Dumbbell Tate Press Exercise: Don’t Do Them Until You See This (Special Form)

The Dumbbell Tate press is a must have exercise in any lifters toolbox.⁶ But don’t do them until you see this special form or variation that uses an incline bench to take some of the load off the shoulders and elbows while stimulating the tricps that much more due to a deeper stretch!

For lifters who aren’t familiar with it, the Tate press is a type of tricep extension, and is exceptional at hitting the long head of the triceps (more on that later). With this special form tip, even lifters who think they have bad tricep genetics will be able to build powerful, sleeve hugging arms.

Is the Tate Press Exercise Effective?

The Tate press isn’t just effective, it’s a downright killer of an arm exercise because it allows for a deeper range of motion, firing up the triceps and providing more muscle stimulation.

Exercises like skull crushers and tricep pushdowns are usually the go to for training the triceps, but the Tate press is a hidden gym that most haven’t even considered adding in.

Tate Press Benefits

So why should a lifter do the Tate press over, say, a skull crusher? Because this exercise has a few distinct advantages over other tricep exercises, that make it more effective:

Better Range of Motion (ROM): In a skull crusher the weight stops at the lifter’s forehead. In a tricep pushdown ROM is also limited, but in the Tate press? Not so.

The Tate press allows for a much deeper range of motion.

This means more muscle activation than a lot of other tricep extensions, and a stretch that’ll have the triceps screaming at the end of every set. Especially using the incline variation, the Tate press becomes hard to beat. 

It’s An Isolation Exercise: Isolation exercises have their own unique benefits, plus studies show that A mix of compound and isolation movements is ideal for muscle growth.¹

For one, isolation exercises allow the lifter to target only the muscle they want to train, whereas compound exercises hit multiple areas to differing degrees. This is great to really focus the mind-muscle connection on one area, and bring up weak points.

And two, it gives a chance to correct muscle imbalances. Many lifters have had the experience of being at the tail end of a set of bicep curls, only to realize they can get more reps with one side than the other!

Using an isolation movement where both arms are working separately, but in sync, makes it easier to detect imbalances and target them appropriately.

Increases Mobility: When done properly, the Tate press will slowly increase shoulder and tricep mobility.

Again, this is because of the deep stretch from the exercise. Working the muscles through a deep range of motion helps open up tight shoulders, and stretches out the triceps, effectively increasing mobility while building muscle.

Increases Lockout Strength: In exercises like barbell overhead press, or barbell bench press, the triceps are a key secondary muscle. When training with the Tate press, the lifter increases their ability to lockout the elbows at the top of the rep, and this can carry over into stronger presses all around.

What Muscles Does the Tate Press Work?

The Tate press is an isolation exercise, targeting the triceps first and foremost, but it also offers a bit of shoulder work through stabilization.

Triceps

Since the Tate press is an isolation movement, it only makes sense that the primary muscle targeted will be the triceps. And while this exercise hits all three heads of the triceps (the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head), it’s the long head that gets the most work.

Considering the long head is the biggest of the three, anyone wondering – “Why won’t my arms grow?”– should incorporate the Tate press to give their triceps more direct work.

Shoulders

The shoulders shouldn’t be a primary mover in this exercise, but the lateral and posterior heads of the delts will get some secondary work because they’re stabilizing the movement.

However, if the shoulders are really burning during the exercise, try lowering the weight to put the focus back on the triceps.

How To Perform the Tate Press (Dumbbell Tate Press & Technique)

The Tate press is a bit of an unusual exercise, and takes some getting used to in order to master it. But these 5 steps will make it easy to get started.

1. Depending on the variation, lay the bench flat, at an incline, or perform the exercise standing.
2. Keep the elbows pointing out to the sides (not pointing down, like they would in a skullcrusher).
3. Slowly bend at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells down to the chest.
4. Straighten the elbows, focusing on the triceps as the weight comes up.
5. Lockout the weight at the top and pause for a second before beginning the next rep.

Tips for the Tate Press

Small changes make a huge difference, and these two simple tips will help lifters get the most out of this movement, and most importantly, lower the risk of injury.

Warm up: The elbows are a problematic area for many lifters, and tendonitis or elbow pain is a common complaint. One of the best ways to prevent this is to properly warm up before lifting.

Not only does warming up get the muscles ready to take on heavier weight loads, but it has also been shown to increase performance.²

A simple way to warm up for the Tate press is to do a couple sets of the exercise with a light weight. A few sets of, for example, 50% of a lifter’s working weight, will reinforce mind muscle connection and prepare the muscle for heavier weight.

Go Slower: Slowing down the reps in the Tate press makes sure that form is locked in, and prevents injury to the shoulders or elbow.

There’s a time and a place for explosive movement and heavy weight, but this isn’t it.

Focus on slow clean reps with a light to moderate weight, to get the most out of this exercise.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect form and other mistakes can lead to an exercise being ineffective, or downright dangerous. Make sure to avoid these two mistakes when doing the Tate press.

Going Too Heavy: Using too much weight with any exercise is problematic, but even more so with the Tate press.

This is an isolation exercise, and all the weight is being held by the triceps. Compared to the rest of the body, the triceps are not a large muscle, and putting too much weight on them means more strain on the tendons and elbows, not more muscle growth.

Use a light weight with the Tate press and focus on form.

Wrong Elbow Positioning: A lot of lifters try to do this exercise like a skull crusher, with the elbows pointing down, but the elbows should be out to the side, “chicken dance” style. This will prevent injury, and keep the focus on the long head of the tricep.

DB Tate Press vs DB JM Press: Which Is Better?

The JM press is a close alternative to the Tate press, and both of them have their strengths and weaknesses.

It’s important to note that while the JM press is closer to a compound exercise than the Tate press, studies have found that the difference between single vs multi joint exercises is negligible; both give similar results.³

The Tate press allows for a greater ROM, and is a great exercise to use for hypertrophy, or when training to have a stronger lockout. The drawback to the Tate press is that because it’s an isolation exercise, it can’t be safely loaded with a lot of weight.

The JM press is a great option for lifters that want to move heavier weights, and also for those who want to increase their bench press. In fact, the man who made the JM press (JM Blakley) was a world record holding powerlifter that specialized in the bench press. (His record was a 700lb bench press!).

Lifters struggling to increase their bench will want to use both of these exercises at some point in their training program, as well as looking into specialized programs like a bench press pyramid, or the 8 week powerlifting program.

Incline Tate Press vs Lying Tate Press: Which One Should You Do?

Either variation of the Tate press is great, but here’s a simple guideline: Do the one that feels better on your joints and the one where you can feel the triceps the most.

Lifters that are currently dealing with elbow and/or shoulder pain might find the incline variation to be too much pressure on their joints.

Lifters who can perform the incline Tate press pain free, should, as it will give a greater stretch and ROM. Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, and there is no one size fits all lift.

Are Dumbbell Rollbacks the Same As the Tate Press?

The dumbbell rollback exercise is similar to the Tate press when done in the lying down position, with both exercises targeting the triceps.

However the key difference is that in the Tate press, the elbows come out to the sides and the dumbbells come into the chest, whereas the dumbbell rollback looks more like a dumbbell skull crusher, and the elbows stay close to the body.

Both are effective at building the triceps and improving the bench press, but they’re not the same exercise.

Here’s a video of each so you can really see the difference between dumbbell rollbacks and dumbbell Tate presses:

Tate Press Alternative Exercises

The best training programs include a variety of exercises, and cycle through exercises every few weeks/months, before the body has completely adapted to them. This keeps the lifter making progress, and minimizes plateaus.

So, for lifters who’ve been doing the Tate press for a while and want to switch it up, (or lifters who have pain preventing them from doing the Tate press), these exercises will keep the tricep gains coming.

Close Grip Bench Press

A lot of lifters ask, “does bench press work triceps?” The simple answer is yes, but the standard bench press is not the most effective way to target them.

Instead, try the close grip bench press, which hits the triceps directly. This exercise has the added benefit of being able to load it with heavy weight, without putting too much strain on the elbows.

Skull Crushers

The skull crusher has been mentioned a few times throughout the article and that’s because it’s a mainstay in the lifting community. The standard skull crusher doesn’t have the ROM of the Tate press, but is still an effective way to build the triceps, and has been used religiously by bodybuilders for decades.

Tricep Pushdowns

The tricep pushdown is an easy to do exercise for beginner lifters, but is equally as effective even for intermediate to advanced lifters.

A great variation of this exercise is the rope pushdown, which allows for more contraction, and ROM, than when using a straight bar.

Close Grip Pushups

Calisthenics exercises have the unique benefit of allowing a lifter to work with their own bodyweight. Exercises like push ups and sit ups have been around forever and aren’t going anywhere because they work.

Try the pushup with the hands close to the sides to focus on building the triceps.

Tate Press Variations & Their Use Case

Depending on the lifter’s individual needs, certain variations of the Tate press will yield more benefits than others.

Upright Tate Press

In this variation the arms come behind the head, which gives the best stretch and range of motion, and therefore the best burn in the muscle. If a lifter can perform this variation pain free, they definitely should, occasionally switching between other variations of the Tate press.

Incline Tate Press

For lifters who feel discomfort with the upright variation, the incline variation is a good middle ground.

This variation works similar to the upright variation, but by not bringing the arms behind the head, it takes strain off of the shoulders and elbows.

The Tate Press

The standard Tate press (also called the tricep press dumbbell variation) has a lower ROM than other variations, but also the least amount of strain on the joints. While all the variations are safe if performed correctly, this will be the best variation for anyone with a history of shoulder pain.

The Standing Tate Press

Lastly we have the standing Tate press. This variation can be done with the dumbbells coming down to the chest (like the standard variation), or with the dumbbells coming down behind the head (like the upright variation).

As an extra challenge try alternating between the two, performing one rep to the chest, followed by one rep behind the head.

How To Hit All 3 Tricep Heads With Tate Presses, Triceps Dips, & Reverse Grip Pushdown

The triceps on the arm are made up of three separate muscles, (the long head, the medial head, and the lateral head), and each of them has its own unique function.⁴

Source: Hank Grebe via Canva.com⁷

It’s important to keep in mind that there’s no way to actually isolate one of the tricep heads. Any exercise is going to hit all three, but some exercises will emphasize more on one of the heads.

Tate Presses (Long Head)

The Tate press hits the long head of the tricep, (the biggest of the three), which is located on the inner part of the arm. A lot of people neglect this head in favor of the lateral head, but this is the one that will give the arm the most size.

Lifters struggling to build size in the arms will benefit most from targeting the long head, and should also incorporate longer rest periods between sets, (which has been shown to increase muscle growth).⁵

Triceps Dips (Lateral Head)

Source: John Fornander via Unsplash⁸

Dips should be added into nearly very workout routine since they can be weighted and adjusted to target different muscles such as the chest and triceps.

A frequent question trainers get about this exercise is “what muscles do dips work?” and in addition to the chest, they also target the lateral head of the triceps, (located on the outside of the arm), which is the muscle that completes the “horseshoe” look of a well developed pair of triceps.

To perform Tricep Dips:

1. Using a dip station, firmly grasp each bar.
2. Bend at the elbows, lowering the body until the elbows make a 90 degree angle.
3. Push back up (use the triceps not the chest) locking out the arms at the top of the movement.

When bodyweight dips become too easy, progress to the weighted variation.

Reverse Grip Pushdown (Medial Head)

Finally there’s the reverse grip pushdown. This exercise looks similar to a tricep pushdown, but is done with an underhand grip to put more emphasis on the medial head.

To do the reverse grip pushdown:

1. Set up a straight bar on a cable as if you were going to do a standard pushdown.
2. Grab the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing up).
3. Extend the arms straight down, making sure to lock out at the bottom for a full contraction.
4. Slowly bring the weight back up (controlling the movement), and repeat.

Any lifter who wants to build powerful lockout strength, and impressive arms, needs to incorporate the Tate press into their routine.

The range of motion beats out most tricep exercises, (especially in the upright position), and with so many variations to choose from, the Tate press will keep lifters making progress, workout after workout.

Frequently Asked Questions