How to Strengthen the Long Head on the Triceps Brachii Muscle

The triceps brachii at the back of your upper arm is comprised of three separate heads: the medial, lateral and long heads. Because of where the long head originates, it’s capable of performing a greater number of joint movements than the lateral and medial heads. Do your triceps workout two to three days per week with one day off in between for recovery.

  1. Triceps Brachii

    • All three heads of the triceps contribute to elbow extension, which means they straighten your elbows. The long head, however, originates up higher at your scapula, or shoulder blade, than the other two heads. Because of its position, it also helps out with shoulder extension and adduction. Therefore, to thoroughly strengthen the long head of the triceps, your workout should consist of elbow extension as well as the two movements at the shoulder.

    Shoulder Extension Exercises

    • Shoulder extension is when you pull your upper arms down towards your backside. Pullovers and straight-arm pushdowns are exercises that involve extension of the shoulder. To do pullovers, lie perpendicular on a flat bench with your shoulder blades resting on the bench, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a weighted barbell over your chest with your arms extended. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the bar back over and behind your head until your arms are parallel with your body and then lift them back up. For straight-arm pushdown, stand in front of a cable pulley unit set to a high position. Reach up and grip the straight-bar attachment with both hands. With your arms mostly straight and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, pull the bar attachment down until your arms are down by your sides. Then, control it back up to return to starting position.

    Shoulder Adduction Exercises

    • Shoulder adduction is when you pull your arms down to the sides of your body. Pull-ups involve adduction of the shoulders and thus will recruit the long head of the triceps. Reach up and grip an overhead bar with your hands set wider than your shoulders and your palms facing away from you. Pull your upper chest up to the bar and then straighten your arms to return back to starting position.

    Elbow Extension Exercises

    • Elbow extension exercises will strengthen all three heads of the triceps. Incorporate lying triceps extension and overhead triceps extension into your workout. Lying triceps extension is done while lying on your back on a flat bench. Hold the barbell over your chest with your arms straight. Bend your elbows to lower the bar towards your forehead and then straighten them to bring the bar back up. Overhead triceps extension involves holding a single dumbbell overhead. Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head and then straighten them to bring the weight back up.