# Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension: how to do it

- Main muscles: triceps
- Equipment: dumbbell
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/overhead_dumbbell_triceps_extension/313d65283b/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Hold one dumbbell upright overhead, both palms under the top plate.
2. Brace your abs, ribs down, elbows pointing forward.
3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending only your elbows.
4. 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.

## 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

| 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° |  |

## Sources

1. [[ACE: Triceps Extension](](https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/74/triceps-extension/)
2. [[ExRx.net: Dumbbell Triceps Extension](](https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBTriExt)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/overhead-dumbbell-triceps-extension