Learn how to properly isolate the triceps to work the inner muscle. Detailed execution technique from experienced athletes. Many athletes believe that the bent-over dumbbell extension is the best, or at least one of those exercises aimed at developing the triceps. This movement can be very useful for girls who need to eliminate laxity in their arms. While this seems straightforward, beginner lifters cannot do the bent over dumbbell extension correctly on the first try.
Exercise allows you to engage all sections of the triceps and helps isolate the load. It will be very useful in correcting the asymmetry in the development of the target muscles and for this you need to increase the number of reps for the lagging muscle.
This movement is perfect for beginners and girls, and it is also not capable of heavily loading the brushes. The only category of athletes for whom this movement is not recommended is those who have an elbow joint injury. If you feel pain in your elbows, then reduce the number of sets and reps. And in serious cases, it makes sense to completely abandon its implementation for a couple of weeks.
How to do the bent-over dumbbell extension correctly?
Place one knee on a bench and grab the edge with the same hand to maintain balance. It is necessary to bend slightly so that the body is parallel to the ground. Pull in your stomach and tighten your abdominal muscles.
Taking a dumbbell in your hand, bend it at the elbow joint at a right angle. Then you need to raise the elbow to the parallel of the shoulder with the ground, while the forearm should be directed downward. While inhaling, straighten the elbow joint strictly backward until the arm is fully extended. Pause in this position for two counts and start moving in the opposite direction, exhaling air.
It is very important not to swing the sports equipment too much in order to eliminate inertia. In addition to impairing the efficiency of the movement, you may be injured. If you want to work both hands at the same time, then you do not need a bench. You just need to stand straight and then tilt your body forward.
Dumbbell Extension Tips for Athletes
These tips will help you get the most out of your bent-over dumbbell extension:
- Try to keep the elbow joint in line with the shoulder joint.
- In the initial position, a right angle should be formed between the forearm and shoulder.
- Do not swing your forearm too much, as the use of momentum reduces efficiency.
- Do not use a heavy working weight.
- Do two to three sets of 8-12 reps each.
Most often, athletes make the same mistake, namely, lowering the elbow joint. This happens mainly on the subconscious level and you need to constantly monitor the position of the elbow joint. This error reduces the range of motion and, as a consequence, reduces the load. Also, to compensate for the reduced trajectory, athletes often flex the arm more than is required to perform the exercise correctly.
That's all I would like to tell you about the technique of performing the movement. We already said at the beginning of the article that the bent-over dumbbell extension is not very difficult from the position of technique, but you will certainly need some time to master it. It is very important to first master the movement and only then begin to progress the weight. Otherwise, you will not progress and may even be damaged.
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