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Triceps brachii
Triceps brachii
Latin	musculus triceps brachii
Gray's	subject #124 444
Origin:	long head: scapula lateral head: posterior humerus medial head: posterior humerus
Insertion:	olecranon process of ulna
Artery:	deep brachial artery
Nerve:	radial nerve
Action:	extends forearm, caput longum adducts shoulder
Antagonist:	Biceps brachii muscle
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12551300

The triceps brachii muscle is often simply called the triceps (both singular and plural). However, the term triceps (Latin for "three-headed") can mean any skeletal muscle having three origins.

Contents 1 Origin and insertion 2 Function and training 3 Additional images 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

The three heads have the following names and origins:

• The "Long head": infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula
• The "Lateral head": posterior shaft of the humerus, lateral and superior to the radial (spiral) groove.
• The "Medial head": posterior shaft of the humerus, medial and inferior to the radial (spiral) groove.

The fibers converge to a single tendon to insert onto the olecranon process of the ulna (though some research indicates that there may be more than one tendon.)^[1]

Many mammals have a fourth head, the "Accessory head", which is between the Lateral and Medial heads.

The triceps is an extensor muscle, unlike the biceps, which is a flexor muscle.

The triceps accounts for approximately 70 percent of the upper arm's muscle mass.[citation needed]

The triceps can be worked through either isolation elbow extension movements, contract statically to keep the arm straightened against resistance, or compound pressing movements.

Isolation movements include cable push-downs, "skull-crushers", and arm extensions behind the back.

Static contraction movements are pullovers, straight-arm pulldowns, and bent-over lateral raises, which are also used to build the rear deltoids and latissimus dorsi.

Examples of pressing movements are press ups, bench presses (level, incline or decline), military presses and dips. Using a closer grip stabilizes the arm allowing more weight to be used, so the triceps can be worked harder without being limited by the strength of the pectorals or shoulders.

Elbow extension is important to many athletic activities. As biceps are often worked more for aesthetic purposes, this is usually a mistake for fitness training. While it is important to maintain a balance between the biceps and triceps for postural & effective movement purposes, what the balance should be and how to measure it is a conflicted area. Pushing and pulling movements on the same plane are often used to measure this ratio.

Left humerus. Posterior view.	Bones of left forearm. Posterior aspect.	Cross-section through the middle of upper arm.	Posterior surface of the forearm. Superficial muscles.
The scapular and circumflex arteries.	The axillary artery and its branches.	The brachial artery.	The right brachial plexus (infraclavicular portion) in the axillary fossa; viewed from below and in front.
Suprascapular and axillary nerves of right side, seen from behind.	The suprascapular, axillary, and radial nerves.

• Triceps reflex

• LUC tric
• UWASH tricepsbrachii
• 751829070 at GPnotebook
• SUNY Labs 06:11-0100
• Photo at Ithaca College
• Triceps exercise at zoomblog.com
• Muscles/TricepsBrachii at exrx.net
• Triceps workouts at tricepworkout.net

v • d • e List of muscles of upper limbs
VERTEBRAL COLUMN	trapezius - latissimus dorsi - rhomboid (major, minor) - levator scapulae
THORACIC WALLS	pectoralis major - pectoralis minor - subclavius - serratus anterior
SHOULDER	deltoid - rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) - teres major
ARM	anterior compartment: coracobrachialis - biceps brachii - brachialis posterior compartment: triceps brachii - anconeus
FOREARM	anterior compartment: super. - pronator teres - palmaris longus - flexor carpi radialis - flexor carpi ulnaris - flexor digitorum superficialis - deep - pronator quadratus - flexor digitorum profundus - flexor pollicis longus posterior compartment: super. - mobile wad (brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis) - extensor digitorum, - extensor digiti minimi - extensor carpi ulnaris - deep - supinator - anatomical snuff box (abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus) - extensor indicis
HAND	lateral volar - thenar (opponens pollicis, flexor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis brevis, adductor pollicis) medial volar - palmaris brevis - hypothenar (abductor minimi digiti, flexor digiti minimi brevis, opponens digiti minimi) intermediate - lumbrical - dorsal interossei - palmar interossei