10 Best Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension Alternatives for Triceps

A lifter reaching for a flat bench often finds it taken, which is where the Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension happens: a dumbbell in each hand, one arm bending toward your head, the other extended over your chest. The closest swap is the Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension: same dumbbells and triceps, both arms pressing together, not alternating. If you want one arm at a time, the Dumbbell Lying Single Extension stays flat, dropping the alternating, finishing reps on one arm before switching.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension

Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders
How to Perform Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension
  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 a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Lower one dumbbell down towards your head, bending at the elbow, while keeping the other arm extended.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then raise the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat with the other arm, alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension

1. Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension

93% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Slowly lie back on the bench, keeping the dumbbells close to your chest.
  3. Once you are fully lying down, extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lying Single Extension

2. Dumbbell Lying Single Extension

93% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in one hand and your arm fully extended above your chest.
  2. Lower the dumbbell in a controlled manner towards your forehead, keeping your upper arm stationary.
  3. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement, then extend your arm back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

3. Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

91.7% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width. The palms of the hands should be facing each other and the arms should be perpendicular to the floor and fully extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. As you breathe in and you keep the upper arms stationary (and elbows in), bring the dumbbells down slowly by moving your forearms in a semicircular motion towards you until your thumbs are next to your ears. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
  4. Lift the dumbbells back to the starting position by contracting the triceps and exhaling.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension

4. Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension

90.9% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
  2. Extend your arms fully overhead, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  3. Lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  4. Pause for a moment, then raise the dumbbells back to the starting position by extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

5. Ez Barbell Decline Triceps Extension

89% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and your feet secured.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Extend your arms fully, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  4. Lower the barbell slowly towards your forehead, bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip

6. Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip

88.4% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie down on a flat bench holding two dumbbells directly above your shoulders. Your arms should be fully extended and form a 90 degree angle from your torso and the floor.
  2. The palms of your hands should be facing forward, and your elbows should be tucked in. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now, inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells until they are near your ears. Be sure to keep your upper arms stationary and your elbows tucked in.
  4. Then, exhale and use your triceps to return the weight to the starting position.
Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

7. Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension

88.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by 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.
Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

8. Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher

88.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the barbell with a reverse grip, palms facing towards your face, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows in and your wrists straight.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

9. Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension

88.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding the barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Raise the barbell above your head, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tate Press

10. Tate Press

87.7% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. By using your thighs to help you get the dumbbells up, clean the dumbbells one arm at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width. Note: when holding the dumbbells in front of you, make sure your arms are wider than shoulder width apart from each other using a pronated (palms forward) grip. Allow your elbows to point out. This is your starting position.
  3. Keeping the upper arms stationary, slowly move the dumbbells in and down in a semi circular motion until they touch the upper chest while inhaling. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times and do not move the upper arms nor rest the dumbbells on the chest.
  4. As you breathe out, move the dumbbells up using your triceps and the same semi-circular motion but in reverse. Attempt to keep the dumbbells together as they move up. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down again slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension Alternative

A busy gym bench is the simplest reason to swap: one flat bench, and someone else already has it, or the only free bench is set at an incline or a decline. The Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension needs a flat bench and two dumbbells held with palms facing each other, and every swap here still puts a dumbbell or a bar in your hands rather than asking for gear you do not own. Some move to an incline or a decline bench, some work one arm at a time instead of two, and four hand you a bar so you are not juggling separate dumbbells. What gets trained barely changes: your triceps still do the work in every one of them, so the choice comes down to the bench and the grip, not a different muscle.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

If your bench is free but stuck at an incline, take the Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension: same dumbbells, same triceps, both arms pressing together, not alternating. If you want the one-arm-at-a-time feel of the original, the Dumbbell Lying Single Extension stays flat on the bench and works one arm through all its reps before you switch, rather than alternating within a set. If you still want an incline without alternating, the Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension has you sit on the incline bench and lower both dumbbells together behind your head rather than toward your forehead. If your gym has an EZ bar or a straight bar instead of dumbbells, the EZ Barbell Decline Triceps Extension moves you to a decline bench with the EZ bar, and the Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension takes a straight bar overhead while you stand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which alternative works one arm at a time like the original?

The Dumbbell Lying Single Extension. It keeps you flat on the same bench, but instead of alternating arm by arm within a set, you work one arm through all its reps before switching, the same one-side-at-a-time feel as the Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension without the alternating rhythm.

What if my gym only has a barbell, not dumbbells?

Reach for the EZ Barbell Decline Triceps Extension, the Barbell Lying Back Of The Head Tricep Extension, the Barbell Reverse Grip Skullcrusher or the Olympic Barbell Triceps Extension. The first three keep you on a bench, decline or flat, and the last one moves the bar overhead while you stand. All four put a bar in your hands instead of two dumbbells and work the same triceps as the Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension.

Which alternative uses an overhand grip instead of a neutral one?

The Dumbbell Tricep Extension -pronated Grip. It keeps the same flat bench and the same pair of dumbbells, but two things change: your palms face forward instead of each other, and both dumbbells lower together toward your ears rather than one arm at a time. Your triceps still do the work.

Can I do the Dumbbell Lying Alternate Extension at home?

Yes, as long as you own an adjustable bench and a pair of dumbbells. The Dumbbell Incline Two Arm Extension, the Dumbbell Lying Single Extension and the Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension all use the same dumbbells and work the same triceps, just at a different bench angle or with one arm at a time, so any of them fits a home bench.

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