Bent-over arm extension: exercise options + technique

Egor Fukalov

fitness trainer

What exercises with dumbbells will help pump up your triceps? How to do them correctly?

The triceps is considered a large muscle and forms 2/3 of the shoulder muscles. Even if you pump up powerful biceps, without a developed triceps muscle, your arms will look weak.

Dumbbells will be an excellent helper in pumping up your triceps. This is a universal equipment that you can use at home on one square meter or in a fitness club. With dumbbells, you can build a different training program, depending on your physical capabilities.

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What muscles does bent over arm extension use?

As was said at the beginning of the article, bending arm extensions are aimed at developing the triceps.

This is the largest of the shoulder muscles. So if you want huge biceps. Then you need to spend more time developing your triceps. No matter how paradoxical it may sound. The load falls mainly on the upper sections of all three heads of the triceps.

Lateral. Located on the outside of the shoulder.
Long. This head is lagging in most athletes. Located on the inside of the shoulder.
Medial. It is located under the other two. Participates in any triceps exercise.

When performing bent-over extensions, athletes try to place more emphasis on the long head of the triceps. To do this, place your elbows firmly behind your back. Of course, it is worth considering that her dominance over the others will be very small. So you won't notice much of a difference. Therefore, is it worth bothering about this at all?

Dumbbell extension with two hands from behind the head

This exercise works all the triceps muscles of the shoulder (medial, lateral, long) and the ulnar muscle. Performed both standing and sitting:

Holding with both hands, lift the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your bent elbows as close to your head as possible.
Exhale: straighten your elbows, straining your triceps; at the top point, leave your elbows slightly bent, this will relieve the load on your elbows. Don't point your elbows out to the sides.
Inhale: Gently lower the dumbbell behind your head without throwing the weight on your neck.

Perform 4 sets of 8–12 reps.

Advantages and disadvantages of the exercise

Advantages

This exercise will allow you to work all three heads of the triceps in isolation.
To perform, only one dumbbell is enough, and not a lot of weight. Therefore, it can be easily done at home.
Very little risk of injury. Of course, when working with the right weight and good technique.
Great for girls. Because they just want to shape their arms without increasing the size of their triceps.
It will help eliminate imbalances in the development of each arm.
The technique is easy to master. So you don’t have to spend months practicing the movement.
It will help you finish off your triceps at the end of your workout.

Flaws:

It is impossible to build muscle mass with bent over arm extensions. Since the weight of dumbbells is not large. Therefore, it is not suitable for beginners. At first, it is best to give preference to PUSH-UPS. If it’s difficult for you to do them, DO PUSH-UPS FROM THE FLOOR.
Another disadvantage is that there is not always enough space in the training for this exercise.

We must understand that the triceps is a very small muscle. But at the same time, she participates in many pressing, multi-joint exercises. Such as: BENCH PRESS, SITTING DUMBBELL PRESS. And if you also do a large number of exercises purely for the triceps. Then, instead of development, we will get overwork of this muscle. Which can lead to a series of injuries. Therefore, everyone chooses several of the most effective exercises for themselves. But for some reason, many people avoid bending arm extensions. Most likely because it looks too light and ineffective.

Extensions without a bench

We compensate for the lack of a bench with two dumbbells. In this case, we work standing, tilting the body forward. The technique will be as follows:

We take a dumbbell in each hand;
slightly bending your knees, tilt your straight body forward;
bend your elbows at right angles and move your shoulders back;
We extend our arms back, fixing our shoulders.

Both options are effective. But in the first case, you can load first one and then the other hand to the maximum. When working with two hands, concentration is not as great as when performing an element alternately.

Other embodiments of the element

Bent-over arm extensions with dumbbells can not only be performed from a standing position or with support from a bench. The following variations are also available:

with emphasis on an inclined bench;
standing with an elastic band (here a band is used instead of dumbbells);
lying on a fitball.

The triceps consists of three heads that are involved in performing the element:

long;
medial;
lateral.

The main value of the exercise is that the long head is used to the maximum, the load on which in other elements is not so great. For many, it is precisely this that lags behind in development compared to other triceps heads.

Recommendations for implementation

When performing bent-over extensions, do not move your elbows to the side. Try to keep them as close to your body as possible.
Be sure to pause at the extreme points of the exercise. This will help you concentrate on the movement itself. And it will not give you the opportunity to turn extension into swings.
When returning the arm to its original position, there is no need to completely bend the arm at the elbow joint. This will take the pressure off your triceps and transfer it to your biceps. It is enough to maintain a 90° angle at the elbow.
The movement should occur only at the elbow. If you engage the shoulder joint, the exercise will turn from extension to bent-over row.
Bend your arm slowly, controlling the weight. And we extend it twice as fast, using the force of the triceps.
The lower the torso tilt, the more you need to raise your elbows up. This technique will be less comfortable. And this may cause pain in the shoulder joint. Therefore, we lean forward almost to parallel with the floor.
Don't use heavy weights. Because of this, the execution technique will suffer greatly. Therefore, you will not get any results.

The most common mistake

Incorrect elbow position is something that many gym goers commit when doing this exercise.

In the starting position, the elbows are pressed to the body and slightly tucked behind the body. It is in this position that the maximum load is placed on the triceps.

Usually, during the execution, against the background of increasing fatigue, the elbows gradually drop down. Thus, the effectiveness of the exercise is reduced.

This is due to the fact that stronger muscles, the latissimus, begin to engage in the movement. They take part of the load onto themselves and the benefits of the exercise are sharply reduced.

A mistake that occurs all too often is the weight of the dumbbells being too heavy .

This is an isolation movement that by definition is not designed for lifting heavy weights. The likelihood of injury increases, but the execution technique still suffers, which is not good for progress.

Inclusion in the training program

For men, this exercise is best performed at the end of a workout. In order to finish off the triceps. We perform 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions. No warm-up approach is required.

Girls can perform this exercise both at the beginning and at the end. Unless, of course, the goal is to develop large and massive triceps. On average, perform 2-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

I think I was able to pull back the curtain a little and help you learn a little more about arm extensions. If you can lead intelligently in your training, then you will clearly have good results. And large developed triceps.

Good luck to everyone in your training!

Anatomy and functions of the triceps

The triceps muscle of the arm, called the triceps, is located on the back of the shoulder. The share of triceps in the total volume of the muscle mass of the upper limb is almost 70%. This muscle is formed by three heads connected to each other:

long, coming from the subarticular scapular tubercle;
lateral, originating on the outer region of the humerus in the form of muscle and tendon bundles;
medial, starting as a fleshy thickening on the back side of the middle third of the shoulder.

Connecting, the heads pass into tendons (wide and flat), which are attached to the olecranon process of the ulna.

The long head of the triceps is responsible for moving the arm back and bringing it towards the body. When the triceps extends, the biceps flexes. All three muscle bundles extend the shoulder at the elbow joint. All strength exercises that develop the triceps are based on its main function - arm extension.

How to perform exercise

Sit down at the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell in one arm using a neutral grip (palms of the hand facing you).
Bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Make sure that you keep the head up.
The upper arm with the dumbbell should be close to the torso and aligned with it (lifted up until it is parallel to the floor while the forearms are pointing towards the floor as the hands hold the weights). Tip: There should be a 90-degree angle between the forearms and the upper arm. This is your starting position.
Keeping the upper arm stationary, use the triceps to lift the weight as you exhale until the forearm is parallel to the floor and the whole arm is extended. Like many other arm exercises, only the forearm moves.
After a second contraction at the top, slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position as you inhale.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Switch arms and repeat the exercise.

Variations:

This exercise can be executed also with two arms at a time.
Also, if you like the one arm variety, you can use a low pulley handle instead of a dumbbell for better peak contraction. In this case, the palms should be facing up (supinated grip) as opposed to the torso (neutral grip). You can also use a rope attachment however, and in this manner, you can also perform the movement with a neutral grip.

If the correct technique is followed, the following muscle groups work: Triceps, Shoulders, and auxiliary muscles:

Pump up your triceps - exercises at home

To properly work out the triceps muscle of the arm, you need to use, first of all, flexion-extension exercises with free weight, and not isolating movements on simulators. Therefore, you can conduct an effective workout at home, for which you only need dumbbells.

Lifting a dumbbell from behind your head with both hands

This movement works all three heads of the triceps in isolation; the long bundle receives a slightly greater load. The movement increases muscle volume and strength of the upper limbs, develops their flexibility and range of motion.

In order to control the correct technique, they are placed in front of a mirror. Feet, hip-width apart, stand firmly on the floor. The abdominal and back muscles are tense, stabilizing the body. A natural deflection is recorded in the lower back, which is maintained throughout the exercise. The gaze is directed forward.
The dumbbell is taken with both hands so that the inner part of the disc rests on the palms, and the thumbs cover the dumbbell bar. The projectile is lifted above the head, held above the top of the head with outstretched arms.
While inhaling, the dumbbell is smoothly lowered behind the head to a right angle at the elbow. In this case, the elbows should not diverge to the sides.
In the lower position, pause for 1–2 counts, trying to feel the stretch of the target muscle.
Using a powerful triceps force, while exhaling, squeeze the dumbbell upward.
The projectile is lowered again, not allowing rest in the top position.

At all points of the trajectory, the shoulders and elbows do not change their position. Only the forearms move. The dumbbell is lowered down under control and slowly, and raised powerfully and quickly.

Do 10–15 repetitions in 3–4 approaches.

With

The standing dumbbell press puts stress on the back, so if you have problems in this area, you can train in a sitting position.

And

One-arm dumbbell overhead press

This option differs from the previous one in that in it the hands work in turn. The exercise allows you to pump up the triceps, eliminates muscle imbalances in the arms and tightens the problem area of this part of the body.

Sitting standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, take a dumbbell with one hand and lift it up so that your palm is turned forward.
While inhaling, slowly and smoothly bend the arm holding the weight so that the projectile is behind the head. Bending is done slowly and smoothly, without “dropping” the weight down. Only the forearm is involved in the movement, and the shoulder part remains motionless.
At the bottom point, the triceps should be stretched as much as possible. Here you need to stay for 1-2 counts.
Using controlled muscle effort, the working arm is straightened. This movement is accompanied by exhalation.

Having completed the required number of repetitions with one hand, all actions are reproduced with the other. This will amount to 1 approach. The transition from one hand to the other occurs without rest. Do 3-4 such sets of 10-12 repetitions on each side.

And

To prevent the working hand from “walking” during the bench press, it is permissible to hold it with the second one (photo).

If significant weights are used, it is not recommended to perform extension to the end: the load on the joint is too high.

This exercise can also be performed in a sitting position.

Video: Performing overhead dumbbell presses in different variations

Bent over arm extension with dumbbell

Training in this version can “spur” the growth of the triceps due to the special angle of impact on the muscle.

Lying sideways to a bench or other surface that replaces it, you should take a position resting on your left palm and knee. The right foot is on the floor, helping to maintain balance. It is important that the torso is in a horizontal position: if the shoulders are noticeably higher than the hips, the load on the triceps will decrease.
Take a dumbbell (palm facing the body) and bring the elbow to the line of the back or slightly higher, while simultaneously bending the arm. The angle at the elbow is straight, the forearm is perpendicular to the floor.
After taking a deep breath, strain your triceps and straighten the arm holding the dumbbell. It is very important that the arm remains motionless from shoulder to elbow.
The top position will be the position in which the finally straightened arm should be in line with the torso or slightly higher. Reaching this point is accompanied by exhalation. Here you need to tense the target muscle as much as possible and hold for 1–2 counts.
The projectile is returned to its original position, not forgetting about the immobility of the upper arm.
Having completed the required number of repetitions, they mirror the starting position and perform similar actions.

Repetitions performed with one and the other hand will constitute 1 set. In total, do 3 such sets 10–12 times on each side.

At the moment of maximum straightening of the arm back, the triceps muscle receives a static load, which leads to the inclusion of muscle fibers that remain unused in other exercises.

Video: Bent-over arm extension technique with a dumbbell

To add additional stress to the triceps during the upward movement, you can slightly rotate the wrist of your working hand so that the thumb points upward.

This exercise requires strict adherence to the correct technique. If the elbows in the starting position are placed below the back line, the triceps muscle will not receive full development. The effectiveness of the exercise will be minimal if you do not fully straighten your arm during extension (this often happens due to excessive weight).

If you have training experience, you can do bent over extension with both hands at the same time. There is no support in this exercise, and you will have to use the back muscles to maintain an almost horizontal position of the torso. Therefore, this option is not recommended for athletes with problems in the spine, as well as for those whose back muscles are not sufficiently developed.

Bench dumbbell extension (French press)

This exercise specifically loads the triceps muscle and eliminates sagging of the back of the shoulder.

Taking two dumbbells in your hands, sit down on a horizontal bench. The arms holding the weight are raised above you. They are fully straightened and located at right angles to the athlete’s body. Hands hold dumbbells with a grip so that the palms are directed towards each other.
Inhaling, by bending your elbows, lower the dumbbells to approximately the line of your ears.
In the bottom position, pause for a couple of seconds, focusing on stretching the triceps.
With muscular effort, press the dumbbells up, straightening your arms and squeezing your triceps. Exhale at the same time.

Perform 10–15 repetitions in 3–5 approaches.

At all points of the trajectory, you should not allow your elbows to spread to the sides or move back and forth following the dumbbells.

Some professionals advise that in the starting position, keep your arms not completely vertical, but with a slight tilt towards your head. This allows for a stronger stretch of the target muscles as the projectile is lowered behind the head.

Video: Lying dumbbell arm extension technique

Lying dumbbell triceps press

This variation of the press engages all three triceps bundles.

Holding dumbbells, lie down on a horizontal bench (if the weight of the weight is significant, the help of a partner is advisable).
Hands with weights are raised up perpendicular to the body. They are at shoulder level. Dumbbells should be held with a neutral grip (hands facing each other).
As you inhale, lower the weight down, bending your arms at the elbow joints. In this case, the elbows should not diverge to the sides, they look forward and move down.
After a second delay at the bottom, they begin to lift the dumbbells up until the arms are completely straightened.
Having straightened your arms, hold them for a couple of seconds, while straining your triceps, and lower your arms down again.

This exercise can be performed with a barbell, but dumbbells place more demands on maintaining balance, so this option may be more difficult.