Tate Press

Technique

The Tate press is a dumbbell triceps extension done lying on a flat bench, where the elbows flare out to the sides and the dumbbells are lowered inward until their inner ends touch the chest. From there the elbows extend to press the dumbbells back up in an arc, with the upper arms staying in roughly the same position. The flared-elbow path loads the triceps hard near lockout while keeping stress on the elbows lower than many heavy skull crusher variations.

Steps

1. Lie on a flat bench and press two dumbbells up over the chest, palms facing your feet
2. Turn the dumbbells so their inner ends point toward each other
3. Bend the elbows outward and lower the dumbbells inward until they touch the chest
4. Extend the elbows to press the dumbbells back up along the same arc
5. Squeeze the triceps at lockout and repeat

Common mistakes

• Moving the upper arms so the chest and shoulders do the pressing
• Lowering too fast and bouncing the dumbbells off the chest
• Using weights so heavy that the wrists bend backward

Variations

• Incline Tate press on a slightly raised bench
• Single-arm Tate press for focus and easier setup
• Tate press with a pause at the chest to remove momentum

FAQ