Dumbbell Tate Press
The dumbbell Tate press is a lying triceps extension in which you bend the elbows out to the sides and bring the dumbbells down to touch your chest, then straighten your arms. It works all three heads of the triceps, mainly the outer and inner heads, and is used as a lighter accessory to pressing.
Also called: Tate Press, Tate Extension, Elbows-Out Triceps Extension, Tip Press · Equipment: dumbbell · Pattern: push
Step by step
- Sit on the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh. Lie back and press the dumbbells up over your chest with straight arms.
- Turn your hands so your palms face your feet and the dumbbells lie across your chest line, their inner ends close together or touching.
- Point your elbows out to the sides and keep your upper arms pointing roughly at the ceiling. Plant your feet flat on the floor.
- Bend your elbows out to the sides so the dumbbells travel down towards your chest, keeping your upper arms still. Take about two seconds on the way down.
- Touch the dumbbells lightly to the middle of your chest, keeping your wrists straight and stacked under the handles.
- Straighten your elbows to press the dumbbells back up along the same path until your arms are straight over your chest.
- After the last rep, bring the dumbbells down to your chest with your elbows bent, then roll up to sitting with them on your thighs.
- Elbows out, dumbbells down to your chest
- Upper arms point at the ceiling; only the forearms move
- Light touch on the chest, then straighten
- Wrists stacked under the handles
- Two seconds on the way down
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps brachii: lateral head | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii: medial head | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii: long head | Secondary | C |
| Anterior deltoid | Stabiliser | D |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Upper arms moving
Fix: Keep upper arms pointing at the ceiling and bend only at the elbows.
Elbows tucked in
Fix: Point the elbows out to the sides as the dumbbells come down.
Dumbbells too heavy to control
Fix: Pick a weight you can bring down in two seconds on every rep.
Wrists bent back
Fix: Keep the wrists straight and stacked under the dumbbell handles.
Bouncing off the chest
Fix: Touch the chest lightly, pause for a moment, then press back up.
Arching off the bench
Fix: Keep your head, shoulders and hips on the bench and feet flat.
What the research says
Muscle growthGeneral fitnessEndurance
- Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are hard, and that going to true failure adds only a trivial-to-small benefit. Tate presses are commonly done for about 8–15 reps.
- Muscle length — A training study found overhead triceps extensions, which stretch the long head further, built more triceps size than a less stretched position. The Tate press sits in between, so many lifters pair it with an overhead extension.
- Volume — Studies link more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Presses and dips also train the triceps, so the Tate press usually adds a few sets on top.
- Range and tempo — Meta-analyses find full range of motion gives equal or greater strength gains than partial range, and similar growth across rep speeds of about half a second to eight seconds.
- Reps in reserve — Because the dumbbells finish over the chest and face, many lifters end each set a rep or two short of failure. There is no direct research on this lift.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the dumbbell tate press in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.