Why a push up tricep workout belongs in your routine
If you want stronger, more defined arms without a lot of equipment, a simple push up tricep workout is one of your best options. Tricep-focused push ups target the back of your upper arms while also challenging your chest, shoulders, and core.
Your triceps make up about 60 to 70 percent of your upper arm, according to exercise physiologist Todd Buckingham, so training them pays off in both strength and appearance. A tricep-focused push up routine also supports everyday movements like pushing a door, lifting a box, or even brushing your teeth.
In the guide below, you will learn how tricep push ups work, how to do them with proper form, and how to build a simple progression from beginner to advanced.
Understand what tricep push ups work
Tricep push ups are a bodyweight exercise that mainly target your triceps while still engaging your upper body and core. Peloton instructor Selena Samuela notes that they place more emphasis on your upper arms than standard push ups, which usually hit your chest and shoulders more.
During a push up tricep workout, you train several muscles at once:
- Triceps brachii, especially the long head
- Chest muscles (pectoralis major)
- Front of the shoulders (anterior deltoids)
- Core muscles, including abdominals and obliques
- Serratus anterior along the rib cage
- Forearms and grip
Because push ups are a compound exercise, they recruit multiple muscle groups at the same time, which can help you burn more calories and build overall strength more efficiently than isolation moves that only work one muscle at a time.
Master the difference: regular vs tricep push ups
To get real tricep gains from push ups, you need to understand how tricep push ups differ from the regular version.
Form differences
In a standard push up, your hands are roughly under your shoulders and your elbows flare out at about a 45 degree angle from your body. You will feel this mostly in your chest and shoulders.
In a tricep push up, sometimes called a military or close grip push up, a few key details change:
- Hands are closer to your ribs and slightly below chest height
- Thumbs often sit near your armpits
- Elbows stay tight to your sides instead of flaring out
- Upper arms stay flush against your torso as you lower and push back up
Keeping your elbows close to your body significantly increases triceps activation compared to a wider elbow position, as highlighted by Kettlebell Kings in 2024.
Why tricep push ups feel harder
Because your hands move in and your elbows tuck, you have less help from your chest muscles. More of the work shifts to your triceps, which makes tricep push ups feel noticeably tougher than standard push ups even if you are already comfortable with the regular version.
Expect to do fewer reps at first. That is normal and a sign that your triceps are actually being challenged.
Set your base: proper push up form
Whether you are doing classic or tricep variations, good push up form keeps you safe and helps you get the most from each rep.
Here is a quick form checklist pulled from expert guidance:
- Place your palms under or just slightly behind your shoulders
- Point your fingers forward
- Keep your feet together or hip width
- Maintain a straight line from the back of your head to your heels
- Keep your neck neutral, do not crane your head up or let it drop
- Brace your core as if preparing for a gentle punch
- Lower with control until your chest is just above the floor
- Avoid letting your lower back sag or your hips pike up
In a standard push up, your elbows bend at about 45 degrees from your torso. In a tricep push up, bring them in tighter to your ribs to better engage your triceps.
Learn perfect tricep push up technique
Now you can focus on the specific details that turn a regular push up into a tricep focused one.
Step by step tricep push up
- Set your hand position
- Start in a high plank with your hands slightly narrower than shoulder width.
- Move your hands a bit lower than chest height, closer to your ribcage.
- Make sure your fingers are pointing straight forward.
- Align your body
- Walk your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core.
- Tuck your elbows
- As you begin to lower, keep your elbows glued to your sides.
- Your upper arms should brush or nearly brush your ribs.
- Lower with control
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
- Stop when your chest is just above the ground, or when you feel tension in your triceps without pain.
- Press back up
- Push through your palms, focusing on using your triceps to straighten your arms.
- Keep your elbows close to your body as you return to the starting position.
- Maintain your line
- Do not let your hips sag or lift.
- Keep your core engaged throughout the entire set.
Peloton instructor Selena Samuela emphasizes staying tight through the arms and keeping fingers pointed straight ahead to ensure the triceps stay engaged.
Try gentle progressions if you are a beginner
If full tricep push ups from the floor are too challenging right now, you can still build your push up tricep workout with easier variations. You will gain strength while practicing proper form.
1. Wall tricep push ups
- Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at chest height and slightly closer than shoulder width.
- Walk your feet back so your body is at a slight angle.
- Tuck your elbows as you lower your chest toward the wall.
- Push back to the starting position.
Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps while keeping your body in a straight line.
2. Incline tricep push ups
Once wall push ups feel easy, move your hands to a stable surface like a bench, sturdy table, or countertop.
- Place your hands on the edge with a close grip.
- Walk your feet back until your body is straight.
- Keep your elbows tight to your sides as you lower and push back up.
You can follow the same 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps guideline. As your strength improves, select a lower surface so your body is closer to parallel with the floor.
3. Knee tricep push ups
If floor push ups are still too difficult, try them on your knees.
- Start in a high plank, then lower your knees to the ground.
- Walk your hands back slightly so you maintain a straight line from your head to your knees.
- Keep your elbows tucked and perform tricep push ups in this modified position.
Focus on form first. Quality reps on your knees are more effective for tricep growth than sloppy full versions.
Build endurance with isometric tricep holds
Incline isometric plank holds can help your triceps and core gain endurance for longer push up sets.
To try this option:
- Place your hands on a bench or sturdy surface with a close grip.
- Step your feet back into a straight body line as you would for an incline push up.
- Bend your elbows slightly so your triceps are working.
- Hold this position as long as you can while keeping good form.
You can work up to 4 sets to failure. Over time, your triceps and core will adapt, which makes your push up tricep workout feel more controlled and stable.
Progress to full tricep push ups
Once you can comfortably handle inclines or knee variations, you are ready to tackle full tricep push ups from the floor.
Suggested rep ranges
Use this simple structure, based on common tricep push up recommendations:
- Beginner: 4 sets of 3 reps
- Intermediate: 4 sets of 6 reps
- Advanced: 3 sets of 10 reps or more
Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. If you cannot complete your target reps with clean form, drop to a knee variation or incline for the remaining reps.
Weekly frequency
For steady progress, you can include a push up tricep workout 2 or 3 times per week, leaving at least one day of rest between sessions for recovery.
Add tricep focused push up variations
Once basic tricep push ups feel solid, you can explore variations to keep your workouts challenging and interesting.
Diamond push ups
Diamond push ups are a popular tricep move that brings your hands even closer together.
How to do them:
- Start in a high plank.
- Bring your hands together underneath your chest so your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape.
- Lower your chest toward your hands, keeping your elbows close.
- Press back up.
Diamond push ups intensely engage the triceps. If they feel too intense, drop to your knees to maintain form and avoid strain.
Decline tricep push ups
To increase difficulty, elevate your feet on a bench or step while your hands stay on the floor.
- Place your feet on the bench and your hands in a close grip on the ground.
- Keep your body in a straight line.
- Perform tricep push ups with your elbows tight to your torso.
Decline variations increase the load on your upper body, including your triceps and shoulders.
Weighted or one arm variations
As you get stronger, you can eventually add external resistance or work toward advanced single arm versions:
- Wear a weighted vest during your push up tricep workout.
- Place a weight plate carefully on your upper back with a partner’s help.
- Practice assisted one arm tricep push ups by shifting more weight onto one hand while the other lightly assists.
These options are advanced, so build a solid base first to avoid injury.
Avoid common tricep push up mistakes
Small technique errors can seriously limit your results. Physical therapist and trainer Jeff Cavaliere has pointed out that common mistakes across tricep exercises, including tricep push ups, can stunt muscle growth if you repeat them over time.
Watch out for these issues:
- Elbows flaring out: This shifts work to your chest and shoulders instead of your triceps.
- Hands too wide: A wide stance stops the triceps from doing the bulk of the work.
- Sagging lower back: This puts stress on your spine and reduces core engagement.
- Half reps only: Constantly cutting the range of motion short means less overall muscle activation.
- Speeding through sets: Fast, sloppy reps usually mean poor form and less tricep tension.
Slowing down and focusing on alignment will help you get more from each push up, especially once you are doing higher volume.
If you want a structured system to minimize errors in your tricep training and integrate push up variations into a full program, the ATHLEAN X Training System by Jeff Cavaliere in 2023 offers filmed workouts and walkthroughs tailored for tricep development, including a TNT Triceps workout dedicated to tricep exercises like push ups. You can read more about his tricep training approach in his discussion of common tricep mistakes in 2023 on Athlean X, which explains how technique issues and poor programming can slow your progress.
Put it together: sample push up tricep workout
Here is a simple routine you can use 2 or 3 times per week. Adjust the variation level based on your current strength.
Beginner workout
- Wall tricep push ups
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Incline isometric tricep plank holds
- 4 sets to failure
- Knee tricep push ups
- 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
Intermediate workout
- Incline tricep push ups (bench or low surface)
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Full tricep push ups
- 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps
- Diamond push ups on knees
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Advanced workout
- Full tricep push ups
- 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
- Diamond push ups
- 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Decline tricep push ups
- 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
If you still have energy and your form is solid, you can finish with a final set of regular push ups to fatigue your chest and shoulders, but keep the main focus on quality tricep work.
Support your tricep gains
To see noticeable changes from your push up tricep workout, you need more than just good exercise selection.
Keep these basics in mind:
- Train your triceps regularly, not only once in a while
- Combine push up variations with other tricep moves like dips, extensions, or skullcrushers
- Eat enough protein to support muscle growth
- Give yourself at least one rest day between intense tricep sessions
- Track your progress, add reps or a tougher variation over time
Consistent, well executed push ups can steadily increase your tricep size and strength and improve your performance in other upper body exercises, including kettlebell lifts and pressing movements.
Key takeaways
- Tricep push ups shift more work to the back of your arms by keeping elbows tight and hands close.
- Proper form, including a straight body line and tucked elbows, is essential for targeting your triceps.
- You can build up from wall or incline push ups to full floor versions and advanced variations like diamond and decline push ups.
- Avoid common mistakes such as flared elbows and sagging hips that reduce tricep activation.
- With a consistent push up tricep workout and smart progressions, you can build stronger, more defined arms using only your bodyweight.
Start with the variation that feels challenging but doable today, and add a few focused sets to your next workout. Over the coming weeks, you will feel the difference every time you push, press, or lift.
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