The Best Triceps Stretches to Loosen and Improve Flexibility

Nov 29, 2023

The Best Triceps Stretches to Loosen and Improve Flexibility

The triceps is an important upper arm muscle that makes up two-thirds of your upper arm mass. Like any other muscle in the body, keeping your triceps flexible through regular stretching is key to injury prevention and achieving a full range of motion.

If you find your triceps feeling excessively tight or sore, incorporating some simple stretches into your routine can help relieve discomfort and improve flexibility.

Read on for the best triceps stretches to help loosen this key upper body muscle.

Why Stretch Your Triceps?

As a powerful muscle on the backside of the upper arm that straightens the elbow, the triceps plays a major role in most pressing movements in weight lifting and calisthenics. Achieving a full range of motion on these exercises will be difficult if your triceps lack flexibility.

Additionally, tightness in the triceps muscle can contribute to elbow or shoulder problems over time due to overcompensation by other muscles and connective tissues. Dynamic triceps stretches before your workout can help warm up and loosen your muscles to prevent injury.

Regular triceps stretches can also help improve blood flow to the area, providing recovery benefits. Like all forms of stretching, adding stretches that target the triceps offers numerous potential advantages:

Increased flexibility and range of motion in the elbow and shoulder
Reduced risk of strains or pulls of the triceps muscle
Help prevent elbow issues like tennis elbow or golfer's elbow
Prevent soreness from intense triceps workouts
Relief of general tightness feeling in the triceps
Aid recovery by improving circulation

Clearly, maintaining and improving flexibility in your triceps through regular stretching provides important benefits. The following simple stretches make it easy to loosen your triceps.

Overhead Triceps Stretch

The overhead triceps stretch is one of the most basic yet effective for targeting all three heads of the triceps muscle.

To perform:

Reach your right arm straight above your head, bending the elbow so your hand hangs down your back.
Grab your right elbow with your left hand, gently pulling until you feel a stretch in your right triceps.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then release and switch arms to target your left triceps.

Triceps Stretch

This easy stretch can be done daily to improve triceps flexibility. Experiment with pulling the elbow further to deepen the stretch. Over time, you will achieve a better range of motion as you loosen the muscle.

Make sure your arms are straight overhead throughout the stretch. You can also move your upper body from side to side or tip forward and back slightly to target different sections of the triceps for an extended stretch.

The overhead triceps stretch offers a simple way to stretch your triceps anytime. Add a set before or after your triceps workout to help warm up and prevent future soreness.

Assisted Triceps Stretch

If you want to take your overhead triceps stretch to the next level, try this assisted variation for a deeper stretch:

Step 1: Sit upright with your feet extended in front of you shoulder width apart.
Step 2: With a partner standing behind you, raise one arm in the air and then bend your arm so that the elbow is pointing upward and your hand is resting on or near your back.
Step 3: For your starting position, your partner should place one hand on your wrist and the other hand on your tricep near your elbow.
Step 4: While your partner tries to resist your motion, try to extend your arm upright toward the ceiling for up to 20 counts.
Step 5: Relax back to the starting position.
Step 6: Your partner should now gently apply pressure by pushing against your wrist to further stretch the tricep for up to 20 counts.
Step 7: Return to the starting position and then repeat the stretch for the amount of recommended repetitions.

Partner Assisted Stretching - tricep stretch for shoulder rehabilitation - YouTube

By using your partner to apply pressure and resistance, this assisted stretch allows you to increase the intensity of the triceps stretch. Having a partner enhances the effects and range of motion benefits beyond what you can achieve on your own with a passive overhead triceps stretch.

Go slowly and gently when first trying this technique if your triceps are particularly tight. Over time as your flexibility improves, your partner can push more intensely to keep targeting those stubborn tight spots.

Horizontal Stretch

This stretch helps to increase flexibility. You can do it while standing or sitting.

This is another easy stretch that can be done anywhere, whether you’re sitting or standing.

Raise your right arm to about shoulder height, then reach across to left side of your body.
Bend left arm at elbow and use left arm to gently pull right arm toward your body, which will deepen the stretch.
Hold for about 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Repeat a few times as needed.

horizontal tricep stretch

This horizontal shoulder stretch targets the muscles and connective tissues on the side and back of your shoulder including your triceps. Reaching across your body and using the opposite arm to pull the stretch deeper opens the shoulders, chest, and upper back safely if done gently avoiding overstretching.

Experiment with hand height to shift the focus of the stretch up toward your triceps or down toward the side of your latissmus dorsi. Those with rounded shoulders or poor posture can benefit greatly from consistently performing this simple stretch to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting and typing.

Triceps Stretch With Towel or Strap

Another way to enhance your overhead triceps stretch is using a towel, yoga strap, resistance band or rope as an assistive tool:

Loop the strap, band, towel or rope in your left hand, extending your right arm overhead as if performing the basic overhead triceps stretch.
Feed the strap over your shoulder and down your back grasping it with your right hand, keeping the right arm straight.
Stand with proper upright posture, engaging your core. With both hands, pull down on both ends of the strap to stretch your right triceps.
After 30 seconds, release the tension and repeat on the left side.

Tricep Stretch

The key benefit of using an assistive device like a strap rather than just your other hand is the increased tension it allows you to achieve to maximize the benefits of the stretch. The triceps stretch with strap technique allows for a very deep stretch safely by giving you something to grip tightly.

Focus on keeping your upper body upright and arms fully extended to isolate the tension on the triceps when performing this stretch. Pull to the point of feeling slight tension but never pain. Experiment with angles and grip variations to discover which targets your individual tight spots most effectively.

Using an assistive device takes the basic overhead triceps stretch to new levels by allowing you to generate large amounts of controlled tension. After wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries, this stretch is commonly used in rehabilitation settings to help restore range of motion to the triceps.

Bench Tricep Stretch

To perform an effective triceps stretch using a bench, couch, or sturdy chair:

1. Begin by positioning yourself a short distance from the object so that you can bend forward without straining.

2. Kneel on an exercise mat while keeping your torso upright.

3. Slowly lean your body forward at the hips, maintaining a flat back until parallel with the floor.

4. Allow your elbows to rest on the edge of the bench or chair seat above shoulder level. Bend your elbows slightly to take the weight off your triceps.

5. Keep your neck and head aligned with your back, gazing downward to avoid neck strain. The only point of contact should be your elbows. Reach both hands behind your head to gently cradle your neck for added stretch intensity.

6. Inhale slowly, then exhale fully. Press your upper body incrementally closer to the floor as you exhale to deepen the stretch through your triceps. Avoid overarching your lower back. Hold for at least 30 seconds.

7. Slowly return your torso upright, bringing your arms down. Repeat several times.

8. If the stretch is too intense on your knees or elbows, perform it standing upright, bending at the hips. Modify by keeping hands on hips, not neck.

bench triceps and lat stretch

This elbows-on-bench technique effectively targets all three triceps heads. Use caution not to overstretch if recovering from elbow injuries. Perform the stretch gently and feel for muscle release.

Rig Assisted Tricep Stretch

This unique stretch helps increase triceps flexibility using the assistance of a rig or sturdy pole.

To perform this stretch:

Stand upright facing a rig or vertical pole at about hip height. Stand far enough away that you can lean your body forward.
Raise one arm straight overhead, allowing your hand to hang down your upper back in line with your ear.
Lean your body forward at the hips, keeping your back straight. Allow your overhead elbow to rest on top of the rig for support.
Hold for 30 seconds then switch arm positions. Repeat a few times on each side.

Standing Tricep Stretch - Rig Assisted

The key benefit of using an external object for support is it allows you to isolate the triceps stretch without excessive strain on your shoulders or spine. The rig assists your upper body weight enabling a deeper stretch than you can achieve alone without compensation.

Over time, work on straightening the resting elbow completely to open your triceps through their fullest range of motion. Move closer to the rig to increase stretch intensity as your flexibility improves.

Dip Bar Triceps Stretch

If you have access to a set of dip bars or a dip station, you can use them for triceps strength training and an effective stretch. Here's how to perform a triceps stretch using dip bars:

1. Stand centered between a set of parallel dip bars, facing the station, with your feet about hip's width apart for balance.

2. Bend at your knees and hips, reaching both hands down to grasp the bars on either side of your body.

3. Carefully step or hop both legs backward and allow your body weight to hang gently from fully extended arms.

4. If you have tight shoulders, keep your feet planted close behind to support some body weight. Those with more shoulder flexibility can stagger their feet further back, intensifying the stretch through the triceps.

5. Avoid straining your shoulder joints by listening to your body's cues.

6. As you hang vertically from extended arms, allow your shoulders to gently open while the backs of your upper arms receive an effective contractile elongation stretch.

7. Keep your entire body fully relaxed, avoiding gripping or activating the triceps, which defeats the purpose.

8. Let gravity provide mild traction down the length of your triceps muscle bellies.

9. Breathe fully while focusing on mental relaxation cues to your upper body.

10. After 30-60 seconds, gently pull yourself back up to the starting position by bending your elbows.

dip stretch

When to Avoid Triceps Stretching

While stretching your triceps using these techniques provides extensive benefits, there are some Important precautions to be aware of:

Avoid stretching with overly aggressive intensity if you have acute elbow or shoulder injuries until cleared by your doctor or physical therapist.
Reduce intensity or stop triceps stretching if experiencing radiating numbness or tingling down the arm.
Those with diagnosed joint instability or hypermobility may need to use less end range stretching.
If your triceps are extremely fatigued, sore or strained, give them a day off from intense stretching focus on gentle movements only.
Cease triceps stretches causing sharp joint pain or resulting nerve symptoms.

When in doubt, have a professional properly assess your unique mobility restrictions to provide customized triceps stretching guidelines. Used appropriately for your unique body, consistent intelligent stretching promotes optimal performance.

Sample Triceps Stretching Routine

Now that you know the best stretches to target all heads of your triceps, try including some or all of these movements two to three days per week following upper body workouts:

Overhead Triceps Stretch: 30 seconds each side
Assisted Overhead Triceps Stretch: 30 seconds each side
Horizontal Stretch: 30 seconds each side
Triceps Stretch with Strap: 30 seconds each side
Triceps Stretch on Bench: 30 seconds total
Rig Assisted Tricep Stretch : 30 seconds each side
Dip Bar Tricep Stretch : 30 seconds total

This sequence hits your triceps from all angles maximizing flexibility. As you become more advanced, work toward holding the end range of each stretch for 60-90 seconds without compensation through your shoulders or elbow joints.

In addition to dedicated stretching sessions, try adding a lighter triceps activation set using isolating pushdowns before lifting to maximize blood flow and range of motion. Improved neural connection to your triceps builds better mind-muscle control.

Final Tips for Loosening Tight Triceps

Follow these final practical tips for faster triceps flexibility gains:

Warm up connective tissues with one minute of arm circles forward and backward before triceps stretching.
Focus on proper deep breathing during end range triceps stretches to activate the parasympathetic relaxation response for best results.
Avoid pushing into excessive painful ranges. Target feelings of moderate intensity stretch instead for longevity.
Combine heat via hot packs or warm showers before stretching tight triceps to compound flexibility effects.
Support elbows on foam rollers or towels during floor stretches to isolate triceps not shoulder joint limitations.
After injury or post-surgery, follow your physical therapist's protocol for triceps rehabilitation stretching.
Stretch triceps consistently after chest workouts when inflammation and micro-tears prime the tissue for elongation.
Use yoga blocks, bench height progressions and prop assists like straps to enable your unique ideal triceps stretch angles.

Treat triceps flexibility seriously and patiently work at it over time utilizing these methods. Your presses, chins and dips will rapidly improve once you restore extension mobility through intelligent dedicated stretching of this crucial upper body pushing muscle!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best triceps stretches?

Some of the most effective triceps stretches include the overhead triceps stretch, Dip Bar Triceps Stretch, Rig Assisted Tricep Stretch, Bench Tricep Stretch, Triceps Stretch With Towel or Strap, Horizontal Stretch, and Assisted Triceps Stretch.

These target the long, lateral and medial heads of the triceps from multiple angles for full flexibility benefits. Perform them gently and consistently after triceps training sessions.

What is the triceps extension exercise?

The triceps extension is a strength training exercise targeting the triceps. It involves extending the elbow against resistance by moving the forearm down away from the biceps. Triceps extensions can be done with dumbbells, a resistance band, or your own bodyweight. They help build bigger, stronger triceps muscles.

Why is elbow position important when stretching?

Proper elbow alignment is key during triceps stretching. For the Horizontal Stretch always keep the elbows fully extended and avoid overextending or letting them bend. Improper elbow positioning reduces isolation on the triceps muscles and places excessive strain on the elbow joint. Locking out elbows overhead ensures a safe, effective triceps stretch.

What does the triceps muscle do?

The triceps muscle straightens and extends the elbow joint. Located on the back of the upper arm, it makes up approximately two-thirds of total upper arm size. The three triceps heads (lateral, long and medial) work together during pressing and extension movements of the elbow to lift weight in exercises like push ups and shoulder presses.

How can dynamic triceps stretches help?

Dynamic stretches involving controlled motions that take the triceps through their full range of motion increase flexibility while simultaneously activating the muscles. Doing arm swings, circles or light triceps extensions without weight before workouts helps prepare this muscle group improving mobility for upcoming heavier lifts or strains.

What benefits come from stretching your triceps?

Regularly stretching your triceps can help improve overall joint health, support injury prevention, enhance blood flow, provide relief from general tightness and muscle soreness, plus allow you to press heavier loads through greater range of motion strength gains. Maintaining good triceps flexibility should be part of any training program.

How does elbow flexion affect your triceps?

Elbow flexion movements like biceps curls stretch the triceps muscle on the back of the arm. Constantly training biceps without properly stretching triceps can result in muscle imbalances, tightness and overuse issues over time. Be sure to stretch your triceps after biceps workouts focusing extra time on straightening elbows.

How are overhead triceps stretches performed?

The basic overhead triceps stretch involves reaching one arm straight overhead, allowing the hand to hang down your upper back grasping the elbow of that arm with your opposite hand. Gently pull the elbow further down stretching the triceps. This isolates the long and lateral triceps heads well. Use the other hand or strap to increase stretch intensity.

In Summary

What is the triceps muscle and what does it do?

The triceps muscle straightens and extends the elbow joint. Located on the back of the upper arm, it makes up approximately two-thirds of total upper arm size. The three triceps heads work together during pressing and extension movements of the elbow to lift weight in exercises like push ups and shoulder presses.

Why perform static triceps stretches?

What benefits come from stretching the triceps?

How is the overhead triceps stretch performed?

Triceps Stretches: The Best for Elbow Extension and Flexibility

The triceps muscle, located on the back of the upper arm, is responsible for extending and straightening the elbow joint. Keeping the triceps flexible through regular static stretching provides numerous health and performance benefits. The list of triceps stretches covered in this article represent the top movements to target all three heads of this crucial upper body muscle.

Overhead Tricep Stretch

The basic overhead triceps stretch involves reaching one arm straight overhead, allowing your hand to hang down behind your head. By grasping the elbow of the overhead arm with your opposite hand and gently pulling down, you can feel an intense stretch in the long and lateral tricep heads. This easy yet effective stretch can be done daily to improve flexibility.

Horizontal Stretch

The horizontal shoulder stretch targets the muscles on the side and back of your shoulder including your triceps. Reaching across your body stretches the shoulders, chest, and upper back safely. Experiment with hand height to focus the stretch on your triceps. Those with poor posture can benefit greatly from consistently performing this simple movement.

Dip Bar Triceps Stretch

Using a set of dip bars allows you to hang vertically from extended arms, enabling your upper body weight to provide a deep contractile elongation stretch down the length of your triceps. This technique effectively targets all three triceps heads when performed correctly. Let gravity do the work!

Benefits of Triceps Stretching Regularly performing these science-backed triceps stretches provides numerous benefits including:

Increased elbow and shoulder flexibility and range of motion (study)
Reduced risk of strains or pulls (reference)
Helps prevent elbow issues like tennis elbow (article)
Provides relief from general tightness and aids recovery (source)

Clearly, maintaining triceps flexibility through regular stretching provides important evidence-based benefits for joint health and injury prevention. Follow a proper intelligent stretching protocol to see major performance and comfort improvements.

Triceps Stretches: Expert Opinions

We asked personal trainers which triceps stretch they find most effective for improving flexibility and why they recommend it as part of a workout routine:

Overhead Triceps Stretch

"The basic overhead triceps stretch is my go-to for opening up the long head. I like having athletes reach their right arm to the ceiling, then pull down on the elbow with their left hand to really feel the stretch. This isolates the area nicely. Just be sure not to overdo it if you feel any pain."

Horizontal Shoulder Stretch

"I'm a big fan of the horizontal shoulder stretch to target the triceps. Reaching across your body forces those muscles on the back of your shoulders and arms to open up and extend. I'll have clients place their hand up high to really focus on the triceps rather than lats. Just be careful not to overstretch."

Dip Bar Triceps Stretch

"Using dip bars to hang and stretch the triceps gives you leverage gravity can't match. By extending arms straight and relaxing your upper body, you get an intense elongation contraction down the entire back of the arm. It's super intense but feels so good. Just don't overdo it too fast if your shoulder mobility is limited."

There you have it - some expert rationale for adding these top stretches to your regimen. Just be sure to check with your doctor before starting any new fitness program. Slowly work into deeper stretches over time for best results.