Dumbbell Triceps Extension: How To Do, Muscles Worked & Benefits

It is well-known that strengthening the triceps muscle can improve arm definition and functional strength.

The dumbbell tricep extension is an isolation exercise that effectively targets the tricep muscle. It can be easily incorporated into your tricep workout routine.

In this article, we will discuss the

• What is a Dumbbell Triceps Extension
• How To Do It Properly
• Muscles Worked During It
• Benefits
• Its Variations

What Is Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The dumbbell triceps extension, also known as dumbbell overhead tricep extension, is an isolation exercise that trains the tricep. It strengthens your tricep muscles by flexing your elbow joint.

Start by lifting the dumbbell above your head and then slowly lowering it until your arm is fully extended. Then, raise it back to the starting position.

The dumbbell triceps extension can be performed in several positions, such as standing, sitting, or lying down, and either flat or on an incline and decline position.

The exercise can be done using one arm at a time or using both arms simultaneously.

Note:

The study found that elbow tricep extension exercises with the arms overhead instead of in a neutral position strengthened the triceps brachii muscles. This greater muscle growth in the overhead position is due to the increased muscle length of the biarticular portion of the triceps during the exercise.

Muscles Worked During the Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The dumbbell overhead tricep extension is an isolation exercise rather than a compound motion. This makes it a great exercise for targeting your triceps.

The primary muscle group worked by the dumbbell tricep extension is your triceps.

Various secondary muscle groups activate during tricep dumbbell extension: biceps, forearms, lats, abs (rectus abdominis), obliques, pecs, and traps (trapezius).

These secondary muscles engage to stabilize and support the motion.

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How To Do Standing Dumbbell Overhead Extension

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. The dumbbell should be held at one end with both hands under the inner plate and your thumbs and index fingers in a diamond shape.
3. Keep your elbows close to your head, pointing upwards.
4. Slowly raise the dumbbells above your head.
5. At the top of the moment, hold the triceps contraction for a few seconds.
6. Lower the dumbbells behind your head and bend at the elbow until your forearms parallel the floor.
7. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, straightening your elbows.
8. Do 8–12 reps and 3–4 sets.

Proper Form And Technique

It is important to know the proper form and technique when performing dumbbell tricep extensions. It will provide you with a better perspective on your form.

Here are some key points to keep in mind when performing the exercise:

• Keep your elbow close. People tend to flare their elbows outwards. This can put unnecessary stress on the shoulder and the elbow joint.
• Always remember that this is a tricep workout and not back training. So do not bend your back while pushing down the weights.
• Always use weights that you can handle comfortably.
• Always use the longest range of motion possible and control the dumbbells throughout the set.
• Focus on using your tricep muscles to control the movement, avoiding swinging the weights or using momentum.
• Keep the head fairly neutral; don’t let the neck jut forward, as this may pressure the cervical spine excessively.
• Exhale as you extend your arms, and inhale as you lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

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8 Best Ways To Do Triceps Dumbbell Overhead Extension

The dumbbell tricep extension and its variations are a great way to strengthen your triceps.

Here, I will introduce you to eight different ways to do triceps dumbbell extension exercises that you can incorporate into your triceps workout regime.

1. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Extension

If you’re looking for a straightforward dumbbell overhead tricep extension to add to your routine, a two-arm dumbbell extension is a great staple exercise to get you started.

The seated dumbbell overhead tricep extension is a variation of the tricep extension and an exercise used to isolate the triceps muscles.

It is particularly useful in targeting the long head of the triceps muscle.

How To Do It

1. Sit on a flat bench, grab a dumbbell with both hands
2. Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended.
3. Palms are facing the roof, and elbows are pointing forward.
4. Bend at the elbows and squeeze your triceps.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.

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2. One-Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension

The one-arm dumbbell overhead triceps extension is a single-joint exercise that targets the triceps while increasing stability throughout the core and the shoulder regions.

Sometimes, you need to work each arm separately and ensure the stronger side doesn’t carry the weaker one.

This also lets you focus on perfect form and allows for a greater range of motion.

How To Do It

1. Stand shoulder width apart and lift a dumbbell overhead with your right hand.
2. Hold it straight overhead with an overhand grip (palm facing forward).
3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head and toward your left shoulder until your elbow forms a 90-degree angle.
4. Then, slowly lift it back to full arm extension.

3. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

The dumbbell lying triceps extension is an excellent move to begin your triceps routine. It can be beneficial for fixing imbalances in the triceps or rehabilitating from injury.

People with wrist strain or injury can use them because they don’t put pressure on their wrists.

How To Do It

1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and hold it directly above you with your palms facing inward (neutral grip) and your arms extended.
3. Make sure that your upper arms and elbows are still.
4. Lower the dumbbell behind your head and feel a stretch in your tricep muscles as you do it.
5. Pause and squeeze the triceps, and then raise the dumbbells back to the starting position.

4. One-Arm Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

The one-arm lying dumbbell tricep extension is one of the best tricep exercises you can do because it stretches the muscles and allows for a full range of motion during the movement.

It’s a fantastic exercise for overall tricep development.

How To Do It

1. Lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip.
2. Extend your arm so the dumbbell is straight from your right shoulder.
3. Bend your elbow to bring the dumbbell down to the side of your head.
4. Exhale as you extend your elbow and push the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
5. Complete 8–10 reps, then repeat with the left arm.

5. Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension

If you want to get a bigger and stronger tricep, then the incline dumbbell tricep extension is what you need to add to your tricep workout routine.

It can be used by both those looking to build bigger triceps and those looking to increase their tricep strength.

The benefit of doing it is getting a deeper stretch in the muscle to activate more muscle fibers hopefully.

How To Do It

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie against an incline bench, face up, with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
2. Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing each other.
3. Then, slowly lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows.
4. Hold this position for a count, and then, with a controlled motion, raise your arms back up to the starting position.

6. Decline Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The decline dumbbell tricep extension is a variation of the lying dumbbell tricep extension that significantly declines the movement.

It is a phenomenal exercise that can take your training and results to the next level.

It is more effective for two reasons: the use of a neutral grip and the location of the shoulders.

How To Do It

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie against a decline bench with your feet firmly on the pads.
2. Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing each other
3. Lower the dumbbells behind your head as you bend your elbows.
4. Hold this position for a count.
5. Then, in a controlled motion, raise your arms back up to the starting position.

7. Lying Single Dumbbell Extension

The dumbbell lying triceps extension is an excellent move to begin your triceps routine.

Triceps extensions are isolation exercises, which means they use just one joint.

How To Do It

1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell with both hands, securing it on one end with your hands flat and palms facing upward.
3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head.
4. Then, pause, squeeze the triceps, and raise the dumbbell back to its starting position.

8. Two Arm Dumbbell Extension

The seated two-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension is an isolation exercise that’s great for building and strengthening your triceps brachii.

Keep your elbows close to your head when performing the seated two-arm overhead dumbbell triceps extension. This will emphasize your triceps brachii.

How To Do It

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip
2. Sit on a flat bench and both dumbbells should be above and slightly behind your head, with your arms straight.
3. Inhale as you lower the dumbbells behind your head by flexing your elbows.
4. Exhale as you raise the dumbbells by extending your elbows.

Benefits of the Triceps Extension With Dumbbell

There are many exercises that work the triceps muscle along with other major muscles in the upper body, such as the push-up or the chest press.

However, isolation exercises, such as dumbbell extensions, can help you build tricep size and strength.

Let’s take a look at some other benefits:

• Improve shoulder stability and improve your range of motion.
• Triceps main responsibilities are extending the elbow joint or simply straightening the arm. 
• Strong triceps help keep your joints healthy, particularly your elbow joint.
• Increase in overall arm strength, power, and endurance.
• It allows you to lift heavier during other lifts like bench presses and shoulder presses.
• Regular tricep extensions can help improve the appearance of the upper arm.
• Dumbbell tricep extension is a versatile exercise that can be performed either standing or seated, using one arm at a time or simultaneously with both arms.

Takeaway

The dumbbell triceps extension is a fantastic isolation exercise. It’s the perfect option to include in your triceps workouts, and you’ll definitely see a difference in your muscular development.

If you typically do either tricep pulldowns or tricep kickbacks, tricep extensions are a great alternative to add variety to your routine

You could also try out the different dumbbell tricep extension variations to see which one works best for you or include them in your training.

References

1. Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.
2. Landin D, Thompson M, Jackson M. Functions of the triceps brachii in humans: A review. J Clin Med Res. 2018;10(4):290-293. doi:10.14740/jocmr3340w
3. Tiwana MS, Bordoni B. Anatomy, shoulder and upper limb, triceps muscle. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.