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Do you want nicely sculpted arms? You must train your triceps along with your biceps. The tricep area can accumulate extra fatty tissue despite its small size can accumulate extra fatty tissue. For that reason, people refer to this area as “batwings.” This look isn’t the most appealing, which is why you can’t neglect your triceps. The overhead tricep extension is a single-joint exercise that targets the triceps.

Below we’ll look deeper into overhead tricep extensions and we’ll cover the following:

  • Muscles involved in overhead tricep extensions
  • Benefits associated with overhead tricep extensions
  • How to properly do overhead tricep extensions
  • Common mistakes when performing overhead tricep extensions
  • Video on how to do overhead tricep extensions
  • Tricep exercises to complete your arm workout

What Muscles Do Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions Work?

Primary Muscles in Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions

  • Triceps Brachii: The name triceps is due to the fact that these muscles are composed of three muscle strands (the long, medial, and lateral heads). It specifically targets the long head of the tricep. The triceps are involved in forearm and elbow extension, helping extend or straighten the elbow. They are also involved in shoulder adduction and extension, helping pull the arms down. Additionally, the triceps help to stabilize the shoulder joint. Overhead tricep extensions target all three heads of the muscle, especially the long head.

Secondary Muscles Engaged

  • Forearms: Located in the upper limbs between the elbows and the wrists. There are several muscles part of this area. They help pronate, flex, abduct, and adduct the hands.
  • Deltoids: These are the main shoulder muscles. The anterior deltoid flexes and medially rotates the arm, the lateral deltoid abducts the arm, and the posterior deltoid extends and laterally rotates the arm
  • Rhomboids: These muscles are located in the upper back in between the scapula. They fix the scapula to the thoracic wall, retract the scapula, and rotate it to depress the glenoid cavity.

Benefits of Seated Overhead Triceps Extensions

  • Aesthetics: Working the triceps can help you deal with the so-called “batwings” or “grandma-arms.”
  • Hypertrophy: Seated overhead triceps extensions sculpt and increase the size of the muscles in the back of the arms.
  • Strength: Seated overhead triceps extensions activate all three heads of the triceps helping you become stronger. This translates into better sports performance and improved upper body strength to help you move heavier loads when doing other exercises, such as push-ups or chest presses, or engaging in daily activities.
  • Wrist Health: If you suffer from wrist pain or discomfort, the overhead triceps extension is ideal since your wrists maintain the same angle throughout the exercise. This avoids putting a lot of stress on your wrists.
  • Better Posture: In order to perform seated overhead triceps extensions properly, you need to learn to maintain your core muscles engaged and back straight. As a result, this exercise teaches you to maintain proper posture.
  • Isolation: This exercise isolates the triceps, helping you to concentrate on that specific muscle.
  • Upper Body Flexibility: Seated overhead tricep extensions help improve flexibility in your upper body and stabilize your shoulders
  • Versatility: The overhead tricep extension exercise is versatile. You can perform it seated or standing. Plus, you can use different tools. In the video, I’m demonstrating the exercise using a dumbbell. However, it can be performed with a medicine ball, a barbell, an EZ bar, resistance bands, cables, or even a weight plate.

How to Do Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions

Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions
  • Sit down on a bench/step
  • Take one dumbbell and hold it with both hands at one end of the dumbbell so the palms face the ceiling (hands are in a diamond position)
  • Position yourself with your back straight, keeping your head aligned over the chest, shoulders back, and core tight
  • Exhale and lift the dumbbell directly overhead so the weight hangs in a vertical position behind the top of your head 
  • Fully extend your arms and hold for 1-2 seconds
  • Inhale while you bend at the elbows and slowly lower the weight down
  • Bring the weight behind your head
  • Once you reach a 90-degree bend at the elbow or slightly further, lift the weight back to the starting position
  • Repeat
  • Perform 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions 

Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions Mistakes

  • Avoid rounding your back: Keep your back straight and engage your core. A straight back helps you maintain proper alignment and perform the exercise properly.
  • Avoid flaring your elbows: You have to keep your elbows tucked in by your ears to perform the exercise properly. When you allow your elbows to flare out, you engage your biceps and shoulders to assist the flexion and extension. This no longer isolates your triceps.
  • Avoid forward elbow placement: Another mistake is to allow your elbows to move forward towards the front of the face, decreasing the load on your triceps. This can happen when your chest and shoulder muscles are tight. Remember to keep your biceps close to your ears.
  • Avoid moving your head: Your head should remain in place and aligned over the midline of the chest with your chin off your chest. If you find yourself moving your head to complete the exercise, you may need to do other tricep exercises while you work on your upper back and shoulder mobility.
  • Avoid short ranges of motion: You should perform the exercise with a full range of motion. Your arms should fully extend at the top and you should achieve at least a 90-degree bend at the elbow when you lower the weight. You cheat and don’t get all the benefits of the seated overhead tricep extension by shortening the motion of the exercise.  

Dumbbell Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions Video

Dumbbell Seated Overhead Tricep Extension

Tricep Workout

You can complete your tricep workout by performing the following exercises:

As you can see the overhead tricep extension is a wonderful tricep exercise. It offers tremendous benefits associated with hypertrophy, strength, endurance, and aesthetics. Now that you know how to perform dumbbell overhead tricep extensions properly, you can avoid the most common mistakes and enjoy their benefits. Remember, whether you want to lose weight, tone your body, or gain strength or size, all muscles must be trained.

Lift, Burn more Fat, Get Stronger, and Live Healthier!

To a Fitter Healthier You,

Adriana Albritton

The Fitness Wellness Mentor

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