7 Best Medial Head Tricep Exercises

Deadlift | Cardio | Triceps | Chest | Rhomboid | Glutes

Many people focus on building bigger biceps, but the triceps are also very important for growing big, muscular arms. The medial head is the middle part of the triceps muscle. Medial Head Tricep Exercises work this specific area to give your arms more shape and size.

Today, we discuss the best exercises for targeting the thick, middle section of the triceps. This adds width and definition to your arms. Working the medial head will help create that full “horseshoe” look on the back of your arms that many people want.

Medial Head Tricep Exercises are also useful for improving your strength on exercises like bench presses, pushups, and shoulder presses. Having stronger medial tricep heads allows you to push and press more weight with better control. For athletes, bodybuilders, or anyone wanting bigger arms, making time for targeted medial head tricep movements is very important.

Why There Is Need For Specific Medial Head Tricep Exercises

Regular exercises like bench presses and tricep pushdowns work your whole triceps muscle. But they may not work the middle part, called the medial head, as much. That’s why you need specific exercises targeting this area.

The triceps has three parts – the long head, lateral head, and medial head. Each part needs to be trained for full triceps development. The medial head is often the weakest and smallest part. Ignoring it can lead to imbalances and lagging arm size.

Exercises focused on the medial head directly target this middle section. Training this area gives your arms more complete thickness and that 3D horseshoe shape on the back of the arm that looks really muscular.

The medial head also helps with shoulder and arm movements used in lots of exercises like benching, overhead pressing, and rowing. Having a stronger medial head improves your strength and control on these lifts.

If you don’t work the medial head enough, muscle imbalances can happen over time. This increases your risk of getting injured. Doing specific medial head tricep exercises builds bigger, more proportional arms while preventing imbalances that could lead to problems.

Understanding the Tricep Medial Head Muscle

Medial head’s  muscle belly has a semi-pennate shape. So its shape is not straight up and down, the muscle fibers are feathered and angled. This pattern gives the medial head its thick, protruding look.

At the bottom, the olecranon is the back of the elbow joint where the medial head attaches inserts onto a bony bump.

As it inserts at this spot on the elbow, now the medial head’s function is to help straighten and extend your entire arm at the elbow.

So in simple wordings, this head is the thick, present in the middle part of the three-headed triceps muscle that starts at the upper arm bone, finishes at the elbow to help straighten the arm and has angled muscle fibers for thickness.

How to work medial head of tricep :

1. Cable Reverse Tricep Pushdown :

The cable reverse tricep pushdown is one of the best exercises if you are looking to target the medial head of the triceps. By positioning your arms in a different reverse grip, this movement targets the often-neglected medial head, this exercise helps in medial muscle activation and development of this critical area.

How To Perform :

1. Pick up ez bar and attach it to a high pulley and grasp it with an overhand, and shoulder-width grip.
2. Stand straight – facing the cable machine, engaging your core muscles and feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Exhale and keeping your upper arms stationary, push the bar down by extending your elbows until your arms are perpendicular to the floor.
4. At the bottom of the movement squeeze your triceps for a second.
5. Inhale and slowly return back to the starting position by bending your elbows, don’t lose contraction by excessive movement of your arms.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Your arms must be tucked close to your sides throughout the movement.
• To increase medial head engagemenT, maintain a slight forward lean.
• Experiment by changing grip width to target different areas of the triceps.
• Try to control the weight throughout the entire range of motion.

2. Band Tricep Kickback : 

The band tricep kickback is an effective exercise that isolates and engages the medial head tricep. If you are using resistance bands, then this movement allows you for constant tension on the muscle, also it helps to maximize the development of the medial head portion of the triceps.

How To Perform :

1. Choose a resistance band according to your capacity and anchor it at chest height, grasp the ends with an overhand grip.
2. Stand with knees slightly bent, your feet positioned at shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your back straight, chest up, hinge forward at the hips and core engaged.
4. With your upper arms stable and elbows tucked, exhale and pull resistance by extending your forearms backward until your arms are parallel to the floor.
5. Squeeze your medial head tricep at the back of the movement.
6. Inhale and slowly return to the starting position.

Tips

• Avoid swinging or using momentum, try to maintain a proper form throughout the exercise.
• Experiment with different band resistance power for progressive overload.
• Keep your elbows tucked tight to your sides throughout the movement.
• Focus on squeezing the medial head tricep at the peak of each rep.

3. Barbell Lying Close-Grip

The barbell lying close-grip bench press is a compound exercise for finishing the medial head of the triceps. Grasp the barbell with your hands closer together on the barbell, this variation places greater tension on the triceps, particularly the medial head, making it an excellent choice for maximizing arm development.

How to Perform :

1. Lie flat on a bench and place feet flat on the floor. Grasp the barbell with overhand grip at shoulder-width.
2. Then unrack the barbell and move it directly over your chest with arms extended.
3. Inhale and by bending your elbows, slowly lower the bar towards your lower chest.
4. Wait for a moment, exhale and press the barbell back to the starting position, focus on lifting through your triceps.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Keep your core muscles engaged and avoid rounding your back excessively.

Tips :

• Experiment with different grip widths to find the most effective for medial head activation.
• Keep a controlled eccentric (lowering) phase to maximize time under tension.
• Maintain a neutral wrist position to avoid unnecessary injury.
• Ensure your elbows remain tucked to the chest throughout the movement.

4. Tricep Dips Floor Uper Arms

Tricep dips are a compound and bodyweight exercise that effectively targets the medial head of the triceps only with your own body weight. This versatile movement can be done on various surfaces, making it an accessible option for targeting the medial head anywhere, without the need for special equipment.

How to Perform :

1. Firstly, sit on the floor with your legs extended in forward direction and hands firmly planted on the ground, slightly behind your hips and facing hips.
2. Engage your core muscles and make a push through your palms to raise your body off the floor, supporting your weight on triceps.
3. Then bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor, and keep them tucked close to your trunk.
4. Keep lowering until you feel a stretch in your triceps, then exhale and push back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat this for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Keep your body in a proper straight line throughout the movement.

Tips :

• Raise your body and lean forward slightly to increase tension on the medial head.
• For adding resistance, place your feet against a wall or bench.
• Try with hand positions to target different areas of the triceps.
• Control the lowering phase and avoid dropping too quickly to maintain tension.

5. Diamond Push Ups 

Diamond push-ups are one of the powerful Medial Head Tricep Exercises, and is a classic variation of push ups. By positioning your hands in a diamond shape, this exercise helps activation and development of the medial head tricep.

How to Perform :

1. First gather in a traditional push-up position, your body making a straight line and position your hands directly under your chest, forming a diamond shape.
2. Keep your body rigid throughout the movement by engaging your core.
3. Inhale and slowly lower your body towards the ground keeping tension in triceps, keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.
4. Lower yourself until your chest nearly gets in contact with the floor.
5. Exhale and by extending your elbows, push through your palms to return to the starting position, squeeze your triceps at the top.
6. Repeat this movement the desired number of repetitions.

Tips :

• Maintain proper form and avoid arching your back.
• For support you can place your feet against a wall.
• Try with different hand widths to target different areas of the triceps.
• Control the lowering phase to maximize time under tension.

Conclusion 

Don’t neglect the medial head when training your triceps. Doing Medial Head Tricep Exercises that really work this middle part of the muscle is key for fully developing your arms. Exercises like reverse grip pushdowns, kickbacks with bands, close-grip bench presses, dips, and diamond pushups hit the medial head hard. Make these moves a regular part of your arm routine. Consistently training the medial head will give you bigger, thicker, more complete looking triceps with that 3D horseshoe shape everyone wants on the back of their arms.