Fit Test: How Strong Are Your Triceps?

Without realizing it, you rely on your triceps to do many things on a regular basis—lifting bags, writing, moving furniture, mowing or raking the lawn, to name a few. But you may not be giving these muscles in the backs of your arms the respect or attention they deserve.

“The triceps are important for picking things up, pushing things and moving things,” explains Chris Freytag ,, CPT, a fitness expert based in Minneapolis and founder of GetHealthyU.com . They also help stabilize the shoulders and arms, as well as increase the range of motion in the upper body. The problem? “In general, women are weak in their triceps because they aren’t doing strength training, and they’re losing muscle mass as they get older,” she says.

The triceps dip is the perfect body-weight exercise to assess how strong your triceps are — and the move also tones the muscles. Indeed, in a study ­comparing eight different exercises for the triceps, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that triceps dips were among the most effective for strengthening the muscles. It’s a straightforward move: You simply use your arms to lift and lower your body from a sitting position.

To determine your strength, try the simple test below!

Related: Try This Quick Sit to Stand Fitness Test + See What the Results Say About Your Longevity

How to Do a Proper Tricep Dips

Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench, place your palms on the front edge about shoulder-width apart (with your fingertips facing your heels), and walk your feet forward a few inches. Your back should be close to the chair.

Lift your butt off the seat and bring it in front of the seat; most of your body weight should be supported by your hands.

While keeping your knees bent and your elbows in line with your shoulders, lower your body as far as you can comfortably. Be sure to keep your shoulders away from your ears to keep your shoulder joints stabilized, Freytag says.

Push yourself back up until your elbows are just slightly bent. Repeat the movement as many times as you can in 30 seconds.

How’d You Do?

• If you did 10 or fewer, there’s room for improvement.
• If you did 11 to 15 triceps dips, you did well.
• If you did 16 or more, you’ve got significant upper body strength.

If you struggled with the tricep dips:

Don’t worry. Simply set your sights on building strength in your triceps muscles. Freytag recommends grabbing a pair of five-to-eight-pound dumbbells and doing 12 to 15 repetitions of the following exercises three times per week:

Can You Do It? Sit and Reach Test

Overhead triceps extensions: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other. Hold a pair of dumbbells directly overhead with your arms extended, your palms facing each other and the weights touching. While keeping your upper arms steady, lower the weights behind your head, keeping them pressed together. Then, lift the weights back up to the starting position until your arms are fully extended. Repeat; switch which foot is forward halfway through a set.

Triceps kickbacks: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing your thighs. With your knees slightly bent, hinge forward at the hips, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and lift your upper arms so they’re in line with your torso. Maintain a flat back, exhale, and slowly press the weights behind you, straightening your elbows. Your upper arms should stay steady as you do this. Pause at the top then inhale as you return the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat.

After doing these moves for two weeks, try the triceps dips challenge again and see how you do.

If you aced the tricep dips test . . .

You can increase the challenge by extending the time—doing as many triceps dips as you can in 60 seconds. Or, you can make triceps dips more difficult by extending your legs straight in front of you with your heels against the floor and your toes lifted and do the dips in this position.

The Bottom Line

“I hear women complain about their arms all the time,” says Freytag. “This is a great way to change not just the way they look but also what they can do for you. Strengthening the triceps helps with vanity — and improves your ability to do everyday activities.”