When it comes to building strong, sculpted arms, bicep curls are a common place to turn. Bicep-focused exercises absolutely have their place, but if you really want to see noticeable changes in the appearance of your arms, training your triceps is the name of the game. We learned five stellar tricep exercises that help lift sagging arms after 50. The best part? You can do them all in the comfort of your home.
“If you want to make a real difference to how your arms look, and feel, especially if you’re over the age of 50 and you might have excess skin on your arms that you want to shift, then you need to start training your triceps,” says Emily Schofield, certified personal trainer and gym manager at Ultimate Performance Los Angeles. “It’s important to remember that the triceps muscle at the back of the arm actually constitutes more than two thirds of the typical arm circumference. In fact, the reality is that the majority of your arm size comes from the size of your triceps muscles, rather than having huge, peaked biceps.”
Needless to say, the triceps majorly contribute to the shape of your arms, more so than the biceps. If you’re 50+, this is essential to keep in mind. As you grow older, it’s common for the arms to start to lose their firmness due to the natural loss of lean muscle (sarcopenia), reduced skin elasticity, and shifts in the distribution of body fat. That’s where tricep exercises come in handy.
5 Triceps Exercises That Lift Sagging Arms After 50
Diamond Pushups
“Unlike standard pushups, diamond pushups put greater emphasis on the triceps. They also engage your chest and shoulders, making them effective compound movements (compound movements are those exercises which recruit multiple muscle groups at the same time),” Schofield says.
- Assume a high plank, placing your hands close together so your index fingers and thumbs form a “diamond” beneath your chest.
- Keep your elbows close to the sides of your body as you lower your chest toward the floor.
- Press yourself back up to the start position.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
“The overhead position fully lengthens the triceps, especially the long head, making this one of the best moves to train the muscle through its full range,” Schofield points out.
- Begin seated or standing, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a single dumbbell with both hands.
- Extend your arms overhead.
- Bend your elbows as you lower the dumbbell behind your head, making sure the upper arms remain close to your ears.
- Press the weights back up until your arms are completely extended.
Tricep Kickbacks
“Kickbacks isolate the triceps and train the muscle in its shortened position,” Schofield notes. “By controlling the movement and resisting the urge to swing, you’ll get a strong contraction at the top of the move.”
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hinge forward at your hips so your torso is almost parallel to the ground.
- Bend your elbows to 90 degrees so your upper arms are by your sides.
- Extend your elbows as you straighten your arms behind you.
- Slowly return to the start position.
Bench Dips
“Dips are one of the most effective compound exercises for triceps,” Schofield says. “They also engage your chest and shoulders, making them a powerful bodyweight move that requires no equipment.”
- Sit at the edge of a sturdy chair or workout bench, hands gripping the edge beside your hips.
- Walk your feet out so your hips come off the seat.
- Bend your elbows to lower your body.
- Press through your palms to rise back up.
Close-Grip Floor Press
“This is essentially a bench press variation adapted for home workouts,” Schofield explains. “The narrow grip recruits the triceps more heavily than a standard press. Because the floor limits range of motion, it’s also easier on the shoulders than traditional presses.”
- Lie on the ground, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hold the weights right over your chest, palms facing in.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells until your upper arms touch the ground, elbows kept close to your torso.
- Press the weights back up until your arms are completely extended.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications. Read more about Alexa
