triceps exercises.

4. EZ-Bar Skull Crusher to Behind the Head

The EZ-bar version lets you use more load than dumbbells, and the angled grip can be kinder on the wrists. The important detail is lowering the bar behind your head, not straight to your nose. Taking the bar behind the head usually increases the stretch on the triceps and makes the movement more long-head friendly.

This is not a max-strength ego lift. If you are grinding five ugly reps while your elbows sound like someone stepping on bubble wrap, your triceps are not impressed. Your connective tissue is filing a complaint.

5. Dumbbell Overhead Extension

The two-hand dumbbell overhead extension is simple, old-school and brutally effective when done well. It loads the long head in a lengthened position and does not require a fancy setup.

The downside is that it can annoy the shoulders or elbows for some lifters, especially with very heavy loads. If it feels great, use it. If it feels like your elbow joint is negotiating its resignation, use cables instead.

6. Rope Pushdown

A pushdown is not the most long-head biased triceps exercise, but it still belongs in the program. It trains elbow extension hard, it is easy to recover from, and it gives you a joint-friendly way to add triceps volume without every set happening overhead.

Use pushdowns as a secondary movement after overhead work. Think of them as the reliable friend who helps build the whole triceps, not the specialist hired specifically to bring up the long head.

The Long Head Triceps Exercise Tier List

• Best overall: Overhead cable triceps extension
• Best joint-friendly option: Single-arm overhead cable extension
• Best free-weight option: Incline dumbbell skull crusher
• Best heavy option: EZ-bar skull crusher behind the head
• Best simple home-gym option: Dumbbell overhead extension
• Best accessory: Rope pushdown

How Many Sets Do You Need?

Most lifters do not need a 45-set triceps crusade. Your triceps already get work from pressing exercises like bench presses, overhead presses, dips and push-ups. Direct work should fill the gap, not turn your elbows into ancient ruins.

A good starting point is 6–10 direct triceps sets per week if you are already pressing hard. If arms are a priority and your elbows recover well, you can push closer to 10–14 direct sets per week for a focused block. If your pressing volume is high, your elbows are cranky, or your performance is dropping, pull it back.

The 2026 ACSM resistance training position stand supports the broad idea that hypertrophy training benefits from sufficient weekly volume, but also reinforces that more variables do not automatically mean better outcomes. Translation: do enough hard work to grow, then stop before your program becomes a spreadsheet-shaped cry for help.

How to Program Long Head Triceps Training

Here is a simple weekly setup for a lifter training upper body twice per week:

Day 1: Heavy-ish Triceps Work

• Overhead cable triceps extension — 3 sets of 10–15 reps
• Rope pushdown — 2 sets of 12–20 reps

Day 2: Stretch-Focused Arm Work

• Incline dumbbell skull crusher — 3 sets of 8–15 reps
• Single-arm overhead cable extension — 2 sets of 12–20 reps

That gives you 10 direct sets across the week, with most of the work coming from movements that challenge the triceps in a lengthened position. Simple. Effective. Slightly painful in the good way.

Form Rules That Matter

Use a Big Stretch, Not a Painful One

You want a strong stretch through the triceps, not sharp elbow or shoulder pain. Muscle stretch is useful. Joint pain is your body sending an email with the subject line: stop being dense.

Control the Eccentric

Lower the weight with intent. You do not need slow-motion theatre, but you should own the negative. A controlled two-second lowering phase is a solid default.

Do Not Let Your Elbows Flare Everywhere

Some elbow movement is normal, especially with overhead work. But if your upper arms are wandering like confused tourists, you are probably turning the lift into something else. Keep the upper arm position mostly stable and let the elbow do the main work.

Train Close to Failure

Long head tricep exercises work best when the sets are genuinely hard. Most working sets should finish around 0–3 reps in reserve. You do not need to fail every set, but stopping with six reps in the tank and calling it clean technique is usually just cardio for your delusions.

Common Mistakes

Only doing pushdowns. Pushdowns are fine, but if they are your entire triceps plan, you are probably underusing the long head’s stretched position.

Going too heavy overhead. Overhead triceps work gets ugly quickly when the load is too heavy. Choose control over chaos.

Ignoring pressing volume. If you bench, incline press and overhead press hard, your triceps are already doing work. Add direct triceps training intelligently.

Changing exercises every week. Pick two or three key movements and progress them for several weeks. Novelty feels exciting, but progressive overload builds the arms.

FAQ

What is the single best long head tricep exercise?

For most lifters, the overhead cable triceps extension is the best starting point. It trains the long head in a lengthened position, keeps tension consistent, and is usually easier on the joints than heavy free-weight extensions.

Do pushdowns train the long head?

Yes, pushdowns train all three heads of the triceps because they involve elbow extension. They are just not the most long-head biased option compared with overhead extensions.

Are compound presses enough for big triceps?

They can build solid triceps, especially for beginners. But if your goal is maximum arm growth or your long head is lagging, direct triceps work is usually worth adding.

What should I do if overhead extensions hurt my elbows?

Use cables, lighter loads, higher reps and a grip that lets your wrists move naturally. If pain persists, swap to pushdowns, cross-body extensions or machine work while you address the issue.

The Bottom Line

The best long head tricep exercises are the ones that load elbow extension hard while placing the long head in a lengthened position. That is why overhead cable extensions, single-arm overhead extensions and behind-the-head skull crusher variations deserve a proper spot in your program.

Keep the form clean, use enough weekly volume, progress the lifts, and stop treating pushdowns as a complete arm-training religion. Your sleeves will notice.

And if you want a shirt that can handle the eventual arm upgrade, check out the SWOL Bear Tee. Big triceps optional, bear energy mandatory.

References

• Maeo et al. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position.
• Full article: Overhead versus neutral arm position for triceps hypertrophy.
• American College of Sports Medicine. Resistance Training for Health and Fitness: Current Insights and Applications.
• ACSM Science Spotlight: new position stand on resistance training.