The triceps brachii is a large, thick muscle located on the back (dorsal side) of the upper arm. It consists of three heads: the long head, lateral head, and medial head. All of them work together to perform its functions. It is the primary muscle responsible for elbow extension. [1] However, elbow extension is not its only role. The triceps also helps stabilize the elbow joint during fine motor activities, such as writing, by providing steady support. The long head also crosses the shoulder joint, contributing to shoulder stability and extension. [2]
To effectively train the triceps, many people use isolation exercises like lying triceps extensions, behind- the- back arm extensions, cable push- downs, and standing triceps kickbacks. Additionally, compound exercises that involve pressing movements- like a push-ups, bench presses, close-grip bench presses, tricep dips and military presses- also engage and strengthen the triceps. [3]
There are many possibilities, and while it may feel difficult to train elbow muscles when the wrist has its issues, but it’s not impossible. The key is in finding a setup in which, in the hardest position, the triceps has a great disadvantage for force generation, hence it needs to work extra hard, but your wrist is not sweating.
Wall triceps pushups offer just that. As the hand is far from the working joint, it offers a long lever, which forces triceps to work hard, while the wrist is in a well-supported neutral position, which makes it easy for it. This makes wall triceps push-ups an excellent starting point for anyone recovering from wrist or elbow problems, or for beginners building foundational strength.
There is always a way to work around your problems and keep moving.
- Tiwana, Manpreet S., i in. „Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle”. StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2025. PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/
- Kholinne, Erica, i in. „The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension”. Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica, t. 52, nr 3, May 2018, s. 201–05. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005
- Zaras, Nikolaos, i in. „Effect of Inter-Repetition Rest Vs. Traditional Resistance Training on The Upper Body Strength Rate of Force Development and Triceps Brachii Muscle Architecture”. Journal of Human Kinetics, t. 81, February 2022, s. 189–98. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0016