Seated Triceps Press
Trains the Long Head.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Sit upright on a bench with back support, holding one dumbbell in both hands.
- Press it overhead until the arms are straight, hands cupping the top end.
- Set the upper arms beside your ears and keep them there.
- Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head.
- Go down until you feel the stretch along the back of the upper arms.
- Straighten the arms back overhead without letting the elbows flare.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows flare out to the sides. Elbows pointing forward keep the load along the arm; flaring turns it into a partial press and shortens the range.
- Arching off the backrest as the weight goes behind the head. Seated, the arch has nowhere to go but the lower back.
- Letting the upper arms drift forward. They stay beside the ears — once they travel forward, the long head is no longer stretched at the shoulder.
- Getting into position with a heavy dumbbell alone. Bringing it overhead is its own movement, and a knee-assisted start or a hand-off is part of the setup.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Long HeadTriceps