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Triceps Push Ups

Triceps push-ups are a close-grip push-up variation that shifts the primary load from the chest onto the triceps and front deltoids by narrowing the hand placement and keeping the elbows tight to the body. The narrower grip forces the triceps to handle most of the pressing work through the full range of motion, making this one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for building arm strength. Mastered with proper elbow tracking and full-body tension, triceps push-ups build the lockout power and pressing endurance that carry directly into dips, handstand push-ups, and every advanced calisthenics push movement.

Type:Push Difficulty:Beginner

Equipment:Floor

Muscles:Triceps

Triceps Push Ups

Exercises

Triceps Push Ups

Type:Push Difficulty:Beginner

Equipment:Floor

Muscles:Triceps

Table of Contents

How to Do Triceps Push Ups

1. Set Your Hand Position

Place your hands on the floor slightly narrower than shoulder width apart, with your fingers pointing forward. Position your hands in line with your chest, not under your shoulders or near your face. This placement puts the triceps in the strongest mechanical position to drive the movement. Wrap your fingers firmly into the ground to stabilize the wrists.

Hands narrow, in line with your chest

2. Lock In Your Body Line

Extend your legs fully and set your feet hip-width apart. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so your body forms one rigid line from head to heels. This full-body tension prevents your hips from sagging or piking, which would leak force away from the triceps. Maintain this tension throughout every rep.

Squeeze everything, stay rigid

3. Lower With Elbows Tight

Bend your elbows and lower your body toward the floor, keeping your elbows as close to your ribs as possible. This tight elbow path is what shifts the load onto the triceps and away from the chest. Keep your neck neutral throughout the descent, not tucking your chin or craning your head up. Lower until your chest is just above the floor or as low as your mobility allows.

Elbows glued to your sides

4. Press Back Up Through the Triceps

Push through your palms to extend your arms fully, driving your body back to the starting position. Focus on squeezing the triceps hard through the entire pressing phase, especially at lockout. Keep your elbows tracking straight back, not flaring outward as you fatigue. Re-check your body line at the top before starting the next rep.

Press and squeeze to full lockout

5. Control the Tempo

Lower yourself for a count of two to three seconds on every rep and press up with controlled force. Rushing the descent throws away half the strength-building potential of the exercise. The controlled eccentric phase is where a large portion of the triceps growth stimulus comes from. Never bounce off the floor or use momentum to get back up.

Slow down, control every inch

Coach Tip

Most people fail triceps push-ups at the bottom because they let their elbows drift outward when the load gets heavy. If you feel your chest doing most of the work, your elbows are flaring. Focus on keeping your upper arms glued to your ribs the entire time, and you will feel the triceps light up in a completely different way. The narrow grip is only half the equation, the elbow path is what actually makes this a triceps exercise.

Muscles Worked During Triceps Push Ups

Primary Muscles:

Secondary Muscles:

Primary Muscles

Triceps Brachii (Triceps) - The triceps extend the elbow joint to press the body away from the floor, handling the majority of the pushing force throughout the entire concentric phase.

Secondary Muscles

Pectoralis Major (Chest) - The chest assists with horizontal adduction of the upper arm during the press, contributing less than in a standard push-up due to the narrow grip and tight elbow path.

Anterior Deltoid (Front Deltoid) - The front deltoids stabilize the shoulder joint and assist with shoulder flexion as you press your body upward from the bottom position.

Rectus Abdominis (Abs) - The abdominals brace isometrically to maintain a rigid body line from head to heels, preventing the hips from sagging under load.

Serratus Anterior (Serratus Anterior) - The serratus anterior protracts the scapulae at lockout and stabilizes the shoulder blades against the ribcage throughout the pressing movement.

Benefits of Triceps Push Ups

Isolates the triceps more effectively than standard push-ups by shifting the primary load away from the chest through the narrower grip and tight elbow path
Builds lockout strength that transfers directly into dips, handstand push-ups, and any pressing movement where the triceps finish the rep
Strengthens the front deltoids and shoulder stabilizers under a controlled load, reinforcing shoulder health for overhead calisthenics work
Requires zero equipment and can be performed anywhere, making it one of the most practical bodyweight exercises for consistent triceps training

Who Is This Exercise For?

You should be able to perform at least 10 clean regular push-ups with full range of motion and controlled tempo before narrowing your grip for triceps push-ups. If your elbows flare out during standard push-ups or you cannot maintain a straight body line, work on regular push-up form and plank holds first. The narrower base demands more triceps strength and wrist stability, so jumping ahead before you have the foundation leads to compensations that train the wrong muscles.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Letting elbows flare outward: Keep your elbows tracking straight back along your ribs throughout the entire rep. The moment the elbows flare, the chest takes over and the triceps contribution drops significantly.

Placing hands too far forward: Position your hands in line with your chest, not under your shoulders or near your face. Hands too far forward shifts the load into the front deltoids and places unnecessary stress on the shoulder joint.

Sagging hips or broken body line: Squeeze your glutes and brace your core before every set. A sagging midsection turns the exercise into a partial rep that misses the triceps and loads the lower back instead.

Cutting depth short: Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor on every rep. Partial reps limit the stretch on the triceps and reduce the total muscle activation compared to full range of motion.

Variations & Progressions

Easier

Knee Triceps Push-Ups

Perform the same movement with your knees on the ground instead of your feet. This reduces the percentage of bodyweight you press, making it accessible while you build the triceps strength for the full version.

Harder

Diamond Push-Ups

Bring your hands together directly under your chest so your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape. The even narrower base increases the demand on the triceps and requires significantly more wrist and elbow stability.

Harder

Decline Triceps Push-Ups

Place your feet on an elevated surface like a bench or step while keeping the narrow hand position. The decline angle shifts more bodyweight onto your arms and increases the pressing difficulty for the triceps and front deltoids.

Daniel Flefil

Daniel Flefil is a globally recognized calisthenics coach, athlete, and competition organizer with over 15 years of experience in fitness and 10+ years in calisthenics. As the founder of Beast of the Barz, one of the world’s biggest calisthenics competitions, and co-founder of Calixpert, he has played a major role in shaping the sport.

Frequently Asked Questions About Triceps Push Ups

Triceps push-ups primarily target the triceps, with secondary work from the chest, front deltoids, serratus anterior, and abs. The narrow hand placement and tight elbow path shift the load away from the chest and onto the triceps compared to a standard push-up.

Triceps push-ups use a grip slightly narrower than shoulder width with hands in line with the chest. Diamond push-ups bring the hands together so the thumbs and index fingers touch, creating an even narrower base. Diamond push-ups are harder and place more stress on the wrists, but both variations emphasize the triceps over the chest.

The narrower hand placement reduces the mechanical advantage of the chest, forcing the smaller triceps muscles to handle a larger share of the pressing load. The tighter base of support also demands more balance and wrist stability, which adds difficulty even at the same bodyweight.

A beginner should aim for 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps, two to three times per week. If you cannot complete 5 reps with proper elbow tracking, start with knee triceps push-ups and work up to the full version before increasing volume.

This almost always means your elbows are flaring outward instead of staying tight to your ribs. When the elbows drift wide, the movement becomes a narrow chest press rather than a triceps-focused push. Focus on keeping your upper arms glued to your sides throughout every rep.

Triceps push-ups work best near the end of a push session, after compound movements like regular push-ups or dips. Placing them last lets you use them as a triceps finisher when the larger muscle groups are already fatigued, which maximizes the isolation effect on the triceps.

Triceps push-ups and dips train the triceps through different angles and ranges of motion, so they complement each other rather than replace one another. Dips load the triceps more heavily and through a longer range, making them a harder progression. If you can only pick one, dips offer more total stimulus, but triceps push-ups are a strong option when equipment is not available.

Place your hands slightly narrower than shoulder width apart, in line with your chest. Going too narrow increases wrist strain without adding meaningful triceps activation. The key is keeping the elbows close to the body, not just narrowing the hands.