30 Minutes Beginner Triceps Workout with Smith Machine
A 30 minutes muscle building workout targeting your triceps using smith machine equipment. 3 exercises, 12 total sets, designed for beginner lifters.
30 Minutes
Duration
12
Total Sets
8-12 reps
Rep Range
~420
Est. Calories
The Workout
Start with this as your primary movement. Warm up with 2 lighter sets first.
Form cues
- Position the bench so the bar travels directly over your mid-chest.
- Retract your shoulder blades and maintain a slight arch in your lower back.
- Unrack by twisting the bar, then lower it under control to your chest.
Position the bench at 90 degrees or sit on a flat seat directly under the bar.
Form cues
- Position the bench at 90 degrees or sit on a flat seat directly under the bar.
- Set the bar at forehead height, grip just outside shoulder width.
- Unrack by twisting the bar and press straight up to full lockout.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Adjust the seat so the handles are aligned with your mid-chest.
- Grip the handles with a full grip and retract your shoulder blades against the pad.
- Press forward to full extension without locking out aggressively.
Why This Workout Works
This workout is built around the principles of muscle building training. Use moderate loads (65-80% of your 1RM) with controlled eccentrics and full range of motion. Prioritize progressive overload by adding reps before adding weight. Train each muscle group 2x per week with 10-20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Training Parameters
- Rep Range: 8-12 reps — the hypertrophy sweet spot for maximum muscle growth
- Rest Periods: 60-90 seconds — long enough for quality reps, short enough for metabolic stress
- Sets Per Exercise: 3-4 sets — optimized for muscle building
Triceps Training Tips
- *Overhead extensions stretch the long head, which is the largest tricep head — do not skip them.
- *Lock out every rep fully to engage the medial head.
- *Dips and close-grip bench press allow heavier loading than isolation work.
Get this triceps workout personalized for you
Revy's AI will analyze your training history, recovery status, and strength levels to customize every set, rep, and weight for maximum muscle building results.