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Overhead Tricep Extension

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerpush

Home Setup

Use a filled water bottle, heavy book, or backpack held with both hands behind your head, or anchor a resistance band under your feet and pull overhead

Water bottleHeavy bookBackpack with weightResistance bandDoor anchor

💡 Pro tip: Sit on a chair with back support to maintain strict form and prevent lower back compensation during the movement

Gym Setup

Dumbbell, EZ bar, cable machine with rope attachment, or single handle; adjustable bench for seated variation

Safety: Start with lighter weight to master the stretch position, keep elbows pointed forward and stable, avoid hyperextending the lower back by engaging core throughout

💪 Muscles Worked

Triceps Brachii (Long Head)Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head)Triceps Brachii (Medial Head)AnconeusPosterior Deltoid

⭐ Why This Exercise?

The overhead tricep extension is a premier isolation exercise for building tricep mass, particularly targeting the long head which is often underdeveloped. The overhead position places the long head under maximum stretch, promoting hypertrophy through increased time under tension and metabolic stress, making it essential for complete arm development and horseshoe tricep definition.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Seated Overhead Tricep Extension with Back Support

dumbbell + bench with back support

Back support eliminates core stability demands and allows focus purely on tricep contraction with reduced injury risk

2. Single Arm Overhead Extension

light dumbbell

Reduces total load and allows you to use your free hand to guide and support the working arm through the movement

3. Resistance Band Overhead Extension

resistance band

Provides variable resistance with lighter load at the stretched position, reducing stress on the elbow joint while building strength

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Two-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Extension

two dumbbells

Increases total load and requires greater stability and coordination using two separate dumbbells instead of one

2. Standing Overhead Cable Extension

cable machine + rope attachment

Adds core stability demands and maintains constant tension throughout the entire range of motion for enhanced muscle activation

3. Overhead Extension with Pause at Stretch

dumbbell + EZ bar + or cable

Incorporates 2-3 second pause at maximum stretch to increase time under tension and enhance hypertrophy stimulus on the long head

↕️ Similar Movements

Skull Crushers (Lying Tricep Extension)
Similar elbow extension pattern but horizontal position shifts emphasis slightly away from long head stretch
Cable Tricep Pushdown
Complementary tricep isolation with arms at sides, targeting lateral and medial heads more than long head
Close-Grip Bench Press
Compound pressing movement that works triceps with heavier loads but less isolation than overhead extension
French Press
Nearly identical movement pattern, typically performed lying down with barbell or EZ bar
Tricep Kickback
Alternative isolation exercise emphasizing peak contraction rather than stretched position of the triceps

Form Checklist

✓Keep elbows pointed straight forward and close to your head throughout the entire movement
✓Lower the weight slowly behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in your triceps, maintaining elbow position
✓Extend arms fully overhead by contracting triceps hard, squeezing at the top for maximum contraction
✓Keep your core braced and avoid arching your lower back as you press the weight up
✓Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for 2-3 seconds to maximize muscle damage and growth stimulus

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing elbows to flare outward, which reduces tricep activation and increases shoulder strain
  • •Using momentum or arching the back excessively to lift heavier weight instead of maintaining strict form
  • •Not achieving full range of motion by either cutting the stretch short or not fully extending at the top
  • •Rushing through reps without controlling the eccentric phase, missing crucial hypertrophy stimulus
  • •Selecting too heavy a weight that compromises elbow position and increases injury risk

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can complete 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps with perfect form, controlled 2-3 second eccentric, full range of motion, and minimal elbow movement, while still feeling strong muscular contraction without joint discomfort