How to Do Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
An overhead dumbbell tricep extension is a triceps isolation exercise. Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands, keep your upper arms still and lower it behind your head until your forearms pass level. It trains all three heads of the triceps and stretches the long head. Most lifters do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
- 1Start. Sit or stand tall with one dumbbell held overhead in both hands, palms under the top plate and arms straight.
- 2Bottom. Keep your upper arms still and lower the dumbbell behind your head until your forearms pass level, then press it back up.
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How to do an overhead dumbbell tricep extension
- Sit on a bench with the back set upright, or stand with your feet hip-width apart. Brace your abs so your lower back does not arch.
- Hold one dumbbell upright with both hands, palms flat against the underside of the top plate and thumbs around the handle.
- Press it overhead until your arms are straight and your upper arms are close to vertical, beside your head.
- Keep your upper arms still and bend only at the elbows. Lower the dumbbell behind your head over 2 seconds until your forearms pass level with the floor, deeper if your shoulders allow.
- Straighten your elbows to press the dumbbell back overhead. Your elbows point forward for the whole set.
Where the rep is hardest
A dumbbell pulls straight down, so how hard the rep feels depends on how far your forearms are from vertical. With your upper arms vertical, the dumbbell has no leverage at the top and the most with your forearms level. That point is in the bottom half of the rep, where the triceps is also stretched.
Lower until your forearms pass level every rep, since that is where the dumbbell is heaviest. Triceps activity was highest in the bottom and middle of the lift and lowest near lockout (Alves 2018). Keep your upper arms vertical, or the top of the rep goes slack.
How much weight should you use for overhead dumbbell tricep extensions?
On Gravitus, the median man lifts 45 lb (20 kg) for 10 reps on the overhead dumbbell tricep extension, and the median woman 22.5 lb (10 kg).
- Most lift
- 32.5 to 60 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 75 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 32.5 lb
- Most lift
- 17.5 to 27.5 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 35 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 17.5 lb
- Most lift
- 15 to 27.5 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 35 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 15 kg
- Most lift
- 8 to 13 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 16 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 8 kg
Why overhead? What the research says
Overhead extensions grew the triceps more than pushdowns in a 12-week study. In Maeo 2023, 21 adults trained one arm with cable overhead extensions and the other with cable pushdowns, 5 sets of 10 twice a week for 12 weeks. The overhead arm grew 1.5 times more in the long head (28.5% vs 19.6%) and 1.4 times more in the whole triceps (19.9% vs 13.9%), while lifting 34 to 39% less weight.
The long head is the only triceps head that crosses the shoulder, so raising your arm overhead stretches it. The study used cables; a dumbbell puts your arm in the same overhead position.
Three common claims the research does not back:
- Overhead work isolates the long head. In an EMG and modelling study, the long head did the most work with the arm at your side, and the medial head took over with the arm raised (Kholinne 2018). The overhead arm also grew more in the lateral and medial heads (Maeo 2023).
- Pushdowns miss the long head. They train it too, at a shorter length (Maeo 2023, Kholinne 2018).
- The squeeze at the top builds the triceps. With your upper arms vertical the dumbbell has no leverage at lockout, so the top is the easiest part of the rep. The work happens in the bottom half (Alves 2018).
Muscles worked
One dumbbell or two, seated or standing
No study has compared these versions. All of them put your arm overhead, which is the part that matters (Maeo 2023). Pick the one you can keep strict and add weight to.
Overhead extension vs pushdown vs skull crusher
| Attribute | Overhead extension | Pushdown | Skull crusher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm position | Overhead | At your side | Lying, pointing at the ceiling |
| Long head stretch | Most | Least | In between |
| Equipment | One dumbbell | Cable station | Dumbbells or EZ bar, bench |
If you pick one, pick an overhead extension. It grew the triceps 1.4 times more than the pushdown (Maeo 2023). The overhead and lying dumbbell extensions drew similar triceps activity through the rep (Alves 2018), so doing both in one session adds little.
Sets, reps and progression
Stop each set 0 to 2 reps short of failure. Sets taken close to failure build muscle across a wide range of reps (Schoenfeld 2021), so pick a range you can keep strict. The overhead arm in Maeo 2023 did 5 sets of 10 twice a week.
Dumbbell jumps are 5 lb (2.5 kg) at most gyms. Add reps first: when every set reaches the top of your range, move up one dumbbell and drop back to the bottom of the range.
Common mistakes
-
Elbows drifting forwardThe top of the rep goes slack and the long head stretches less. Keep your upper arms close to vertical.
-
Elbows flaring wideYour shoulders start to help. Point your elbows forward, and go lighter if they keep drifting out.
-
Stopping short at the bottomThe bottom half is where the dumbbell is heaviest and the triceps is stretched. Lower until your forearms pass level.
-
Arching the lower backYour ribs flare to get the weight overhead. Brace your abs, or sit on a bench with the back upright.
-
Bouncing out of the bottomLower over 2 seconds and reverse without a bounce, so the triceps does the work, not the rebound.
Overhead tricep extension variations
Questions people ask
What does overhead tricep extension target?
All three heads of the triceps. The long head crosses the shoulder, so the overhead position stretches it. Your core and shoulders hold the arms in place.
Are overhead dumbbell tricep extensions good?
Yes, for triceps size. Overhead extensions grew the whole triceps 1.4 times more than pushdowns over 12 weeks (Maeo 2023), even though the overhead arm lifted less weight.
Is the overhead dumbbell tricep extension better than tricep pushdowns?
For growth, yes. In Maeo 2023 the overhead arm grew 28.5% in the long head against 19.6% for the pushdown arm. Pushdowns still train all three heads and are a good second exercise.
Do overhead tricep extensions work all three heads?
Yes. The lateral and medial heads grew more with overhead training too, 14.6% against 10.5% for pushdowns (Maeo 2023).
How to hold dumbbell for overhead tricep extension?
Stand the dumbbell upright and cup the underside of the top plate with both palms, thumbs wrapped around the handle. Your hands form a diamond under the plate.
How much weight should I use for overhead dumbbell tricep extension?
For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 45 lb (20 kg) for men and 22.5 lb (10 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 60 lb (27.5 kg) and 27.5 lb (13 kg) or more.
Log every set and see your percentile on every lift, overhead dumbbell tricep extension included.
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