Your triceps sit at the back of your upper arm, and they do most of the work when you straighten your elbow. 💪
But the triceps are not one simple muscle. They have three heads, and only one of them — the long head — also crosses your shoulder.
That detail changes everything about how you train it. The long head is only fully stretched when your arm is overhead, with your shoulder raised and your elbow bent.
So if your whole triceps routine happens with your arms by your sides, the long head never gets its best stretch. This short guide fixes that, with two overhead moves you can actually picture doing.
Why the long head needs the overhead position 🧠
The three triceps heads are the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. All three help straighten the elbow.
The long head is different because it starts on the shoulder blade, not on the upper-arm bone. That means it also helps pull the arm back, in a movement called shoulder extension.
Raise your arm overhead and bend your elbow, and the long head is stretched at both joints at once. Keep your arm by your side, as in a pushdown, and it never reaches that stretched position.
That is not just theory. In a 12-week study of 21 untrained adults, one arm trained with overhead cable extensions and the other with neutral-arm extensions, and the overhead side grew more — including about 28.5% growth in the long head, against about 19.6% on the neutral side.
One small study is not a promise, though. It is a good reason to give the long head some overhead work, not a reason to throw every other triceps move away.
1. Two-Hand Dumbbell Overhead Extension 🏋️
This is the simplest way to get the long head into its stretched position. You need one dumbbell and enough room to press it overhead safely.
Hold one dumbbell with both hands, cupping the top plate, and press it overhead with your arms extended. Keep your upper arms close to your ears and steady throughout.
Lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head by bending your elbows, going only as far as feels comfortable. Then press it back up by straightening your elbows, without locking them hard at the top.
Keep your ribs down and avoid arching your lower back to heave the weight up. If your elbows flare wide or your back arches, the weight is too heavy for good form.
A seated version works well too, and a bench with back support can help you stay upright. The standing version in the photo is the same move, just with more balance demanded.
2. Single-Arm Seated Overhead Extension 🎯
The single-arm version is the same overhead idea, one side at a time. It is useful if one arm is stronger than the other, or if holding one heavy dumbbell with both hands feels awkward.
Sit tall, hold one dumbbell in one hand, and press it overhead. Let your other hand rest on your thigh or lightly support your working upper arm if that helps you keep it still.
Lower the dumbbell behind your head with control, keeping your upper arm as still as you can. Then extend your elbow to lift it back overhead.
Because the load is lighter per side, this version makes it easier to feel the stretch and keep your form honest. Switch sides and repeat, keeping the same range on both arms.
If you cannot reach comfortably overhead without shoulder discomfort, do not force it. A shorter range, or a different exercise entirely, beats pushing through pain.
What doesn’t isolate the long head 🚫
Cable pushdowns are a fine triceps exercise, and they appear in many good routines. But they are not a long-head special.
With your arms by your sides, the long head stays in a much shorter position than it does overhead. Stepping back from the machine does not turn a pushdown into an overhead move.
The same logic applies to kickbacks. With your torso leaned forward and your arm behind you, the long head is shortened, not stretched — so kickbacks are a poor headline choice for this particular goal.
Behind-neck overhead presses are left out on purpose. They are mainly a shoulder press, and forcing a bar behind your neck can be rough on shoulders that lack the mobility for it. The two overhead extensions above give you the stretch without that risk.
How to use these two moves 📋
Pick one of the two as your main long-head move, and use the other when you want a change or a unilateral option. They are variations on the same position, not two completely different exercises.
Use a weight you can lower slowly and lift without swinging or arching. Control and a comfortable full range matter more here than chasing a heavy load overhead.
For the rest of your triceps work, see the site’s broader guides: the triceps workout covers the wider triceps picture, and the chest and triceps workout shows how arm work fits into a push session.
If you are new to dumbbell training, the dumbbells workout guide is a useful starting point for handling the equipment safely.
Stop and get advice from a qualified coach or clinician if you feel sharp elbow or shoulder pain, clicking that hurts, or numbness in your arm. General information in a guide is never a substitute for advice about your own injury.
FAQs ❓
Do I still need pushdowns if I do overhead extensions?
Yes, if you enjoy them and they feel good. Pushdowns still train the triceps, just without the overhead stretch — they complement overhead work rather than replacing it.
Can I do these exercises every day?
Daily hard training of the same muscle leaves little room to recover, so most people do better giving the triceps rest days between harder sessions. How often suits you depends on your overall routine and recovery.
Will overhead extensions alone give me bigger arms?
No single move does that on its own. Arm size comes from consistent training across the triceps and the rest of the upper body, plus enough food and sleep to recover — and results vary a lot from person to person.