Standing One Dumbbell French Press

Also known as: Standing Dumbbell French Press, Two-Hand Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension, Standing Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension

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Body Part: Triceps

Description

Hold one dumbbell overhead in both hands, lower it behind your head and straighten your arms again to train your triceps from a deep stretch. All three heads of the triceps work. The long head crosses the shoulder, so with your arms up it is already lengthened at the bottom, and that is where you feel the strongest pull. A single dumbbell and no bench is all it takes, so it suits home workouts. Because you stand, nothing supports your back: keep your abs braced, and move to the seated version once your lower back starts to arch.

How to Perform

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees straight but not locked. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so your ribs stay down.
Stand the dumbbell on end and cup the top plates from underneath with both palms side by side, thumbs around the handle. The handle hangs between your forearms.
Bring the dumbbell to your chest and press it straight up. At the top your arms are vertical, upper arms by your ears, elbows about shoulder-width apart.
Bend your elbows and take 2–3 seconds to lower the dumbbell behind your head. It stays vertical; only your forearms move.
Keep going until your elbows are fully bent and the lower end of the dumbbell sits near the back of your neck, or stop higher if that depth hurts.
Straighten your arms to a full lockout without snapping into the joint, and hold the squeeze for half a second.
When you finish, bring the dumbbell back over your head to your chest and lower it to your thigh. Never let it drop behind you.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Tips

A good dose is 2–4 sets of 10–15 reps, finishing most sets one or two reps short of failure.
Elbows rarely like very heavy sets in a deep overhead stretch, so stay at 8 reps or more. Add reps first: when you reach 15 in all sets with a full stretch, a full lockout and no back arch, take the next dumbbell, usually 1–2.5 kg heavier, and start again at 10. On a light dumbbell that is a big step, so expect a few sessions at each weight.
At the bottom you should feel a strong pull along the back of your upper arm toward the armpit, and at lockout a hard squeeze. Feeling it in your lower back means your ribs have flared: brace harder or go lighter. Sharp pain at the elbow in the stretch says shorten the bottom; a pinch at the top of the shoulder says skip overhead work today.
Easier: reverse the rep when the dumbbell reaches ear level, or do the seated version with back support. Harder: pause 1–2 seconds in the stretch and take 3 seconds on the way down.
Using an adjustable dumbbell? Tighten the collars before the first set, because the plates pass right behind your head and neck.
Substitutes: Dumbbell Seated Triceps Extension, the same two-hand lift seated with back support, when your lower back arches or you want a heavier dumbbell; One-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension to work each arm on its own; Cable Overhead Triceps Extension, where the cable still pulls at lockout, the point at which the dumbbell goes light; Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension for a fixed grip width.

Common Mistakes

Elbows drifting wide as the dumbbell goes behind your head. Point them up and slightly forward, roughly shoulder-width apart, and drop the weight if they won't stay there.
Ribs flaring and lower back arching as your arms straighten. Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down; if the arch stays, go lighter or sit down.
Upper arms swinging forward and down until the rep turns into a pullover or a press. Pin them beside your head and let only the forearms move.
Reversing the rep with the dumbbell only at the top of your head. The deep stretch is what this exercise is for, so bend your elbows fully on every rep that stays pain-free.
Lacing your fingers around the handle. The dumbbell tilts and can slip; cup the top plates instead and keep it vertical.
Poking your head forward to make room. Eyes forward, head still, and let the dumbbell travel behind it.