Get the Most from Medial Head Tricep Exercises Now

Understand the medial head of the triceps

If you want your medial head tricep exercises to actually work, it helps to know what this muscle does and where it sits.

The triceps brachii has three heads:

• Long head
• Lateral head
• Medial head

The medial head is:

• The smallest of the three
• Tucked between the long and lateral heads
• Located lower on the upper arm, closer to your torso, running from the humerus to the elbow joint

Functionally, the medial head:

• Is active in all forms of elbow extension, even when you are not lifting heavy resistance, as described in an October 2023 anatomy review by Kenhub
• Plays a key role in elbow stability and smooth extension, especially at the end range of the movement
• Helps give your upper arm a full, complete look by filling the gap between the long and lateral heads

If you neglect it, you can end up with a visible gap between the long and lateral heads, which affects your arm aesthetics and can limit strength.

Why you cannot truly isolate the medial head

You will see a lot of advice online promising “isolation” of the medial head. In reality:

• The medial and lateral heads both originate on the humerus and insert at the elbow joint
• Because they share these attachment points, you cannot contract one without the other

What you can do is emphasize the medial head with:

• Specific grips, especially underhand or supinated grips
• Keeping your elbows close to your sides
• Smart exercise order and rep ranges

That is where the rest of your medial head tricep exercises come in.

Know why the medial head matters

You already hit your triceps with presses and dips, so why worry about the medial head specifically?

Strength and performance

The medial head is the workhorse of elbow extension when there is less resistance. It:

• Fires during every extension, from locking out a pushup to straightening your arm to grab your bag
• Generates higher muscle force than the other heads at higher shoulder elevations such as 90°, 135°, and 180°, according to a 2018 study that used biomechanical simulation and surface EMG
• Helps compensate when the long head becomes less effective at high shoulder flexion, since the long head gets stretched and loses some force in that position

This means a strong medial head supports:

• Better lockout strength in presses
• More stable elbows during overhead and incline work
• More consistent power across different arm positions

Aesthetics and arm shape

From an appearance standpoint, the medial head:

• Connects and visually fills the space between the long and lateral heads
• Adds density near the elbow, which makes your arm look thicker from both the side and back
• Gives you that “finished” look rather than a top-heavy triceps that only pops near the shoulder

If you feel like your triceps look good from some angles but flat closer to the elbow, your medial head tricep exercises probably need more attention.

Use form adjustments to target the medial head

Before you start choosing exercises, it is useful to understand the technique cues that increase medial head contribution.

Grip choices that help

You will emphasize the medial head more when you use:

• Supinated or underhand grips

• Reverse grip pushdowns

• Reverse grip dumbbell or barbell presses

• Neutral or close grips

• Rope pushdowns with elbows tucked

• Diamond pushups with hands under your chest

These positions tend to reduce the dominance of the long head and make the medial and lateral heads work harder.

Elbow and body positioning

Focus on these details in your medial head tricep exercises:

• Keep elbows glued to your sides whenever possible
• Avoid excessive elbow flaring to the outside
• Maintain a stable upper arm and move only at the elbow
• For dips, stay upright to keep the tension on the triceps more than the chest

These adjustments improve muscle recruitment and protect your elbows at the same time.

Choose the best medial head tricep exercises

You have many options, but some movements consistently show up in credible training guides and anatomy discussions. Below is a practical list you can build from, based on the research set you provided.

1. Reverse grip cable pushdowns

This is one of the most direct medial head tricep exercises you can do.

How to do it

1. Attach a straight or small EZ bar to a cable station.
2. Grip the bar underhand, palms facing up, hands about shoulder width.
3. Stand tall, tuck your elbows to your sides, and keep your chest lifted.
4. Extend your elbows to push the bar down until your arms are straight.
5. Control the bar back up to about 90 degrees at the elbow, keeping tension on the triceps.

Tips

• Avoid letting your elbows drift forward or flare out.
• Use a weight that allows clean reps without swinging.

2. Cable rope pushdowns

Rope pushdowns work all three heads, and small tweaks can highlight the medial head.

How to do it

1. Clip a rope attachment to a high cable.
2. Grip the rope with a neutral grip, palms facing in.
3. Start with elbows close to your sides, forearms about parallel to the floor.
4. Push the rope down and slightly apart at the bottom of the movement.
5. Pause briefly at full extension, then return under control.

Tips

• Think of “pinning” your upper arms to your ribs.
• Stay upright, do not lean too far over the stack.

3. Reverse grip dumbbell or barbell bench press

Using a reverse grip shifts the emphasis, making this one of the more effective compound medial head tricep exercises.

How to do it

1. Lie on a flat bench with a barbell or dumbbells.
2. Use a supinated grip: palms facing you, hands slightly inside shoulder width.
3. Unrack and hold the weight above your mid chest.
4. Lower slowly to your lower chest, keeping elbows tucked.
5. Press back up, focusing on a strong triceps-driven lockout.

Tips

• Use a spotter if you are not familiar with the reverse grip.
• Start lighter than your usual bench press working weight.

4. Skull crushers

Skull crushers remain a classic triceps builder and, with elbow control, support medial head development.

How to do it

1. Lie on a bench with an EZ bar or dumbbells.
2. Extend your arms straight above your shoulders.
3. Bend at the elbows to lower the weight toward your forehead or just behind it.
4. Keep your upper arms mostly vertical.
5. Extend back to the start, squeezing at the top.

Tips

• Avoid letting your elbows drift wide.
• Focus on a smooth, pain-free range of motion.

5. Weighted or bodyweight tricep dips

Dips hit all three heads very effectively, with the medial head especially active near lockout.

How to do it

1. Use parallel bars or dip handles.
2. Start with arms straight and body upright.
3. Lower by bending your elbows to about 90 degrees.
4. Press back up, thinking about driving the bars down.

Tips

• Keep your torso more vertical to hit the triceps harder and the chest less.
• If you are new, use an assisted dip machine or bands.

6. Diamond pushups

Diamond pushups are a convenient, no equipment way to emphasize the medial head and the lateral head together.

How to do it

1. Get into a pushup position with hands close, forming a diamond or triangle under your chest.
2. Keep elbows close to your sides as you lower your chest toward your hands.
3. Press back up until your arms are straight.

Tips

• If this is too hard, drop to your knees or elevate your hands on a bench.
• Control the descent to keep pressure off your wrists and shoulders.

7. Tricep kickbacks

Kickbacks help you practice a strong, full elbow extension with constant tension at the top.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell and hinge forward at the hips, supporting yourself with one hand on a bench if needed.
2. Start with your upper arm parallel to your torso and your elbow bent.
3. Extend your elbow until your arm is straight behind you.
4. Pause briefly, then return with control.

Tips

• Keep your upper arm fixed, only your forearm should move.
• Use moderate to light weights and higher reps for good form.

8. Concentration cable extensions

These mimic concentration curls but for triceps and work very well at higher rep ranges.

How to do it

1. Sit sideways at a low cable station.
2. Attach a single handle and grab it with one hand.
3. Brace your upper arm against the side of your torso or thigh.
4. Extend the elbow, straightening your arm.
5. Return slowly, maintaining constant tension.

Tips

• Aim for 15 to 30 reps with a controlled tempo.
• Focus on feeling the back of your arm working near the elbow.

9. Cable overhead extensions

Overhead cable extensions are especially useful at higher shoulder angles, where the medial head becomes even more important for force production.

How to do it

1. Set a cable at the lowest position with a rope or handle.
2. Stand facing away from the machine and step forward so the cable runs behind you.
3. Start with elbows bent and hands behind your head.
4. Extend your elbows to straighten your arms overhead.
5. Return under control to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your core braced and your ribs down.
• Use high reps, such as 20 to 30, at the end of your workout.

10. Tate press

The Tate press is less common, but it puts deep tension on the triceps using a unique path.

How to do it

1. Lie on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells.
2. Start with arms straight above your chest, palms facing your feet.
3. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells down toward your chest, pointing them inward.
4. Reverse the movement to extend your arms back up.

Tips

• Choose a weight that lets you move smoothly, no jerking.
• Keep the focus on the elbow joint rather than turning it into a press.

Set smart sets, reps, and frequency

Knowing the right medial head tricep exercises is only half the equation. How you program them matters for growth and recovery.

Recommended rep ranges

Based on the training guidelines in your research:

• Compound presses like reverse grip bench or close grip presses

• Work best in the 6 to 10 rep range

• Cable and bodyweight work such as pushdowns, overhead extensions, and diamond pushups

• Respond well to 15 to 30 reps per set

• Finishers such as concentration cable extensions and high rep overhead extensions

• Can go up to 20 to 30 reps to fully fatigue the medial head

Weekly volume and frequency

A balanced plan for your triceps might look like this:

• Train triceps twice per week
• Do 12 to 14 total sets per session
• Split those sets across 3 to 4 different exercises
• Allow at least 72 hours of recovery between triceps sessions

This is enough volume to drive hypertrophy without drifting into overtraining.

Build a sample medial head tricep workout

Here is how you could put everything together into a simple, effective session focused on the medial head.

Day 1: Strength plus moderate reps

1. Reverse grip barbell or dumbbell bench press

• 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps

1. Cable rope pushdowns

• 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps

1. Skull crushers

• 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

1. Diamond pushups

• 2 sets to near failure

Day 2: Higher reps and overhead work

1. Weighted or assisted tricep dips

• 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps

1. Reverse grip cable pushdowns

• 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps

1. Cable overhead extensions

• 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps

1. Concentration cable extensions

• 2 sets of 20 to 30 reps as a burnout

Adjust the volume based on how your elbows feel and how quickly you recover.

Protect your elbows while you train

Because the medial head helps stabilize the elbow, you want to train hard without irritating this joint.

Keep these safeguards in mind:

• Warm up your elbows with light pushdowns and band pressdowns before heavy work
• Avoid sudden jumps in weight or drastic increases in volume
• Use a pain free range of motion and stop if you feel sharp or lingering pain
• Rotate exercises occasionally, especially if one pattern consistently bothers your joints

Proper form and controlled tempo will usually do more for your medial head growth than simply piling on heavier loads.

Put it into practice

To get the most from your medial head tricep exercises, focus on three things:

• Choose movements that allow underhand grips, close elbows, and strong lockouts
• Use rep ranges that fit the exercise type, especially higher reps for cables and bodyweight work
• Stick to a twice weekly schedule with 12 to 14 sets and at least 72 hours of rest between sessions

Pick one or two changes from this guide to apply in your next workout, such as swapping standard pushdowns for reverse grip pushdowns or adding a high rep cable overhead extension finisher. Over the next few weeks you should start to notice stronger lockouts, more elbow stability, and a fuller look to your triceps, especially near the elbow.

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