Arms · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Seated Triceps Extension
How to do the dumbbell seated triceps extension, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit upright on a bench and hold one or two dumbbells overhead with arms extended. Bend at the elbows to lower the weight behind your head, keeping your upper arms still, then extend back up by squeezing your triceps.
- 1Triceps stretching behind your head and squeezing at the top
- 2Upper arms staying fixed beside your ears
- 3Tall, braced torso with no arch in the lower back
Common mistakes
- Letting your elbows flare out wide
- Arching your back or leaning to press the weight up
- Dropping the dumbbell fast instead of controlling it down
Muscles worked
The dumbbell seated triceps extension mainly works the triceps, with the forearms and upper abs assisting.
- TricepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell seated triceps extension for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More triceps exercises
- How to do the bent-over tricep extension
- How to do the crossbody tricep extension
- How to do the cable katana tricep extension
- How to do the cable single arm tricep extension
- How to do the kickback
- How to do the lying tricep extension
Last reviewed June 2026.