Stability Ball Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

In SetGrip: Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension (Stability Ball, Single Arm)

Secondary muscles
Delts
Body part
Upper Arms
Position
Standing
Laterality
Unilateral (one arm at a time)
Category
Strength

Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed

Download SetGrip on the App Store

Working one arm at a time in the overhead extension lets you keep the elbow aimed at the ceiling and match reps exactly across sides, while the ball under you punishes mid-set slouching. Single-arm overhead work runs far lighter than the two-hand version; the deep stretch at the bottom is where the value lives, not the load.

How to do the Stability Ball Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

  1. Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing up and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle.
  3. Extend your arm straight up towards the ceiling, keeping your elbow stationary.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

Tip: Squeeze the bar hard and keep the wrists straight over the elbows through the whole rep.

Muscles worked

Primary

Triceps · Arms

The triceps lock out the elbow on every press and dominate close grip and skull press variations.

Secondary

  • Delts — The front delts assist every press and take over on Bradford and behind the neck variations.

Common mistakes

  • Elbows flaring wide — on horizontal presses keep the elbows at roughly 45 degrees from the torso; pressing overhead, keep them under the weight instead.
  • Losing the shoulder blade position — on bench-style presses set the shoulder blades back and down and keep them there; overhead, let the shoulder blades rotate up naturally with the arms.
  • Bouncing or rushing the bottom — control the bar down and pause for a beat before driving up, especially on decline and close grip variations.
  • Not committing to a variation — Bradford presses, skull presses and the like are hybrids; pick a fixed range and stick with it for the whole set.

Where it fits in a workout

Presses are the main movement in a push session and should go first or second. Superset them with a row or pulldown for a push and pull pair.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without dumbbell

Easier and harder

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.

Track the Stability Ball Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension in SetGrip

All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.

Download SetGrip on the App Store

More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.