Overhead Triceps Extension
The stretch position pressing skips — the long head only grows overhead.
Setup
- One bell held in both hands overhead, elbows close to your head.
How To Do It
- Lower the bell behind your head to a deep triceps stretch.
- Extend back to lockout, elbows staying forward.
Breathing
Inhale lowering, exhale extending.
Common Mistakes
- Elbows flaring wide — keep them framing your ears.
- Arching the low back — ribs down, brace.
Programming It
Three sets of 10-15.
Why This Exercise Works
Taking the arm overhead lengthens the long head of the triceps, which crosses the shoulder joint. Loading a muscle in its stretched position is the more reliable growth stimulus, which is why overhead work outperforms pushdowns for triceps size.
Where You Should Feel It
A deep stretch in the long head of the triceps, which crosses the shoulder and is therefore only loaded properly with the arm overhead.
Where It Fits in a Program
The stretch position pressing skips — the long head only grows overhead. It belongs after the heavy work, when precision matters more than load.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the overhead triceps extension: add a small increment, or pause in the stretch. To regress it: reduce the load, or use a rope if the elbows complain.
Who It's For
Anyone building triceps size. Overhead work outperforms pushdowns for growth for exactly this reason.
Equipment and Substitutions
As written here it uses a dumbbell. No dumbbells? A kettlebell of similar weight works for almost all of this, and the cable and machine versions below cover the rest.
Related Exercises
- Triceps Kickback — Triceps
- Overhead Cable Triceps Extension — Triceps
- Dumbbell Skull Crusher — Triceps
- Skull Crusher — Triceps
- Triceps Pushdown — Triceps
- Band Triceps Pushdown — Triceps
- Incline Barbell Press — Upper Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- JM Press — Triceps
Common Questions
What muscles does the overhead triceps extension work?
The overhead triceps extension primarily trains the triceps (long head).
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three sets of 10-15.
What are the most common overhead triceps extension mistakes?
Most often: elbows flaring wide; arching the low back.
Do I need a dumbbell to do this?
This version uses a dumbbell, and it trains the triceps (long head). Kettlebells substitute directly here. So does a cable, if you would rather have constant tension than a free weight.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
Elbows and wrists take the brunt of the overhead triceps extension, and both are slow to settle once irritated. If the ache lingers into the next day, reduce the load or change the grip angle before you train it again. Not medical advice.