Seated Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
In SetGrip: Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension (Seated, Single Arm)
- Secondary muscles
- Delts
- Body part
- Upper Arms
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Unilateral (one arm at a time)
- Category
- Strength
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One dumbbell, one arm, and a free hand braced on the bench: this setup exposes the strength gap between your arms that every two-handed overhead extension hides. The light weight involved also eases the mobility demand, since a single arm can find its own overhead groove instead of being locked to a partner.
How to do the Seated Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place your other hand on the bench for support.
- Raise the dumbbell overhead, keeping your upper arm close to your head and your elbow pointing forward.
- Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbow, keeping your upper arm stationary.
- Extend your arm back up to the starting position, fully straightening your elbow.
- 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
- Behind Head Close Grip Barbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Seated Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Seated Close Grip Barbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Barbell Skull Crusher
- Behind Head Barbell Skull Crusher
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.