When working to develop a super strong upper body, don’t overlook the triceps! We wrote a previous article about bicep training, and this bodyweight tricep training is the other half of every movement your arms make. 

The training techniques you’ll read about in this article can do wonders for developing strong, well-developed triceps with supple shoulders to match. It is here that you’ll discover which exercises will work best for you — so you can build some bodyweight guns.

A Deadly Combination Of Mobility And Strength

Focusing on building only strength in exclusion of shoulder mobility training is a bonafide “no-no” in the GST world. Especially if your goal is to gain size and/or strength in your arms.

If you are in the business of building Bodyweight Triceps then shoulder extension flexibility is something that you simply cannot ignore.

If you want to add a nice flair to your upper body workouts, then try this Bench Dip Variation for your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Starting in a bench dip, with your legs straight out in front of your body, bend your elbows to lower yourself down towards the ground (insert shoulder extension mobility here). Then press upwards, lifting your chest up to the sky as you straighten your hips to form a straight line from head to toe (and here).

Lower down and repeat for 8-12 reps. Or more if you really want to!

When you build your Foundational with great strength/mobility combos like this one, you’ll really start to make some serious gains.

That brings us to our next topic of discussion:

Bodyweight Methods Of Progression

When a weightlifter is in their natural gym habitat, one of their main overarching goals is to lift heavy weights repeatedly. Over time they can amp up the intensity by increasing the weight used.

But, when talking about lifting your bodyweight, the game changes. You’ll have to think outside the box if you want to give your muscles the stimulus they need to get stronger.

3 Movement Variations For Full Tricep Development

The tricep muscle group is made up of three muscles (the short, long and lateral heads). As you may have already guessed, in order to target them all you must include a variety of pushing exercises into your workout routine.

Here are the three great pushing exercises for your triceps:

Horizontal Plane: Push It

Push-ups are a great introduction to upper body strength training as they teach you proper shoulder mechanics. They are also a great place to start for beginners, as well as a great place to improve endurance, strength and power for more experienced athletes.There are so many variations of push-ups that we could write a million articles on them and we still couldn’t cover them all.

So we won’t! Instead, we will move on to the next ...

Vertical Dipping Exercises

Once proper shoulder mechanics have been reinforced with any variation of push-up progressions, you are then ready to venture into the realm of vertical pushing drills.

From parallel bar to straight bar dips, and then onto ring dips. There are many variations to keep your triceps growing for days. No, weeks — maybe even years to come.

Vertical pressing exercises like dips, take push-ups to greater ranges of super shoulder extension. This activates the deeper muscle fibers in the shoulders and arms, providing them the stimulus they need to flourish and grow.

Overhead Pressing Drills

Beyond push-ups and dips are a world that may just turn yours upside down. As in with your weight supported by both arms, and your hips stacked directly over them.

Some may call it a handstand push-up — but if you aren’t quite ready for that, you can call it a Box Headstand Push-up.

Not only is this a fantastic way to strengthen your arms, but it’s also a great drill for developing pure pressing power in your shoulders. From a handstand (against a wall) you can direct your entire bodyweight over your shoulders, increasing the amount of work on your front delts and triceps.

If you can’t quite push-up from a handstand then you can try elevating your feet on a box, to form an “L”- shape with your body. From there, it’s a matter of lowering your head down to the floor and pushing back up.

Oh, and you can’t forget to keep your core engaged and your back flat to prevent arching. A definite “no-no” if you are in the business of preventing injury.

We hope you give these exercises a go! You’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Check out more tips from our article on Bodyweight Biceps, here, and try the drills mentioned in both.

Target your upper body strength from all angles, and get to work to build bigger power and strength. And don’t forget to check out the GB Foundation Series for the top gymnastic strength training secrets for stronger biceps, well-developed triceps, and gymnast-like arms.