The Best Tricep Workouts With Cables & Dumbbells: Supercharge Your Tricep Workouts

Are you finding yourself increasingly frustrated with tricep exercises that just don't deliver the results you crave? If your current routine feels more like a dead end than a path to progress, it's time to shake things up.

Welcome to your ultimate guide to reinvigorating your tricep workouts. Here, we'll introduce innovative exercise options that not only challenge the norm, but also break the monotony of your current regimen. Get ready to explore new exercises that will not only renew your enthusiasm for training, but also help you smash through those stubborn plateaus.

The Best Tricep Workouts: A Few Options to Bust Up Stale Routines

Gym cable machines and dumbbells are common tools of choice for attacking the triceps, and for good reason. They’re tried and true go-tos. But sometimes making progress is all about simply adjusting your approach. Here, I’ll list off a few exercises you can try to kill boredom and level up those upper arm gains. After that, I’ll introduce a secret weapon that can place you into a brand new tricep extension dimension.

First, let’s talk about a better way to implement dumbbells into your routine.

Tricep Workouts With Dumbbells

Dumbbells honestly aren’t the ideal form of triceps resistance for a few reasons I’ll develop later. But there are several dumbbell exercises worth trying if you’re looking for a challenge and reasonable results – if, of course, you don’t mind wrestling awkward, heavy dumbbells into position and out, or crushing your skull when your triceps and forearms are wasted! So listen up as I enlighten you with the following directives.

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Often referred to as Skull Crushers, the lying, seated, or standing dumbbell tricep extension exercise can build legit size and strength when done properly. To begin, select a single dumbbell to be gripped with palms overlapping and flat against the weight head with handle between thumbs and forefingers. 
• From a standing, seated, or lying on bench body position, situate the dumbbell to be behind the head with elbows tucked inward at shoulder width and bent at 90-degree right angles. 
• From the arms bent position, extend your triceps upward with the weight until your arms are straight.
• Next, slowly bend and lower the dumbbell until your arms again reach a 90-degree elbow bend. (Take caution to keep elbows tucked inward for optimal triceps targeting, and don’t drop the dumbbell on your face or head!)
• From the dumbbell's lowest position, forcefully extend it upward and away from the body with arms against the resistance.
• Complete a suggested 8-15 repetitions and x4 exercise sets. 

Tricep Workouts With Cables

Functional trainer cables offer resistance that is superior to dumbbells for triceps workouts because they target and load muscles more effectively (as opposed to gravity and leverage-constrained dumbbells for triceps).

Here are a couple of tricep cable workouts I recommend and how to do them:

Tricep V-Bar Press-Down

A Tricep V-bar press-down exercise is a cable crossover machine mainstay for triceps training. It utilizes a V-shaped tricep bar that places hands at a 45-degree angle. It was developed to target the two triceps short heads and, to a degree, the triceps long head as well, to deliver a somewhat all-inclusive compound tricep exercise workout.

• To begin the tricep press-down exercise, attach a V Press Down Bar to the high pulley of the cable resistance machine at a center chest elevation.
• While facing the machine, take a large step away. Then reach out and grip the V Cable Tricep Bar as you lean your torso forward about 20 degrees at the waist with shoulders over hands (this is done to keep body weight over the tricep bar so maximum force can be directed into the tricep press-down).
• From an elbows bent starting position, forcefully press the V bar downward (while assuring elbows are no further than shoulder width apart and that V bar attachment cable travels in a straight line with the machine). This exercise form will ensure that weight stack resistance is being applied throughout the exercise ‘range of motion’ to assure maximum muscle stimulation. In other words, if the push-down gets easier within the arm bent to arm straight movement, you're surely missing out on maintaining optimal ‘time under tension’ triceps loading and overall results!
• Lastly, since this exercise is designed to employ all three triceps muscle heads, it is imperative that you apply copious amounts of weight!Go for it with full stack attacks! 

Double Tricep Rope Push-Down

The second oldest tricep exercise known to man are Tricep Rope Press Downs, which is a rope attachment cable machine exercise that benefits from weight stack resistance when properly applied (albeit at the expense of triceps lateral and medial muscle heads, which are primarily stimulated on tricep exercises in which palms face the floor). Since tricep rope attachments provide a hammer-style grip, the resistance will be directed into the triceps long heads.

• Double tricep rope push-downs or tricep rope extensions can be performed while lying on a bench or standing with rope and arms overhead. Simply bend at elbows to 90 degrees, then extend against the weight stack and repeat to set conclusion
• For double tricep rope push-down workouts, maximum weight can be applied by attaching and gripping a double rope to a high pulley cable press-down machine.
• Then, with arms bent at 90 degrees, simply extend and straighten the arms against the load until they are straight.
• Keep shoulders over the hands to hold the body in place during the exercise. This requires a full step away from pulley position for adequate torso lean.
• For added effect, resist the bending portion of the tricep exercise for 3 seconds on each of the 8-15 repetitions. 

While the aforementioned are good upper-arm workouts, you may want to take things to the next level. If so, may I introduce you to Tribells for Triceps, a favorite of Frank Zane the bodybuilding legend. These bad boys will not only help you zero in on squeezing more gains from stubborn triceps – Tribells can also hit on lat muscles when used for pull ups and rows.

An Alternative to Tricep Rope Pushdowns, Dumbbell Extensions, and More

What I love about the Tribells is that they give me the best triceps push-down workout. Tribells are a special tricep cable attachment that offers superior design in comparison to other triceps gym equipment such as dumbbells and triceps cable machine ropes. Let me explain.

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions Have Downsides

Lifters often choose dumbbell kickbacks, skull crushers, and extensions for tricep development. But while the grip style may be similar to Tribells, the problem is that heavy dumbbells can be extremely awkward and dangerous to position overhead. When you’re dealing with cable machines, on the other hand, all that’s needed is to snap onto a weight stack loaded cable. 

Another big problem with gravity-loading dumbbells occurs during the bend and extend motion when the gravitational pull fluctuates from super-efficient to less than or hardly significant resistance as needed to induce an adaptive response.

In contrast, Tribells has a dome-shaped grip (we call this a ‘sport grip’ because gripping a 4-inch or a 6-inch Tribell is like gripping a baseball or a softball). This grip is at the end of a super flexible and strong aircraft cable, which allows you to unleash movement to better target and load triceps with relentless weight stack tension.

The end result is more muscle recruitment – as in more muscular size and definition.

To summarize, when using a dumbbell for a triceps workout, there’s a significantly less effective resistance rate when it comes to keeping tension on the muscle. But with the Tribells, you get maximum resistance to that tricep throughout the full range of exercise motion.

Tricep Rope Workouts Don’t Quite Cut It

Tricep ropes for cable tricep workouts are a popular option for lifters targeting the triceps. But though cable machine rope is great for training triceps long heads, ultimately Tribells prevails as it can train the total 3-headed ‘tricep trifecta’ to deliver superior rep-for-rep results. 

• *Pull-ups (*with optional Pull-Up Hook)
• Seated Rows
• Low Cable Rows
• High Cable Rows
• *Tricep Bar Push Downs (*Double Wide Plus model)

Transform Your Tricep Workouts With Tribells

If you’re ready to elevate your workouts and push past those frustrating plateaus, it's time to introduce the revolutionary Tribells into your training arsenal. These aren't just any tricep tools; they're a game-changer designed to supercharge your muscle gains and break the monotony of conventional exercises.

Why Choose Tribells?

• Patented Design: The Tribells feature a unique, patented design with gripping domes that fit naturally in your hand, similar to gripping a baseball. This sports grip is far superior to traditional tricep ropes by offering a more intuitive and effective means of conditioning all your tricep muscles in a sport-enhancing way.
• Enhanced Muscle Activation: Tribells' ultra-thin 'Live Wire' cable suspension frees muscle for maximum stimulation to ensure optimal muscle loading occurs throughout each bend and extension. This not only leads to stronger triceps, but forearms and grip strength will be amped as well! It's totally unlike anything you’ve experienced with standard ropes or dumbbells for triceps.
• Versatility and Efficiency: Whether you're performing cable extensions, press-downs, or advanced compound movements, Tribells adapt to a wide range of exercises with detachable domes and multiple configurations. This make them suitable for athletes of all sizes and skill levels.

Featured Products:

1. Tribells 4" Double Tricep Workout with Cables Domes: Revolutionize your routine with these dual gripping domes that ensure even muscle activation and allow you to perform a variety of tricep-focused exercises. Their commercial-grade construction is backed by a lifetime warranty, promising durability and consistent performance.
2. Tribells 'Double Wide' Tricep Workout: Experience unmatched muscle activation with the 12" wide yoke that optimizes hand spacing. The detachable domes offer flexibility for single or double-hand tricep extensions, making it a versatile addition to your strength training routine. The Double Wide Plus model adds even more tricep trauma in the form of Super Set Tribells / Tricep Bar workout capability!
3. Tribells 6" Alternative to Dumbbell - Cable Tricep Workout: Ditch the awkward dumbbell extensions for this high-tech cable alternative. The 6" dual hand gripping dome targets the triceps' lateral heads more effectively while the robust 'Live Wire' cable suspension enhances the dynamic training effects – all without wrestling heavy dumbbells in and out of position for lame, inefficient gravity style resistance.

Don’t settle for less when you can have the best. Upgrade to Tribells and experience the pinnacle of tricep and upper body training. With their innovative design and superior functionality, Tribells are here to ensure your workouts are not only effective but also motivating. Check out Tribells now and bring the power of professional-grade equipment to your training routine!

About the author: Daniel Emick is a personal fitness and lifting expert, and the CEO of LPG Muscle.