Triceps Brachii

Last time we looked at the Biceps, so now we’re on to the Triceps Brachii! In this post we’ll go through a brief anatomy of the Triceps Brachii, and exercises that target Triceps. 

 

Anatomy and function of the Triceps Brachii

The Triceps Brachii (Triceps) is a large, thick muscle located on the dorsal part of the upper arm. The triceps often appears as a horseshoe at the back of the upper arms, and, as the name suggests, is made up of three heads – long head, medial head and short head. The primary function of the Triceps is extension of the elbow joint. 

  • The long head originates from the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula, with the insertion being the posterior surface of the olecranon process of the ulna, capsule of the elbow joint and antebrachial fascia. The long head doesn’t just help with elbow extension, but also plays a role at the glenohumeral joint. The long head assists with extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint. When the arm is adducted the triceps help to hold the humerus in the glenoid cavity.
  • The medial head originates from the posterior aspect of the humerus, inferior to the radial groove, and inserts at the Posterior surface of the olecranon process of the ulna, capsule of the elbow joint and antebrachial fascia. It’s activated during elbow extension when the forearm is in pronation or supination.
  • The lateral head of the triceps originates from the posterior aspect of the humerus, superior to the radial groove, with insertion being the posterior surface of the olecranon process of ulna, capsule of the elbow joint and antebrachial fascia. The strongest head of the three! It’s activated during elbow extension when the forearm is in pronation or supination.

Now that we’ve done a quick whistle stop tour of the muscles and function of the Triceps Brachii, and the other muscles of the anterior compartment of the upper arm, let’s look at how we strengthen the Triceps. 

How do we strengthen the Triceps Brachii?

There are numerous exercises to choose from to strengthen the Triceps, here are just a few (click on the exercises to see a demonstration):

• Close Grip Bench Press
• Dips
• Diamond Push Up
• Lying Tricep Extension
• Tricep Push Down
• Skull Crusher
• Overhead Tricep Extension
• Cable Crossover