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A tricep overhead extension is an isolation exercise for the backside of your upper arm that uses dumbbells to strengthen and tone the triceps for strong, sculpted arms.
If you’re ready to say goodbye to bat wings or jiggly arms, this move is for you. Many people complain that as they age, their upper arm starts to sag, and this exercise will prevent this from happening.
Incorporate this exercise into a full workout with my 10 minute bicep workout for women at any age!
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Tricep Overhead Extension Instructions
Here’s how to do overhead tricep extensions:
- Stand with feet hip distance apart while holding dumbbells straight overhead. Keep your spine long and abs tight.
- Bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbells behind the base of the head. Keep your elbows in, almost hugging your head, while keeping them pointed forward.
- Extend your arms long, returning to your starting position.
If you feel any discomfort in the lower back, stagger your feet to a split stance position: one foot slightly in front of the other.
Tips for Doing Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Start with lighter weights! It is extremely important you learn how to do this move properly and with full range of motion. Add heavier weights as you feel more confident in your ability to do the exercise with proper form. You can also try a resistance band tricep extension.
- Tricep overhead extensions can be part of an overall body workout, or you can pair them with other great tricep exercises..
- Combining overhead tricep extensions with exercises such as the tricep kickback is a powerhouse way to keep your arms tight, sculpted, and ready for anything! In addition, check out our workout Top 6 Moves To Prevent Flabby Arms.
Benefits of Tricep Overhead Extension
There are many reasons you should incorporate tricep overhead extension into your workouts. Here are just a few:
Strengthens Triceps
The tricep overhead extension is a great upper body move! Using a light to medium pair of dumbbells, the triceps get stronger and more toned as they work to press the dumbbells away, ultimately challenging your entire arm.
Strengthens Shoulders
The tricep overhead extension directly targets the tricep muscle, but indirectly, your shoulder muscles are also challenged. Your shoulder muscles help you hold the dumbbells overhead.
You’ll want to be mindful not to “scrunch” up at the shoulders, but rather keep the shoulder blade pulled down and away from your ears.
Strengthens Upper Back
While you work your tricep overhead extension, the upper back muscles are engaged the entire time. Once again, avoid “scrunching” or overusing the tops of the shoulders.
This will encourage soreness and/or pinched nerves. By engaging your upper back muscles instead, you will have better form during your tricep overhead extension and create an isometric exercise for the upper back.
Easy Ways to Incorporate Tricep Overhead Extensions Into Your Workouts
Tricep overhead extensions are a great exercise to practice anytime on its own. However, you could also incorporate it into other workouts to mix them up.
Here are some workout ideas to get you started:
If you like the tricep overhead extension and the results you get from it, here are a few more exercises you might want to try:
How Many Calories Does a Tricep Overhead Extension Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most exercises will generally burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes you work at higher intensity. Bottom line: the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
Tricep overhead extension builds muscle in your arm. You won’t be panting, breathing heavily, and burning many calories. On the other hand, you will be adding to your muscle mass, which makes for a better metabolism and higher calorie burn all day long.
