The most common sight at gyms is people sweating with ghastly faces as they curl heavy Dumbbells. However, it’s not very often that you see someone flaming his triceps. It’s a pity really. A regular balance should be maintained between bicep and triceps exercises. Bulking biceps and slender triceps, not attractive sight. Overhead dumbbell triceps and overhead triceps press can really help you in that regard.

Dumbbell overhead triceps extension and cable overhead triceps extension are the cornerstones of overhead triceps exercises. The more focus you put on these exercises, the more rapid change you’d notice in your triceps region.

The triceps extension can be performed in sitting or standing postures. The equipment also varies from barbells to Dumbbells to EZ bar. Db overhead triceps extension is the often preferred choice because Dumbbells allow you to direct your attention to muscle imbalances. They also create room for a wider range of motion. One thing to be kept in mind is that you don’t have to overdo overhead dumbbell triceps extension exercises. Too much strain on your triceps can have jeopardizing consequences and can hinder muscle build-up progress.

What Equipment do you Need for Overhead Dumbbell Triceps?

Overhead dumbbell triceps extension can be comfortably performed at home. In case you have only one pair of Dumbbells and it is a heavy pair, avoid using it. Visit your gym to traverse through an entire range of weights. Pick the one that suits you.
Dumbbell triceps overhead extension requires you to lift weights over your head. In such an exercise, lifting heavy is never a good idea. To avoid an injury, start out with a lighter pair. Increase weight to match the rate of your progress.

How to do Overhead Dumbbell Triceps extension?

1) Stand sturdy on the floor. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.

2) Raise the dumbbell over your head until your arms are stretched out and you can sense the pain of your extending triceps.

3) Gradually lower the Dumbbell behind your head and neck. Once your forearm is parallel to the floor, bring your arms into the starting position.

4) Repeat the process from there.

Your target when doing overhead dumbbell tricep presses should be four to eight sets of twelve repetitions each. The exercise can also be hybridized by pairing it with some other shoulder or chest exercise. The superset will further the activation of your muscles reinforcing the effects of both exercises.

Variations in Dumbbell overhead tricep press

1) Single Arm overhead tricep extension – This is the perk of using a Dumbell for overhead tricep stretch. You can execute the exercise, one arm at a time. This enables you to focus more on one arm during a rep and allows for a wider range of motion. Rest the dumbbell evenly in both palms and don’t overdo the exercise.

2) Overhead rope tricep extension – The plus point of this exercise is that the constant resistance offered during the exercise stiffens each rep for improved stability.

Use a lower pulley for this overhead tricep variant. Hold the pulley with both hands and stretch it until the arms are fully extended. Keep your back and core stable. Any failing in body posture and it would take away from the effectiveness of the exercise. When you lower the pulley, do it keeping your forearms stiff and palms stable. Follow it up by flexing your triceps to regain posture for starting a position.

3) Dumbbell Seated overhead triceps extension – This is a carbon copy of the original Dumbbell overhead triceps extension. The only difference is that you perform it while sitting on a bench.

Besides the above three, there are also other variations of Overhead tricep press that don’t fall under the Dumbbell overhead triceps exercise. I’m talking about the lying overhead dumbbell triceps extension, EZ bar Overhead tricep extension, and the gym ball lying triceps extension.

Lying overhead triceps extension – It’s pretty much up to you. If you prefer lying down on a bench, you can reap the benefits of this exercise. The lying-down version allows you to focus more on the movement of your arms.

Gym ball lying triceps extension – Quite similar to the above exercise, the only difference is that it has heightened difficulty. The replacement of the bench with a gym ball makes the workout more wholesome. Always perform this lying triceps extension with lighter weights else you’re likely to fall off the gym ball.

Footnote – Standing overhead triceps extensions are meant to work out only your posterior arm muscles. Couple them with biceps curls and chest exercises to synergize the gains. This is one of the quickest ways to build ripping and shirt-silhouetting muscles.