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Incline dumbbell triceps extension is one of the best triceps exercises that allows you to effectively work the mentioned muscle, add volume to your arms and emphasize the relief. Girls usually do the exercise to improve their shape and get rid of the laxity on the back of their arms.
Despite the apparent simplicity, it can be difficult for beginners to do the exercise correctly the first time. It’s not about the complexity, but rather the technical side of the issue.
What does the exercise give?
The Incline dumbbell triceps extension engages all three triceps heads: long, lateral, and medial.
Both men and women are able to do the exercise without any problems. The workout is undemanding to the shoulders and core. It acts in isolation on the triceps.
Possible contraindications
Contraindications include, first of all, elbow joint injuries.
It is recommended to reduce the weight of the dumbbells and the number of reps if you suffer from elbow pain during training
In some cases, you need to exclude the exercise for 1-2 weeks
The exercise technique
To complete the exercise you will need:
One or two dumbbells of suitable weight
A horizontal bench or other knee support surface
You can do the exercise without a bench. Let’s talk about this incline dumbbell triceps extension variation separately.
To avoid confusion in terminology, remember that the shoulder is the part of the arm above the elbow, and the forearm is the part from the elbow to the wrist.
Initial position:
The exercise itself:
Be sure to watch your shoulder, it should be absolutely motionless throughout the entire exercise. Movement occurs only in the elbow joint.
Beginners often swing a dumbbell to achieve inertial shoulder abduction. Such a technique is fundamentally wrong and even dangerous. Movements should be clear and rhythmic. Remember to breathe evenly and focus on the triceps tension while extending the arm.
Standing dumbbell triceps extension
There is an option to skip the bench and train both arms at the same time. The exercise is performed in a standing position with the body tilted forward.
Top 5 Home Triceps Dumbbell Exercises [Video]
Check out this video from Buff Dudes:
Exercise tips
To maximize your arm extension, follow the guidelines below when doing the exercise.
When performing the exercise on a bench (when the body is parallel to the floor), the elbow should be at the same level as the shoulder joint.
The starting position is the right angle between the shoulder and the forearm.
You cannot swing your forearm like a pendulum. Backward swinging with a dumbbell under the influence of inertia will not give the expected result.
Very heavy dumbbells are not recommended.
The dumbbell triceps extension does not imply the use of large weights. You need to keep the shoulder in a fixed position to perform the exercise correctly.
A medium and large number of reps are performed in several approaches (2-3 sets of 8-12 reps).
Most popular mistake
A common beginner’s mistake when doing the dumbbell tricep extension is dropping the elbows unconsciously.
Sometimes a heavy dumbbell can cause your elbow to drop. Pick a different weight in this case.