Global triceps staples

Big compounds (heavy, great overload)

• Close-grip barbell bench press

• Weighted parallel-bar dips (torso upright)

• Narrow/diamond push-ups

• Close-grip dumbbell bench press (neutral grip)

• Smith-machine close-grip bench / floor press

• JM press (between close-grip bench & skull crusher)

Elbows by your sides (lateral/medial head emphasis)

• Cable pushdown (straight bar)

• Rope pushdown (spread at the bottom)

• Reverse-grip pushdown (underhand)

• Single-arm cable pushdown (great for elbow comfort)

• Machine triceps press

Overhead (long-head emphasis)

• Overhead rope cable extension

• Seated/standing overhead EZ-bar “French press”

• Single-arm overhead dumbbell extension

• Overhead kettlebell extension (horns up)

• Cable “overhead cross-body” extension

Lying / angle-based extensions (big stretch + load)

• EZ-bar skull crushers (to forehead, hairline, or behind head)

• Dumbbell skull crushers (neutral grip, elbows tucked)

• Incline/decline skull crushers

• Hybrid pullover-to-press extension (DB or EZ-bar)

Accessory/finisher options

• Dumbbell kickbacks (great peak contraction; lighter load)

• Cable kickbacks

• Bench dips (use caution—can irritate shoulders)

• Band pushdowns / band overhead extensions (joint-friendly)

Quick programming notes

• Strength/size anchor: 1–2 compounds (3–5 sets of 4–8).

• Meat of the session: 1 overhead + 1 pushdown/side-by-side (3–4 sets of 8–15).

• Finisher/metabolite: 1 lighter isolation (2–3 sets of 12–20 or a 60–90s set).

Technique cues that travel well

• Keep upper arm fixed; hinge at the elbow.

• Full ROM: deep stretch on overhead/lying work, hard lockout without snapping.

• Neutral or slight underhand grips if elbows get cranky.

• For long head, include something overhead weekly.

Popular weekly templates

• Push day: Close-grip bench → Rope pushdown → Overhead cable extension.

• Upper day: Dips → EZ-bar skull crushers → Single-arm pushdowns.

• Home/minimal: Diamond push-ups (weighted) → Band pushdowns → DB overhead extensions.

Big compounds (front delts + overall mass)

• Overhead press (barbell, seated/standing)

• Dumbbell shoulder press (neutral/pronated)

• Arnold press

• Push press

• Landmine press (one-arm or two-arm)

• Machine shoulder press (selectorized/plate-loaded)

Lateral-raise family (medial delt width)

• Dumbbell lateral raise (standing/seated)

• Cable lateral raise (single-arm, behind-back start)

• Machine lateral raise

• Lean-away lateral raise

• Partial/heavy laterals (“20–30° swings,” controlled)

Front-raise family (anterior delt focus)

• Plate front raise

• Dumbbell or cable front raise (alternating/2-up)

• Barbell front raise

• Landmine front raise

Rear-delt / scapular plane (posterior delt + upper back)

• Reverse pec-deck

• Bent-over dumbbell rear-delt raise

• Cable rear-delt fly (high/low pulley)

• Face pulls (rope to forehead)

• Chest-supported rear-delt raises

Upright pull pattern (upper traps + medial delt)

• Upright row (EZ-bar, cable, DB—shoulder-width grip)

• High-pull (barbell, kettlebell)

Olympic/athletic (explosive shoulder involvement)

• Power jerk / split jerk

• Push jerk

• Snatch balance / overhead squat (mobility dependent)

Kettlebell / unilateral staples

• KB overhead press (hard-style)

• KB bottoms-up press (grip/stability)

• KB high-pull to press

• KB arm-bar (mobility/stability)

Bodyweight / calisthenics

• Pike push-ups / feet-elevated pike push-ups

• Wall handstand hold / handstand push-ups

• Wall walks

• Dip-support/scapular elevation holds

Cuff & scapula (prehab/rehab—keep them in weekly)

• External rotation (cable/band, elbow at side)

• 90/90 external rotation (cable/band)

• Internal rotation (cable/band)

• Y-T-W raises (incline bench)

• Scaption raise (thumbs up, 30–45° forward)

• Serratus punches (cable/band), wall slides

Programming quick hits

• Hypertrophy split:
  Press 3–5×5–8 → Lateral raise 3–4×10–20 → Rear-delt 3–4×12–20 → Cuff 2–3×15–25.

• Strength bias:
  Primary press 4–6×3–5 (progressive overload) → Secondary press 3–4×6–10 → Raises 3×12–20.

• Frequency: 2–3 shoulder exposures/week (press one day, raises/rear-delt another).

• Tempo: control the lowering (2–3 s) on raises; pause 1 s at the top of face pulls and laterals.

• Pain rule: if upright rows or behind-neck presses irritate, switch to wider grips, cables, or landmine.

Form cues that travel well

• Pack ribs; don’t overarch.

• Press in the scapular plane (~30° forward of frontal).

• On raises: lead with elbow/upper arm, stop just below shoulder height, soft bend in elbows.

• For rear delts: think “drive pinkies out/back” not retract lats.

• Keep 1–2 reps in reserve (RIR) on isolation to save the shoulder joint.