The dumbbell Tate press is an upper arm exercise primarily targeting the tricep, with secondary involvement of the shoulders. It is performed with dumbbells while seated on a flat bench, involving a unique pressing motion that emphasizes tricep activation.
Also Works
Shoulders
How to Perform
1
Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2
Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, then rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing away from you.
3
Press the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down to shoulder height.
4
Rotate your wrists back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Point your elbows outward and lower the dumbbells toward the center of your chest by bending only at the elbows, keeping upper arms stationary.
•Touch the inner plates of the dumbbells to your chest at the bottom, then press outward to full lockout for a complete triceps contraction.
•Use a controlled tempo on the lowering phase to maximize time under tension on the triceps.
Common Mistakes
•Flaring the elbows too far forward, which turns the movement into a close-grip press and reduces triceps isolation.
•Using too heavy a weight, which causes the shoulders to take over the pressing motion.
•Letting the dumbbells drift apart at the top instead of pressing them together for peak contraction.