Single Arm Pronated Grip Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
In SetGrip: Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension (Single Arm, Pronated Grip)
- Secondary muscles
- Delts
- Body part
- Upper Arms
- Position
- Lying
- Laterality
- Unilateral (one arm at a time)
- Category
- Strength
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Lying single-arm extensions with the palm turned down make the dumbbell want to tip toward the thumb side for the entire rep, so your forearm and shoulder stabilizers work nearly as hard as the elbow does. It runs lighter than the two-dumbbell skull crusher, and the solo setup shows immediately if one side extends crooked.
How to do the Single Arm Pronated Grip Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Lie flat on a bench with your back and head supported, and your feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing down, and extend your arm straight up above your shoulder.
- Keeping your upper arm stationary, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbow.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arm back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Tip: Keep a slight bend at the top on lying extensions to protect the elbow, but lock out fully on cable pushdowns.
Muscles worked
Primary
Triceps · Arms
The triceps straighten the elbow, and overhead variations stretch the long head at the bottom, so you should feel the whole back of the upper arm working with a hard squeeze at lockout.
Secondary
- Delts — The front delt holds the upper arm in position on overhead extensions and should feel tension but not be lifting.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flaring out — on overhead and lying extensions the elbows should stay pointed forward or up, not out to the sides, since flaring turns it into a press.
- Upper arm moving — the upper arm should be pinned in place and only the forearm should move; if the elbow drifts, drop the weight.
- Not finishing the rep — take every rep to a full triceps squeeze; on pushdowns that means a complete lockout for a count.
- Cutting the stretch — on overhead extensions let the weight travel down behind the head until you feel the long head stretch before pressing up.
Where it fits in a workout
Triceps extensions go after the presses in a push session or at the end of an arm day. Superset them with biceps curls.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without dumbbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
- All arms exercises
- All triceps exercises
- All dumbbell exercises
- Dumbbell triceps exercises
- Banded Single Arm Side Triceps Extension
- Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Seated Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Seated Close Grip Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Reverse Grip Barbell Skull Crusher
- Kneeling Cable Concentration Triceps Extension
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.