Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Trains the Triceps.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and either a flat bench or an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Press both up until the arms are straight over your chest.
- Tip the upper arms back slightly and keep them there.
- Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbells toward your ears.
- Go down until you feel the stretch along the back of the upper arms.
- Straighten the arms back to the start without letting the elbows flare.
Common mistakes
- Letting the upper arms travel back and forth. The upper arm is the fixed part; if it swings, this becomes a pullover with the triceps assisting.
- Setting the arms straight up over the shoulders. Tipping them back slightly keeps tension at the top; straight up lets the bones hold the weight.
- Letting the dumbbells drift wide of the head. Beside the head keeps the elbows in; out to the sides opens the elbow and adds a twist at the shoulder.
- Going heavy. The dumbbells are above your face on a bent elbow, and a failed repetition has nowhere good to go.