Triceps exercise
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionHow to do it, with form in numbers
How to do it
How do you do the Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension?
- Hold one dumbbell upright overhead, both palms under the top plate.
- Brace your abs, ribs down, elbows pointing forward.
- Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending only your elbows.
- Straighten your arms to press it back overhead.
Cues
- Elbows forward, close to your head
- Upper arms stay still
- Ribs down, no back arch
Common mistakes
- Elbows flaring out: keep them pointing forward, shoulder-width apart.
- Arching your back: brace your abs and tuck your ribs down.
- Upper arms moving: only your elbows should bend.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Standing in a short split stance (ACE), one foot about half a foot-length ahead of the other, feet hip-width apart, knees soft; hip-width parallel feet are also fine. Torso braced, ribs down, no low-back arch; shoulder blades down; head and neck in line with the spine. One dumbbell held vertically (handle upright) with both hands: both palms face up, pressed flat against the underside of the top plate, thumbs and index fingers wrapped round the handle in a diamond ("heart-shaped" in ExRx). The bottom plate hangs straight down. Wrists close together.
The movement
Only the forearms move, lowering in an arc behind the head and rising back to straight arms. The upper arms stay fixed beside the ears (they must not drop forward as the weight lowers). The dumbbell stays upright and centred behind the head. Torso, hips and legs stay still; the ribs do not flare and the low back does not arch as the weight goes down. Sources differ on depth: ACE stops at a 90° elbow (or when the upper arms start to move), ExRx lowers as far as possible with the wrists flexed.
End position
(turnaround point): elbows bent to about 120° flexion (accept 90–140°), the dumbbell lowered behind the head to about the level of the base of the skull, not touching the head or neck. Upper arms still vertical and still pointing up; elbows still forward, not flared out wide. Forearms angled down behind the head. A brief stop.
Tempo
About 2 s down, a 0.3 s stop, about 1.5 s up, about 0.5 s at the top.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper arm from vertical | 5° | 0–15°, fixed all rep | |
| Elbow at the top | 175° | 170–180°, no snap | |
| Elbow flexion at the bottom | 120° | 90–140° | |
| Elbows apart | shoulder width | 0.8–1.0× shoulder width | |
| Dumbbell gap to the head at the bottom | 5 cm | 3–10 cm, never touching | |
| Low-back arch change, top to bottom | 0° | under 5° |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
