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Tate Press being performed with proper form
Tate Press demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Tate Press

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
306,186
Popularity Rank
547th
Difficulty
Intermediate
Triceps Strength
91 mSCORE 15th
Equipment Required

Workouts with Tate Press

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Triceps
    Secondary Muscles
    Shoulders, Chest

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Tate Press is a variation on the more standard Skull Crusher. Similar to Skull Crusher, this is an isolation movement that targets your triceps. The use of dumbbells ensures that you aren’t compensating for any discrepancies between sides. The unique positioning of elbows for this exercise can help to further recruit the long head of the triceps compared to similar tricep or pressing exercises.

    1. Lie your back onto a bench while squeezing your shoulder blades together and placing your heels firmly on the ground underneath your knees.
    2. The bench should be in contact with your head, shoulders, and butt at all times.
    3. Extend your arms over your shoulders and position the dumbbells against each other with your palms facing forward.
    4. Keep your core braced touching as you flex your elbows slightly lateral to allow the dumbbells to descend down toward your chest.
    5. Once the dumbbells touch your chest in vertical position, exhale to extend your elbows back to the starting position.

    Tips & FAQs

    • What's good about the Tate Press?

      The Tate press is a good exercise for targeting the triceps, particularly the long head of the triceps. It helps in building triceps strength and size by isolating the muscle effectively. Additionally, the unique movement pattern of the Tate press can add variety to your triceps training, potentially improving muscle development and preventing workout monotony. However, proper form is crucial to avoid elbow strain, so starting with lighter weights and gradually increasing them is recommended.

    Common Form Mistakes

    • Limit Range of Motion at the Top

      Make sure you’re keeping tension on your triceps at the top of the movement. Many lifters will lock out their arms with the weight directly over their elbow. This gives your triceps time to rest between reps. Limit your range of motion so there’s always tension on your triceps.

    Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

    Average Tate Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height

    Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.

    • beginner
      8
      reps
      20
      lbs
      1 Rep Max
      25
      lbs
    • intermediate
      8
      reps
      25
      lbs
      30
      lbs
    • advanced
      8
      reps
      30
      lbs
      40
      lbs

    Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

    How is this calculated?

    Alternatives & Variations to Tate Press

    Filter By

    1. 1. Dumbbell Skullcrusher

      Photo of Dumbbell Skullcrusher being performed
      98.4 mSCORESWAPPED 538 TIMES

      Dumbbell Skullcrusher is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps. Unlike some skull crusher variations, the use of dumbbells prevents you from compensating for any differences in strength between sides, as well as adding some instability to the movement.

    2. 2. Single Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension

      Photo of Single Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension being performed
      88.5 mSCORESWAPPED 334 TIMES

      This exercise is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Tricep Extension. Like other tricep extensions, this is an isolation movement that targets your triceps. By performing this exercise with a single arm, you add more instability to the movement, as well as prevent yourself from compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides.

    3. 3. Seated Tricep Press

      Photo of Seated Tricep Press being performed
      97.4 mSCORESWAPPED 334 TIMES

      Seated Tricep Press is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps. The positioning of the dumbbell varies from many other tricep exercises, which is great for adding some variety to your exercise selection. By positioning the dumbbell overhead you can ensure that you’re taking your triceps through their full range of motion.

    4. 4. Dumbbell Kickbacks

      Photo of Dumbbell Kickbacks being performed
      93.7 mSCORESWAPPED 313 TIMES

      Dumbbell Kickbacks are an isolation exercise that target the triceps. The use of dumbbells prevents you from compensating for any strength discrepancies between sides. The movement itself is simple and easy to perform, making this a great exercise for beginners, and plenty of variations exist for more advanced users looking to add more difficulty and complexity to the movement.

    5. 5. Bench Dip

      Photo of Bench Dip being performed
      93.8 mSCORESWAPPED 292 TIMES

      Bench Dip is a variation on the standard Dip. Like other Dip variations, this is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your triceps. Because your feet are still on the ground, this tends to be an easier variation, and a great way to build tricep strength as you work towards full bodyweight dips.

    6. 6. Standing Dumbbell Tricep Extension

      Photo of Standing Dumbbell Tricep Extension being performed
      77.1 mSCORESWAPPED 222 TIMES

      Like other Dumbbell Tricep Extensions, this is an isolation movement that targets triceps. By performing this exercise while standing instead of seated, you add a small amount of instability to the movement. In addition, performing this exercise while standing can make this a more beneficial variation for developing functional strength in your triceps.

    7. 7. Cable Tricep Pushdown

      Photo of Cable Tricep Pushdown being performed
      97.9 mSCORESWAPPED 122 TIMES

      This is an isolation exercise that targets the triceps. This exercise is very similar to other cable tricep exercises with the exception of using a flat bar instead of other handle attachments. This keeps your hands palms down, and reduces the demand for stabilizing your wrist during the movement.

    8. 8. Cable Rope Tricep Extension

      Photo of Cable Rope Tricep Extension being performed
      99.1 mSCORESWAPPED 114 TIMES

      This is an isolation triceps exercise. The use of cables gives you more control over where the resistance is coming from, allowing you to keep more tension in your triceps compared to equipment like dumbbells. Because you can easily adjust the weight on a cable machine this is also a great exercise for performing drop sets, and burning out your triceps.

    9. 9. Dumbbell Tricep Extension

      Photo of Dumbbell Tricep Extension being performed
      86.6 mSCORESWAPPED 97 TIMES

      The Dumbbell Tricep Extension isolates the triceps, promoting muscle growth and strength. Performed either standing or seated, it involves extending the arms above the head with a dumbbell, focusing on tricep contraction and control during the movement. This exercise enhances arm aesthetics and supports upper body strength, making it essential for a balanced arm workout routine.

    10. 10. EZ-Bar Overhead Tricep Extension

      Photo of EZ-Bar Overhead Tricep Extension being performed
      89.8 mSCORESWAPPED 94 TIMES

      Like other Tricep Extensions, this is an isolation exercise that targets the triceps. The use of an EZ-Bar adds some stability to the movement allowing for heavier loads. In addition an EZ-Bar can offer a more comfortable grip compared to something like a Barbell. By performing this exercise while standing you add some instability back into the movement, which makes this a great exercise for developing functional strength.