Tate Press (Dumbbell)

How to do the Tate Press (Dumbbell)

1. Lie flat on a bench holding two dumbbells directly above your chest with palms facing your feet and the dumbbells touching each other.
2. Keep your elbows pointed out to the sides and lower the dumbbells down toward your chest by bending at the elbows, maintaining the dumbbell heads together throughout the descent.
3. Lower until the dumbbells touch your chest or reach a comfortable stretch in your triceps.
4. Press the dumbbells back up by extending your elbows while keeping them flared out and the dumbbell heads together.
5. Squeeze your triceps at the top and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Form tips

• Keep the dumbbell heads touching or very close together throughout the entire movement to maintain constant tension on the triceps.
• Focus on moving only at the elbow joint while keeping your upper arms relatively stationary and elbows flared out to the sides.
• Use a controlled tempo on the lowering phase to maximize time under tension and prevent the dumbbells from crashing into your chest.

Common mistakes

• Allowing the elbows to tuck in toward the sides reduces triceps isolation and turns the movement into a partial press: keep elbows flared throughout.
• Separating the dumbbells during the movement reduces the unique tension pattern: maintain contact or close proximity between the dumbbell heads.
• Using too much weight forces compensation through shoulder movement and reduces elbow extension range: select a weight that allows strict form.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy, perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps with moderate weight and controlled tempo; for strength, use 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps with heavier loads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Tate press and skull crushers?

The Tate press uses a flared elbow position with dumbbells moving toward the chest, while skull crushers typically use a tucked or neutral elbow position with the weight moving toward the forehead. Both target the triceps but with different angles and stress patterns.

Why do my shoulders hurt during Tate press?

Shoulder discomfort usually occurs from using too much weight or allowing excessive shoulder movement instead of isolating the elbow joint. Reduce the weight and focus on keeping your upper arms stationary with movement only at the elbows.

Can I do Tate press with one dumbbell?

While possible, using two dumbbells is standard because it allows for balanced development and the characteristic dumbbell-to-dumbbell contact that defines the movement. Single dumbbell variations change the mechanics significantly and are essentially a different exercise.

More tricep exercises

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• Single Arm Overhead Triceps Extension (Dumbbell)Triceps · Dumbbell
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