The dumbbell lying tricep extension is an isolation exercise targeting the tricep, performed while lying on a bench and extending the arms with dumbbells.
Also Works
Shoulders
How to Perform
1
Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2
Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
3
Lower the dumbbells down towards your forehead, bending your elbows.
4
Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Lower the dumbbells toward your forehead or just past it, keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor throughout.
•Keep your elbows pointed at the ceiling and avoid letting them flare outward, which shifts work to the chest.
•Use a 2-second lowering phase to maximize the stretch on the triceps long head at the bottom.
Common Mistakes
•Letting the elbows drift backward (toward the head) as you lower, which turns this into a Pullover rather than a triceps exercise.
•Flaring the elbows wide apart, which reduces triceps isolation and can stress the elbow joints.
•Going too heavy and using momentum to swing the weight back up instead of extending purely from the elbows.