Triceps dips can be done anywhere you have access to a chair or bench.
Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock/GettyImages At-home workouts require quite a bit of creativity, especially if you don’t have a lot (or any) equipment on hand. You probably have a few go-to body-weight exercises for your legs (like squats) and your abs (like planks), but your triceps can be a little more difficult to train outside the gym.
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But with these four exercises, you definitely won't need dumbbells. Thanks to Noam Tamir, CSCS, owner and founder of TS Fitness, you'll have your triceps burning in no time with these challenging at-home moves.
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1. Narrow Incline Push-Up Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms, Chest and Abs
Start in a high plank with your hands on the seat of a chair, body in a straight line from head to hips to heels. Inch your hands closer together so that they’re slightly more narrow than shoulder-width apart. On an exhale, bend your elbows and lower your body toward the seat of the chair. Then, when your chest hovers just above the chair, press into your palms to return to the starting position.
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2. Chair Triceps Dip Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill
Intermediate
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms
Start seated on the ground with two chairs on either side of your body, right along your shoulders. Place your feet flat on the floor, bending your knees toward the ceiling. Place a palm on the seat of each chair and raise your body up so that your butt is in line with the chairs, arms full extended. Keeping your feet flat and knees bent at 90 degrees, bend your elbows slowly and dip your butt toward the ground. Bend your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, then press back into the chairs and extend the arms again.
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Tip If you want to make this triceps dip more difficult, Tamir suggests extending your legs our straight and resting your heels on the ground, toes pointing toward the ceiling. You can even experiment with raising one foot at a time a few inches off the ground.
Chair Triceps Extension Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill Expert Type Strength Body Part Abs and Arms
Begin kneeling about three feet away from a chair, back straight and arms at your sides. Place your palms on the edge of the chair. Engaging your core, collapse your elbows in and lower them until they’re exactly perpendicular to the ground (parallel to the chair’s legs). As you lower your torso, keep your neck long. Then on an exhale, push against the chair and straighten your elbows back to the starting position.
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Tip As you lower and extend, keep your body in a straight line from head to hips to knees. Avoid arching or rounding your back. If this feels too difficult, stagger your knees slightly and bring one knee in front of the other, Tamir says.
Plank to Narrow-Grip Push-Up Hold Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill Expert Type Strength Body Part Arms, Abs and Chest
Start in a forearm plank, keeping your body flat, neck long and core engaged. Place your palms flat on the floor with your thumbs only about an inch apart. On an exhale, press into your palms and rise up into a high plank. Pause here for a moment. Then, reverse the motion and bend the elbows to return to the forearm plank.
Show Instructions
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Triceps dips can be done anywhere you have access to a chair or bench.
Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: AndreyPopov/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms, Chest and Abs
Start in a high plank with your hands on the seat of a chair, body in a straight line from head to hips to heels. Inch your hands closer together so that they’re slightly more narrow than shoulder-width apart. On an exhale, bend your elbows and lower your body toward the seat of the chair. Then, when your chest hovers just above the chair, press into your palms to return to the starting position.
Show Instructions
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com/Noam Tamir
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms, Chest and Abs
Skill
Intermediate
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms
Start seated on the ground with two chairs on either side of your body, right along your shoulders. Place your feet flat on the floor, bending your knees toward the ceiling. Place a palm on the seat of each chair and raise your body up so that your butt is in line with the chairs, arms full extended. Keeping your feet flat and knees bent at 90 degrees, bend your elbows slowly and dip your butt toward the ground. Bend your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, then press back into the chairs and extend the arms again.
Show Instructions
Skill
Intermediate
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms
If you want to make this triceps dip more difficult, Tamir suggests extending your legs our straight and resting your heels on the ground, toes pointing toward the ceiling. You can even experiment with raising one foot at a time a few inches off the ground.
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Abs and Arms
Begin kneeling about three feet away from a chair, back straight and arms at your sides. Place your palms on the edge of the chair. Engaging your core, collapse your elbows in and lower them until they’re exactly perpendicular to the ground (parallel to the chair’s legs). As you lower your torso, keep your neck long. Then on an exhale, push against the chair and straighten your elbows back to the starting position.
Show Instructions
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Abs and Arms
As you lower and extend, keep your body in a straight line from head to hips to knees. Avoid arching or rounding your back. If this feels too difficult, stagger your knees slightly and bring one knee in front of the other, Tamir says.
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms, Abs and Chest
Start in a forearm plank, keeping your body flat, neck long and core engaged. Place your palms flat on the floor with your thumbs only about an inch apart. On an exhale, press into your palms and rise up into a high plank. Pause here for a moment. Then, reverse the motion and bend the elbows to return to the forearm plank.
Show Instructions
Skill
Expert
Type
Strength
Body Part
Arms, Abs and Chest
