Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Trains the Triceps.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and a decline bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Set a decline bench and hook your legs under the pads.
- Lie back holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight above your shoulders, palms facing each other.
- Keep the upper arms still and pointing straight up.
- Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbells toward your ears or just beside your head.
- Stop where the stretch is felt rather than where the dumbbells reach the bench.
- Straighten the arms back to the start without letting the upper arms drift.
Common mistakes
- Letting the upper arms travel backward as the weight lowers. That turns the movement into a pullover and gives the range to the lat; the upper arms stay pointing up and only the forearms move.
- Choosing a weight that needs a swing at the bottom. The bottom is where the elbow is most bent and the triceps are longest, and a dumbbell that has to be jerked out of that position is too heavy.
- Lowering the dumbbells wide of the head. Keeping them beside the head keeps the elbows in; letting them travel out to the sides opens the elbow and adds a twist at the shoulder.
- Getting into position with the dumbbells already overhead. Sitting up and rolling back with them on the thighs is the setup, the same as for a decline press.