Everyone loves bicep curls, but what people often overlook is the role the triceps play in developing big, muscular forearms. Your triceps are larger muscles than your biceps and they are also functional muscles; they play a key role in such basic compound exercises as the bench press to push back an opponent in a soccer game. Just because you can’t see them when you look in the mirror doesn’t mean you should ignore them, quite the opposite, in fact. So here are five triceps exercises for you, each one designed to make your triceps defined and powerful.

Half of these exercises are multi-joint exercises, and even the isolation movements are designed to shock your muscles to grow and get stronger. Therefore, dumbbell kickbacks aren’t included because, while it’s not a bad exercise, it won’t provide the most bang for your buck. Also, try to train your triceps with different muscle groups each time; always focus on chest or biceps and it will get you into a rut so try to incorporate your legs. Finally, choose 2 of these exercises and do 3-5 sets of each. Each set should be 6-20 reps, but keep them in the 6-12 range if you want to bulk up. Do this workout twice a week; more than that is overtraining.

push down

Use this variation to gain more power at different angles of the pushdown. Face the cable stack, lock your elbows to your sides, grasp the rope or handle attachment, palms down. Do eight reps standing up straight, squeezing your tris at the bottom, and then step back so you’re at a 45-degree angle. Do another eight reps, then take a second step back, so your back is parallel to the flood, and do a final eight. That is a repetition.

diamond dip

This variation of the classic dip will prevent you from using your stronger side to compensate for your weaker side. Grab the dip bars and start with your body extended, arms straight and then lower yourself down, shift your weight to the left and back up, then lower back down, shift to the right and back up. That is a repetition. Make sure to keep your elbows on your wrists.

Bandit Loop Plank Extension

Grab the handles of a Cable Bandit Loop, each about 20 inches off the floor, and get into a plank position, on your toes, with your back straight, arms extended, and core engaged. Lower yourself, elbows in, until your head reaches your hands, then extend out. This exercise is great for engaging key stabilizer muscles that normal triceps exercises don’t use.

Close-Grip Medicine Ball Pushup

This exercise forces you to use your stabilizer muscles again, given the uneven surface of the medicine ball and its tendency to roll. Place the ball under your sternum, grab it with both hands, fingers apart. Lower yourself down, extending your elbows, and then push yourself up, squeezing your triceps.

Uneven overhead triceps extension

Take an EZ-curl bar with an uneven grip, one palm grabbing the vertical part and the other the horizontal part. Lower the bar behind your head, keeping your arms close. This overloads one arm while keeping the other engaged, which is better than a single arm-to-arm extension.