Triceps brachii, or simply triceps, are a three-headed muscle opposite of the biceps and is responsible for 2/3 of upper arm mass. Big triceps make the arms look big, which is contrary to the popularity of big biceps which are smaller in comparison. So it’s essential to focus on and work the three tricep head muscles for maximum gains.
The lying dumbbell tricep extension is one of the best tricep exercises you can do because it stretches the muscle and allows for a full range of motion during the movement. It’s a fantastic compound exercise for overall tricep development and can be performed in a variety of ways.
In this Exercise
- Target Muscle Group: Triceps Brachii
- Type: Strength
- Mechanics: Isolation
- Equipment: Dumbbell
- Difficulty: Intermediate
Exercise Instructions
- Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand.
- Hold the dumbbell straight in the air with a neutral grip and arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell down to where it’s level with the side of your head.
- Extend your forearm back up to the starting position but keep elbows slightly bent.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Variations & Tips
- You can use a fixed barbell, e-z curl bar, or cable for this exercise.
- You can also perform the exercises with two arms at a time or alternate both arms.
- Make sure to warm up your elbows with a dip, or pushdown type exercise before performing tricep extensions because you can experience pain and/or discomfort due to the elbow extension during the exercise.
- Only move your forearms not upper arm.
- Do not lock out at the top of the movement.
- You can hold the working arm in place with the opposite arm.
- This exercise works all heads of the tricep muscle.
Watch: How to do a lying one-arm dumbbell triceps extension
Watch: How to do a lying one-arm dumbbell triceps extension—cross-body variation
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Lying dumbbell triceps extension
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