The lateral head defines arm shape, powers upper-body lifts, and enhances pressing strength. It adds that sharp, sculpted edge to your upper arms and gives your triceps that signature “horseshoe” shape. A well-developed lateral head drives stronger bench presses, dips, and overhead work, building real strength where it counts.
Train smarter and get real results by building out your tricep day workout with these exercises.
Anatomy of the Triceps
Known formally as the triceps brachii, your triceps are a three-headed muscle on the back of your upper arm. These heads work together to extend the elbow, helping you perform push movements, stabilize the arm, and improve upper-body strength. While they work as a team, focusing on different heads allows you to focus on the unique ways they contribute.
Long Head
The long head runs along the back of the arm and connects to the shoulder blade, making it the only head that crosses the shoulder joint. It’s key in overhead triceps movements and contributes to arm size and pressing power.
Lateral Head
This is the most visible part of the triceps, sitting on the outer side of the arm. The lateral head is heavily involved in pushing movements like press-downs and close-grip presses. When flexed, it also gives your arms a defined, horseshoe look, which bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts crave.
Medial Head
Tucked beneath the other two, the medial head isn’t as visible but always works in the background. It provides support and stability during all tricep exercises and becomes more active during full elbow extension or when using lighter loads with high control.
How Do You Target the Lateral Head of the Triceps?
If you want to target the lateral head of the triceps effectively, focus on movements where your arms stay at or below shoulder level and your elbows are close to your sides. In this position, you’re placing more tension on the outer portion of the triceps, where the lateral head is most active.
Exercises emphasizing lockout at the elbow (especially those using cables, resistance bands, or free weights) are essential. You can also hone in on the muscle by focusing on it with your mind and using a slow, controlled tempo. With intention and control, you’ll ensure the lateral head is doing the work, rather than letting larger muscles take over. Consistency and form will lead to results.
The 8 Best Lateral Head Tricep Exercises
If you want to focus more on your lateral head tricep during your upper body days, try adding some of these exercises into your program and see what consistency will create.
1. Tricep Pushdown
A go-to for isolating the lateral head, the tricep pushdown uses cable resistance to keep tension on the triceps through the full range. It’s easy to control and a staple in any well-rounded arm routine.
Stand tall facing a cable machine with a high pulley and an attached straight or angled bar.
Grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart, elbows tight to your sides.
Push the bar down by extending your arms until fully straight. Squeeze at the bottom, then return slowly.
Pro Tip: Pause for 1–2 seconds at full extension to deepen the lateral head engagement.
2. Dumbbell Skull Crushers
This lying triceps extension is excellent for controlled tension and zeroing in on both the lateral and long heads. The dumbbells' independent movement also helps address imbalances.
Lie flat on a bench or a mat and place a dumbbell in each hand.
Extend your arms overhead. With your elbows fixed, lower the dumbbells toward your temples or just behind your head.
Keep your upper arms stationary and return to the top with full triceps extension.
Want to level up? Try this on an incline bench to slightly shift the angle and increase long head activation without losing lateral head involvement. You can also use a bar for more stability.
3. Close-Grip Bench Press
A close-grip bench press is a compound lift that lets you move heavy weight while emphasizing the triceps over the chest. Keeping your grip narrow shifts more load onto the lateral head, so keep that in mind as you work through your reps.
Lie down flat on a bench and grip the barbell a little closer than shoulder-width.
Unrack the bar and lower it to mid-chest, keeping your elbows tucked tight to your body.
Drive the bar up using your triceps.
Pro Tip: Add resistance bands or chains for variable tension and greater lockout stress, where the lateral head works hardest.
4. Cable Overhead Tricep Extension
This move stretches the triceps in the overhead position and offers constant tension, making it excellent for full-length muscle activation. It primarily targets the long head, with supportive activation of the lateral head during elbow lockout.
Attach a rope to the low pulley. Face away from the machine, step forward, and press the rope overhead.
Keep your elbows tight near your ears and pointing forward, not outward.
Extend your arms fully overhead, hold for a second, squeeze at the top, and control the return.
If the standing version strains your lower back, try a seated variation with back support for better stability.
5. Tricep Kickback
The tricep kickback is a tried and true isolation movement that hits the lateral head hard at full extension and gives you a fantastic opportunity to reinforce that mind-muscle connection.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at the hips, and keep your upper arms tight to your torso.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, then straighten your arms behind you so they’re parallel to the floor.
Squeeze your triceps, then slowly return. Don’t swing, stay in control.
Pro Tip: Try single-arm cable kickbacks for more consistent tension and smoother resistance throughout the movement. Unilateral training is also great for fixing imbalances.
6. Close-Grip Pushup
A bodyweight classic, this pushup variation blasts the lateral head of the triceps thanks to the narrow hand placement.
Get into a pushup position and place your hands directly beneath your chest. To challenge yourself even more, position your hands in a diamond formation, touching thumbs and index fingers.
Breathe in as you lower your body toward the ground, keeping elbows close to your sides, until your chest nearly touches your hands. Breathe out and press up to full extension.
Do you struggle with pushups? Drop to your knees to maintain form if a full version is too challenging.
7. EZ Bar Skull Crusher
We’ve touched on dumbbell skullcrushers, but this version offers a wrist-friendly grip and smooth bar path, making it easier to load and progress. The lateral head activates strongly near full extension.
Lie on a bench with the EZ bar extended overhead. Bend your elbows slowly and bring the bar just behind your head. Keep your elbows still and close.
Extend your arms fully, locking out with control.
8. Single-Arm Cable Pushdown
Perfect for fine-tuning symmetry and isolating each tricep, the unilateral cable push-down lets you focus directly on the lateral head with clean mechanics.
Stand ot kneel perpendicular to a cable machine like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 with the handle attached to the high pulley.
Grab the handle with a face-down palm and tuck your elbow into your side.
Push down until your arm is straight, and squeeze. At the bottom of the movement, twist your wrist slightly outward to intensify lateral head contraction, then return slowly.
4 Common Lateral Head Tricep Mistakes To Avoid
The above exercises will blast your lateral head triceps and ensure you feel the burn, leading to real muscle growth. Don’t hinder your progress by committing these four common lateral head tricep mistakes.
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Flaring your elbows
Letting your elbows flare out removes tension from the triceps and places it on the chest and shoulders. Maintain tucked elbows throughout the movement to keep your lateral head engaged. Think about keeping them close to your ribcage and using controlled motion to isolate the right muscle.
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Using Too Much Weight
Going too heavy often leads to poor form, reduced range, and less triceps activation. You might use your shoulders or back to move the weight instead. Focus on moderate resistance with clean reps, a full contraction, and a strong mind-muscle connection to target the lateral head.
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Cutting the Range of Motion Short
Partial reps leave gains on the table; you don’t want that. Extend your arm completely and lower with control to fully activate the lateral head. Skipping the full range reduces time under tension and limits muscle recruitment. You might get through your sets faster, but you’ll miss out on the work required to gain strength. Prioritize quality reps with complete lockout to maximize results.
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Using Momentum or Poor Body Positioning
Swinging or leaning robs the triceps of tension and leads to inefficient reps. Stay grounded, engage your core by bringing your belly button toward your rib cage, and move with intention. Your body should stay still so the triceps do all the work. Strict form beats sloppy speed every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Exercises Work the Lateral Head of the Tricep?
Some exercises that effectively work the lateral head of the tricep include pushdowns, kickbacks, and close-grip bench presses. These exercises keep your elbows tucked in with arms near or below shoulder level to isolate the outer part of the triceps. Cables and dumbbells can also work well when you use control and reach full extension.
Do Tricep Dips Work the Lateral Head?
Tricep dips engage all three heads, including the lateral head. You’ll get the most activation in your lateral head during the lockout phase. If you want to emphasize the triceps in your dips, keep the torso upright with your elbows close to your sides.
How Do You Bias Lateral Head Triceps?
If you want to emphasize or bias the lateral head of the tricep, focus on movements that keep your elbows tight into your sides and press backwards or downwards. Kickbacks and pushdowns are two great examples. Use a pronated grid, extend entirely through each rep, and maintain a controlled tempo.
Lateral Head Training Builds Definition, Power, and Upper-Body Strength
If you want the look of tricep strength (and the actual power behind it), you can’t neglect the lateral head. Primarily active during a full lockout position and when the elbows stay tucked in and shoulder height or below, the lateral head of your triceps can be isolated by push-down movements like dips, tricep kickbacks, and skullcrushers. Grab a pair of dumbbells, an EZ bar, or a cable machine like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 and add these moves to your upper body days to see and feel the results.
