Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Trains the Long Head.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner

How to do it
- Stand holding a single dumbbell in both hands, or one in each hand.
- Press it overhead until the arms are straight, then set the upper arms beside your ears.
- Brace your stomach and keep your ribs down.
- Bend the elbows to lower the weight behind your head.
- Go down until you feel the stretch along the back of the upper arm, keeping the elbows pointing forward.
- Straighten the arms back overhead without letting the elbows flare out.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows flare out to the sides. Elbows pointing forward keep the load along the arm; flaring them turns the movement into a partial press and shortens the range.
- Arching the lower back as the weight goes behind the head. Ribs down and stomach braced is what keeps the spine out of it; the arch appears on the repetition where the shoulders run out of range.
- 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 and the position that makes overhead work worthwhile is gone.
- Going heavy. The weight is behind your head with the elbows bent, which is the least controllable position in any triceps exercise, and it is a poor place to discover the load was ambitious.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Long HeadTriceps