Extension of arms with a dumbbell from behind the head: exercise technique, what muscles are working

fitnesa treneris

“The dumbbell arm curl from behind the head is an isolation exercise in strength training for triceps development that is a popular exercise in bodybuilding and powerlifting. It has many variations for execution, and it is often called the French dumbbell press. It can be performed sitting, standing, lying down, two-handed, one-handed”.

Satura rādītājs

Technique of performance: extension of arms with a dumbbell from behind the head

There are many variations of the exercise. Arm extension is performed with a dumbbell, barbell, with a barbell disk, in a training machine.

Also use different variants of the body position: sitting, standing, lying down, sitting with a back rest, sitting on the floor and other variants. It depends on the training objectives, individual body features and contraindications.

Choose a bench to place a dumbbell on for a more comfortable exercise. Stand straight with a straight back and feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your gaze forward.
Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and lift it up. Next, place your palms tightly on top of each other so that the projectile hangs freely between your hands and your thumbs encircle the dumbbell handle.
The lower back is in a natural position with a slight flexion. Control its condition so that there is no strong tension or pain. Lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together to stiffen your back.
As you inhale, gently bend your arms at the elbow to a 90-degree angle so that the dumbbell is behind your head. Elbows point forward, not to the sides.
As you exhale, powerfully extend your arms with the dumbbell from behind your head until the elbows are fully straightened. Then repeat the cycle of movements again.

We recommend doing three sets of 10-15 times. The number of repetitions and rest depends on the purpose of training and the athlete’s fitness level. Rest between approaches – one to three minutes.

What muscles are working?

The triceps brachii is the target muscle of the exercise. It consists of three heads: long (posterior), medial (internal) and lateral (external).

Auxiliary muscles:

ulnar muscle;
anterior dentate muscle;
brachialis muscle;
forearm muscles.

According to research data, in extending arms with a dumbbell from behind the head with the elbows pointing upwards, the inner and outer heads of the triceps receive the greatest load, while in extending arms with the elbows pointing downwards, the long head is best worked.

Benefits

Extending arms with a dumbbell from behind the head is a great addition to the training program for both beginners and experienced athletes.

It is an excellent addition to basic exercises. Arm curls with a dumbbell from behind the head involves a small amount of muscles, so it will be ineffective for gaining muscle mass. We recommend using it as a supplement to basic exercises. If you want to increase arm size, perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps per set at 70-75% of your single-repetition maximum (1RM).

Strength Development. This exercise is suitable for increasing arm strength and improving results in pressing exercises such as bench press, push-ups on the bars. To do this, perform 3-5 sets of 3-8 reps per set with 80-95% of your 1RM.

Improving Strength Endurance. Like any other weight-bearing exercise, the dumbbell arm curl from behind the head can develop strength endurance, which involves the ability to withstand high-intensity loads for extended periods of time. This can be useful in boxing, volleyball, and basketball. Perform 15 or more reps in multiple approaches with a weight of 55-65% of your 1RM.

Improved joint health. Exercise strengthens the elbow joint and can be used as a preventative measure for some elbow injuries. According to research, exercise has beneficial effects on joints.

An auxiliary exercise for push-ups and presses. The exercise is an effective auxiliary for push-ups from the floor, push-ups on the bars, bench press, army press. You will be able to train with more weight and increase the number of repetitions in these exercises, if you intelligently build arm extension with a dumbbell into your training program.

Recommendations for training

Execution technique. Master the correct technique of performing the exercise with a light weight. Pay attention to lumbar flexion, elbow position, angle of flexion in the elbow joint, breathing and pace of movements. This will help maximize the effectiveness of the exercise and prevent injury.

Breathing. It is important to breathe properly to increase performance in the workout. Exhalation is performed at peak effort when extending the arms with a dumbbell upward, and inhalation – when smoothly bending the arms with a dumbbell behind the head.

Warm-up. Prepare muscles, joints and ligaments for the exercise with working weight. This allows you to train with more weight, and the risk of injury is reduced. We recommend doing a short warm-up in the form of joint exercises or perform 1-2 approaches for 10 repetitions with a light weight of the same exercise.

Increasing the load. Over time, the muscles adapt to the load. They stop growing in volume, and progress in strength performance stops. It is important to create regular stress to avoid stagnation in training. We recommend gradually and periodically increasing the weight of the load, changing the number of repetitions and approaches, changing the rest time between approaches, using different amplitude of movement and speed of exercise.

Common mistakes

Elbow movement. A common mistake when performing the exercise is the lack of fixation of the elbows and their swinging when extending the arms. It is important to keep the elbows in one position.

Cheating. This is a way in which you evade the correct technique of performing the exercise. The athlete extends his arms with a dumbbell, engaging additional muscles of the body, and uses inertia due to the fact that he can not make the movement with a given weight or perform the required number of repetitions. With this method you are able to do the exercise with more weight, but by doing so you redistribute the load to other muscles of the body. For this reason, the risk of injury increases.

Fast pace of execution. Fast movements take some of the load away from the muscles, especially in the arm flexion phase, which reduces the stimulus for strength and muscle growth. We recommend using a steady tempo without jerky movements.

Short amplitude of movement. This is one of the common mistakes that occur due to excessive weight of the weights or ignorance of the technique. It is important to perform the movement in full amplitude: bend the arms to an angle of 90 degrees at the elbow joints and extend to 180 degrees at the top point.

Kontrindikācijas

Physical activity has a positive effect on health. However, everyone may have individual contraindications to exercise. We recommend that before exercising, consult a doctor and identify the presence of restrictions.

Especially important is the opinion of a specialist for those who have diseases of the cardiovascular system, spine, joint problems, pregnancy, obesity, diabetes and neurological diseases.

Limit performing arm curls with a dumbbell from behind your head if you have:

acute joint pain;
acute pain in any part of the spine;
infections;
elevated body temperature;
exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Types of arm extensions with a dumbbell from behind the head

All exercises have their own benefits for solving specific problems.

Extension of the arms with a dumbbell from behind the head while sitting. The exercise is performed in a stable position, which allows for better control of movements and avoids the use of inertia. It may be more comfortable for people with back problems or poor coordination.

Arm curls with a dumbbell from behind the head while standing. This exercise helps develop balance by requiring the use of coordination skills to stabilize the body in an upright position. In this variation, the muscles of the buttocks, legs and lower back are more active. It can be more difficult for people with back problems and poor coordination.

Extension of arms with a dumbbell from behind the head with one hand. This variation allows you to work each arm separately to eliminate imbalances in muscle development. Also, performing the exercise with one hand requires more effort to stabilize the body, thanks to which the cortical muscles are better worked.

Arm extension from behind the head with two dumbbells. The exercise requires good concentration and coordination of movements of both hands, so it can be difficult for beginners. This variant allows you to work each arm independently at the same time, which makes the exercise more difficult.