8 Best Bodyweight Tricep Exercises At Home

Bodyweight tricep exercises are a game-changer when it comes to building upper arm strength without a single piece of gym equipment. They’re functional, scalable, and brutally effective. And yes, you can get serious results right from your living room.

Most people focus on curls and neglect the triceps, even though triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm mass. If you’re looking to get stronger, improve your push movements, and sculpt your arms, bodyweight tricep exercises are your go-to.

How Bodyweight Tricep Exercises Work

Your triceps are made of three heads — long, medial, and lateral. Bodyweight tricep exercises target all three by manipulating your body position, range of motion, and tempo. You don’t need machines or cables.

You need leverage, control, and consistency. These exercises use gravity and your body to create tension — the key to building muscle and strength.

8 Best Bodyweight Tricep Exercises At Home

Here are the top bodyweight triceps exercises you can do anywhere — no gym, no excuses.

1. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups are the king of bodyweight tricep exercises.

• Start in a push-up position.
• Place your hands together under your chest, forming a diamond shape with your index fingers and thumbs.
• Lower yourself slowly and keep your elbows tight.
• Push up with force, fully extending your arms.
• You’ll feel this burn the triceps like nothing else.

Tip: The narrower the hand placement, the more intense the tricep activation.

2. Tricep Dips on a Chair

• Grab a sturdy chair or couch edge.
• Sit down, place your hands next to your hips, then walk your feet forward and lift your butt off the surface.
• Lower yourself slowly until your elbows are at 90 degrees.
• Push back up — that’s one rep.

This is one of the most accessible bodyweight tricep exercises for beginners.

Pro tip: Straighten your legs and elevate your feet for extra resistance.

3. Close-Grip Push-Ups

• These look like regular push-ups, but your hands are directly under your shoulders or closer.
• The elbows should graze your sides as you lower yourself.
• This keeps the focus off your chest and directly on the triceps.

Bonus: You’ll also get core engagement.

4. Pike Push-Ups with Elbow Emphasis

• Pike push-ups generally target shoulders, but a slight tweak engages the triceps.
• Start in a downward dog position.
• Lower your head to the floor by bending your elbows backward, not flaring them out.
• Keep the movement slow and controlled.

This puts a serious strain on the triceps.

5. Wall Tricep Extensions

• Stand facing a wall.
• Place your palms flat against it at shoulder height, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your elbows and lower your face toward the wall.
• Push back using just your triceps.

It’s a perfect starter for people building up strength for harder bodyweight tricep exercises.

6. Bodyweight Skull Crushers

• Use a table edge or stair railing.
• Position your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Step your feet back into a leaning plank.
• Bend your elbows and bring your head under your hands, like you’re doing a skull crusher.
• Push back to the start.

This mimics the dumbbell skull crusher, but it’s all bodyweight.

7. Bench Tricep Push-Ups

• Elevate your hands on a bench or low table.
• Perform close-grip push-ups with elbows tucked in.
• This variation reduces chest involvement and increases time under tension for the triceps.
• Ideal for progressive overload without extra weight.

8. Tiger Bend Push-Ups

• This is one of the hardest bodyweight tricep exercises — part push-up, part skull crusher.
• Start in a forearm plank.
• Push up to a full-arm plank using just your triceps.
• Lower back to your forearms.

This will light your triceps on fire and improve control and strength.

Progression Tips for Bodyweight Tricep Exercises

To build size and strength using bodyweight triceps exercises, apply progression just like in weighted training. 

• Increase reps.
• Slow the tempo.
• Add elevation or instability.
• Use isometric holds at the bottom of the rep.
• Stack these methods to keep your triceps challenged and growing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even though bodyweight tricep exercises are simple, people often make critical errors.

Poor Elbow Position

• Letting elbows flare out shifts tension to the shoulders and chest.
• Keep elbows close to your torso.

Rushing Reps

• Fast reps = less time under tension.
• Slow down to make every second count.

Lack of Full Range of Motion

• Half-reps won’t give full activation.
• Go all the way down and extend completely.

Sample Bodyweight Tricep Workout (No Equipment Needed)

You can build an effective at-home triceps routine using just your weight.

• Rest: 30–60 seconds between sets.
• Perform this workout 2–3 times per week.

Bodyweight Tricep Exercises for Beginners

• If you’re just starting, don’t worry.
• Bodyweight tricep exercises can be scaled down.
• Stick with wall extensions, incline push-ups, and dips with bent knees.
• Focus on form before intensity.
• Even 3–4 reps done correctly beat 20 sloppy ones.

Bodyweight Tricep Exercises for Advanced Lifters

• Once you master the basics, it’s time to level up.
• Add explosive movements like clapping diamond push-ups.
• Use slow eccentric movements and pause at the bottom.
• String multiple exercises into supersets or circuits.
• Push the limits of time under tension.

Why Triceps Matter More Than You Think

If your goal is bigger arms, know this: the triceps make up about 60–70% of your arm’s muscle mass. Bodyweight tricep exercises are key for visual bulk and athletic performance. They support all pressing movements — push-ups, handstands, and overhead presses. Stronger triceps = better performance across the board.

FAQs

1. Can you grow triceps with just bodyweight tricep exercises?

Yes. If you train with intensity, use proper form, and apply progression (more reps, slower tempo), you can build serious tricep size and strength.

2. How often should I train triceps with bodyweight exercises?

2–3 times per week is ideal for most people. Make sure to allow at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.

3. Are bodyweight tricep exercises good for toning?

Absolutely. They help burn fat and increase muscle definition, especially when combined with overall body fat reduction.

4. What’s the best bodyweight tricep exercise for beginners?

Wall tricep extensions or bench dips with bent knees. They’re easy to scale and help build foundational strength.

5. Do bodyweight tricep exercises work all three heads of the tricep?

Yes, when you vary your angles and hand placements, you can hit all three heads — long, lateral, and medial.

Conclusion

Bodyweight tricep exercises aren’t just a backup plan for when you can’t get to the gym. They’re a full-blown strategy to build functional, aesthetic, and powerful arms. No weights. No machines. Just your body — used intelligently. 

Whether you’re a beginner learning to control your movement or a seasoned lifter chasing new gains, mastering these 8 bodyweight tricep exercises at home will pay off. Train smart. Push hard. And let your triceps do the talking.