10 Best Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press Alternatives for Triceps Strength
If you can't do the Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press, use close-grip bench press, cable pressdowns, overhead triceps extensions, bench dips, or close-grip push-ups. Emphasize full elbow extension and keep the humerus stable to load the long and lateral heads. Cue: stop 1–2 inches short of lockout to maintain constant tension.
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press
How to Perform Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press
- Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other and arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells towards your shoulders by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then press the dumbbells back up to the starting position by extending your elbows.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Lying Extension (across Face)
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight up above your chest, palms facing each other.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the dumbbell in an arc behind your head until your forearms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then contract your triceps to bring the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your forehead, bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension
93.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing up.
- Extend your arms fully, lifting the barbell above your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
4. Ez Bar Lying Close Grip Triceps Extension Behind Head
93.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the ez barbell with a close grip, palms facing up, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Barbell Lying Extension
93.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press
92.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Dumbbell Close-grip Press
92.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
- As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
8. Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
92.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face towards you at the bottom of the movement.
9. Exercise Ball Supine Triceps Extension
92.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your elbows close to your ears.
- Pause for a moment, then raise the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
92.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.
- Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press Alternative
You may substitute the dumbbell lying elbow press for several reasons: elbow or shoulder irritation, lack of dumbbells, or the need for a different torque curve. Different alternatives change moment arms and muscle activation — overhead positions lengthen the long head, while pressdowns bias the lateral and medial heads. Choose a substitute that reduces joint shear (cue: keep scapula retracted and elbows tracking) and preserves progressive overload through reps, tempo, or load. Using alternatives can also correct movement-pattern weaknesses by emphasizing scapular stability or controlling eccentric tempo to improve triceps hypertrophy without aggravating sensitive joints.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute by matching loading method, joint angle, and desired muscle emphasis. If you lack equipment, pick close-grip push-ups or bench dips and focus on slow eccentrics (cue: 3–4 second descent). For reduced shoulder stress, use cable pressdowns with a neutral grip and keep the upper arm pinned to the side to isolate the lateral head. To target the long head, choose overhead extensions and maintain shoulder flexion with the elbow pointing upward. Track intensity with load, tempo, or rep ranges to ensure progressive overload and balanced triceps development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press work?
The exercise primarily targets the triceps brachii — long, lateral and medial heads — with minimal involvement from the anconeus and pectoralis minor for stabilization. Cue: drive through elbow extension while keeping the humerus stationary to maximize triceps activation.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press?
A close-grip (diamond) push-up is the best bodyweight option for triceps isolation; place hands under the sternum and keep elbows tucked as you press. Cue: descend with a controlled 2–3 second tempo and drive elbows backward to maximize triceps loading.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press?
Yes — you can build triceps size using alternative movements that provide progressive overload and proper tension. Use exercises with varied joint angles (pressdowns, overhead extensions, dips), control tempo, and increase load or reps over time to drive hypertrophy.
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