Top 6 Tricep Long Head Exercises For Thicker Arms

When it comes to the triceps, the long head, located smack-dab on the back of the arm, provides the most muscle mass. And to really hit the long head, you can’t go wrong with dumbbell overhead triceps extensions. Putting your arms up places the greates  amount of stretch on the triceps long head, because unlike the other two triceps heads, the long one crosses the shoulder joint and attaches to the scapula.
When a muscle is stretched to its fullest length at the start of an exercise, it takes the majority of the load during the exercise. This is why triceps extensions performed with the arms overhead, as in dumbbell overhead triceps extensions, place the most focus on the long head for building maximum triceps mass.
 

#1 Cable Tricep Kickback                                3 sets of 10 repetitions
#2 EZ-Bar Overhead Extensions                     3 sets of 10 repetitions
#3 Overhead Rope Extensions                        3 sets of 10 repetitions
#4 Two-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions  3 sets of 10 repetitions
#5 – One-Arm Overhead Cable Extensions     3 sets of 10 repetitions
#6 – Dips                                                          3 sets of 20 repetitions

Additional Tips To Keep In Mind

When it comes to any overhead extension exercise for the triceps, the emphasis should always be on control.

These movements should NOT be performed explosively or with large amounts of momentum, as this can very easily overstress the shoulders and elbows and lead to issues down the road.

Keep the weights moderate and train with slightly higher rep ranges of at least 8 per set, and perform each rep with the goal of maximizing tricep long head tension rather than simply moving the weight point A to B.

Also keep in mind that skull crusher movements are effective tricep long head exercises as well, but since overhead extensions place the shoulder into a fully flexed position, they’ll still be the superior choice you’re looking for maximum long head activation.