Dumbbell Tricep Extension
The dumbbell overhead triceps extension is an arm exercise in which you hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands and bend and straighten your elbows so the weight travels behind your head. It works the triceps, with the long head trained at a long muscle length because the arms are overhead.
Also called: DB Tricep Extension, Overhead DB Extension, Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension, Two-Hand Dumbbell Overhead Extension · Equipment: dumbbell · Pattern: isolation
Step by step
- Sit on a bench with an upright back support, or stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold one dumbbell vertically and cup the underside of the top plate with both palms, thumbs wrapped around the handle.
- Press the dumbbell overhead until your arms are straight, with your upper arms close to your head and near vertical.
- Brace your trunk and keep your ribs down so your back stays against the pad or in a neutral position.
- Bend your elbows to let the dumbbell travel down behind your head under control, keeping your upper arms still and elbows pointing forward.
- Go as deep as you can control, until you feel a strong stretch in the back of your upper arms.
- Straighten your elbows to press the dumbbell back up to the start, moving only at the elbows.
- After the last rep, bring the dumbbell down in front of your face to your chest with both hands before setting it down.
- Upper arms still, elbows pointing forward
- Cup the top plate with both palms
- Deep stretch behind your head, then press
- Ribs down, back against the pad
- Move only at the elbows
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps brachii: long head | Prime mover | B |
| Triceps brachii: lateral head | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii: medial head | Secondary | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Elbows flaring wide
Fix: Keep your elbows pointing forward and upper arms close to your head.
Upper arms moving forward on the press
Fix: Hold your upper arms still and near vertical, and move only at the elbows.
Back arching
Fix: Brace, keep your ribs down and your back against the pad.
Short range at the bottom
Fix: Let the dumbbell travel down until you feel a strong stretch behind your arms.
Loose grip on the dumbbell
Fix: Cup the top plate firmly with both palms and check your grip before each set.
Dropping into the bottom
Fix: Let the dumbbell travel down slowly and pause briefly before pressing up.
What the research says
Muscle growth · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceRehab & prehabEndurance
- Arm position — A 12-week trial training one arm overhead and the other with the arm by the side found about one and a half times more triceps growth in the overhead arm, driven by the long head. This exercise uses the overhead position, although the trial used a different set-up.
- Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets finish close to failure, and true failure adds only a small extra return. Many lifters use moderate rep ranges here.
- Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns, and training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
- Tempo — Studies find growth is similar across rep durations from about half a second to eight seconds when sets are hard, so a controlled pace is a matter of technique more than of growth.
- Pairing with pushdowns — Because the overhead position favours the long head in the research above, many programmes pair an overhead extension with an arm-by-side exercise such as the pushdown.
Swap it mid-workout
- Dumbbell French Press
- Cable Overhead Tricep Extension
- Dumbbell Skullcrusher
- Lying Dumbbell Extension
- Overhead Barbell Extension
- Reverse Grip Cable Tricep Extension
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the dumbbell tricep extension 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.