Dumbbell Tricep Exercises: Top Exercises For Killer Triceps

So, you are looking for the best dumbbell tricep exercises, you are at the right place to get the complete information. Today in this article I will tell you what are the best dumbbell tricep exercises you can perform in the gym or at your place to get killer shape and size in your triceps.


Before I start the list of my best dumbbell tricep exercises I want to make one thing clear at the beginning of the article that, these are my best picks for the dumbbell tricep exercises in my workout that I like. You can try these in the gym and go with what works best for you. So, let's get started!


Dumbbell tricep exercises

Top Dumbbell Tricep Exercises For Killer Triceps


1. Dumbbell Tricep Extension


This exercise mainly targets the LONG and the MEDIAL heads of the triceps.
I don't know how many people perform this exercise wrong and then get injured in the shoulder and elbow.

Keep in mind these basic and notable points.


  • Core tightly engaged, you can use the belt if you want more stability.

  • Chest up and the spine should be in neutral form.

  • Spine Not curved or overly extended, both are wrong, creating unwanted pressure in the lower back.

  • First put the dumbbells in the lap, second on the shoulder and then next on the top.

  • When you are going down to stretch the tricep, INHALE and on the top where you squeeze, EXHALE!
Dumbbell tricep exercises

Certainly, one question arises that whether you should be doing

Dumbbell Tricep Extensions in seated position or standing?


In my opinion, seated is best!

Standing makes the pressure on the core and glutes get involved too,
and this is much of balancing way.
You need to balance your body and the weight of the dumbbell too!

When you sit nicely on a bench, it is much more stable
because you get support from the back seat.
Also, make sure that your butt is all the way touched to the seat
and the pad without slipping.
And when everything is stable, you can destroy the triceps better. There we go!

The next exercise in the list of dumbbell tricep exercises is:

2. Dumbbell Skull Crusher


It mainly focuses on the long head of the tricep.
Also known as lying tricep extensions.
It comes in other variation as well which is with the barbell.
Nothing much, but there are few
differences in performing the same movement with Dumbbell and with a barbell.
Which is, having dumbbell means having more control.

As the name suggests, skull crushers, people take it seriously
and when they lay on the bench they literally touch the barbell or dumbbell to the head.
You have to avoid this!

Because you are here reading the correct form of dumbbell skull crusher exercise in the right way.
As we are here to discuss the dumbbell tricep exercises.
so let's understand the correct form for dumbbell skull crushers quickly.

  • Rest the dumbbells on your lap and slowly lay on a bench.

  • Having a little arch in the back, stable legs and glutes.

  • Chest up and shoulders retracted.

  • Arms straight and the dumbbell should be almost shoulder-width apart.

  • Lean you dumbbells equal to your head to get an extra stretch in your triceps(Must)

  • Don't flare your elbow out while squeezing, it should be straight.

One thing to notice is that this exercise is not for testing your maximum strength, this is about tiring your muscle, so don't go super heavy in this!

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Triceps

3. Dumbbell Tricep Press


Now, this is another great exercise in dumbbell tricep exercises.
Most people don't perform this exercise.
I haven't seen much people.
Either they don't know what is this exercise for or what muscle is targetted by this. We will cover everything!

The posture for this exercise is similar to doing dumbbell presses on a flat bench.
Dumbbell tricep press is a compound movement which focuses
on all the three heads which are the long head, lateral head,
and the medial head.

Let's look at the correct form.


  • Both toes firmly on the ground, glutes squeezed.

  • Arch in the spine and shoulder blades retracted just like we do in bench or dumbbell press.

  • Dumbbells should be shoulder width apart and not too inward to avoid any wrist pressure.

  • Move the dumbbell down and pause and get back up by fully straighten your elbows to activate the triceps.

  • Don't flare out the elbows too much, make sure to keep it in a neutral position for better activation in the target muscles.

Green lights, you can go heavy weights if you wish to increase your strength.
So the next one in our list of dumbbell tricep exercises is:

4. Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks


It mainly focuses on the lateral part of the triceps.
This is a great isolation exercise and will give you the maximum benefit
if you add this after performing all the
compound movements exercises.

Perfect to add this to the end of the workout 
when your triceps are already burned and excruciated.
Most people use a lot of momentum and they use a lot of weight.
If you go too heavy you will not be able to hold the squeeze part and you will use a lot of momentum.

Most commonly, a question arises
and people get confused that what should be the upper body angle in this exercise?

Quite simply, the upper body should be at around 45-degree angle
or better if you go parallel to the ground, a bench in front of you supporting your body if possible.

Let's look at the form precisely in points


  • Shoulder width apart your toes with a little bend in your knees.

  • Hips out and bend in the upper body almost parallel

  • Don't roll your chest, make sure to get that chest up.

  • When you squeeze anything, you EXHALE and when you stretch, you INHALE in any exercise. Period!
Dumbbell tricep exercises

The last exercise in the list of dumbbell tricep exercises is:

5. Single Arm Tricep Extension


This exercise is the same as the dumbbell tricep extension(number 1 in the list).
The only difference is that you use a single arm
instead of using both the arms.
Nicely seated, core tight and
all exact same form of dumbbell tricep extension!
Dumbbell tricep exercises

I added this exercise in the last because

it is much of a balancing exercise.
By balancing I mean;
Some people have the muscle imbalance issue going-on,
that one arm is bigger and the other is thinner.

You can add this one to train that lacking behind arm more
so that you can grow equal and balance from both sides.

Also Read: How Skinny People Can Gain Weight(Complete Guide)

Final Words


Most noteworthy and the last one important thing is
Jerking the weight and satisfying the EGO. Don't be that guy!

Doesn't matter if you are a beginner or intermediate or even advance lifter.
Jerking the weight and using a lot of momentum
just for the sake of finishing the exercise with a lot of heavyweights.
Don't do that!

Don't go too heavy and don't be that guy, you know what I'm talking about, boy...
that loads very heavy weight and then struggle to do it properly and then compromise the form to do it anyway!! huh:)

Choose the weight that you feel comfortable with and controlling the negatives all the time.
That's it guys do let me know what do you think in the comments below about your top picks of dumbbell tricep exercises!

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