Tate Press
The Tate press has you lie on a bench and lower dumbbells to your chest with your elbows pointed out to the sides instead of up toward the ceiling, then press them back up. It isolates the triceps the same way a skull crusher does but through a different elbow path, which many lifters find easier on the shoulders. It suits anyone who already does dumbbell pressing work and wants a focused triceps finisher.
Why it works
Straightening the elbow against resistance is the triceps' main job, and that's exactly what happens as you press the dumbbells back up. Keeping your elbows flared out to the sides rather than tucked in changes the angle the triceps work through compared to a standard skull crusher, while your chest and shoulders hold the upper arms steady so the lower arms can do the pressing. Because the dumbbells move independently rather than being fixed to a single bar, each arm also has to control its own path and balance, which can expose a strength difference between your left and right triceps that a barbell version tends to hide.
Set up
- Lie back on a flat bench, holding one dumbbell in each hand.
- Press both dumbbells up above your chest with your palms facing your feet.
- Rotate your elbows outward so they point to the sides rather than toward the ceiling.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your core braced before lowering the weights.
How to do it
- Start with your arms extended above your chest and your elbows flared out to the sides.
- Bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells toward your chest, keeping the elbows pointed outward and roughly stationary.
- Lower until the dumbbells nearly touch your chest.
- Pause briefly at the bottom.
- Press the dumbbells back up by straightening your elbows, keeping the same flared position.
- Reset your brace before the next rep.
Form cues
- Keep your elbows pointed out to the sides, not tucked toward your head.
- Control the descent instead of letting the dumbbells drop.
- Keep your wrists neutral, not bent back under the load.
- Keep your core braced against the bench throughout the set.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower the dumbbells toward your chest, exhale as you press them back up.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows drift inward toward the head.
Fix: Keep the elbows pointed out to the sides for the full set; that flare is what defines this exercise.
Using dumbbells too heavy to control through the full range.
Fix: Drop the weight until you can lower and press with a steady, controlled tempo.
Bouncing the dumbbells off the chest at the bottom.
Fix: Pause briefly at the bottom and press up under control instead of using the rebound.
Letting the wrists bend backward under load.
Fix: Keep the wrists stacked in line with the forearms through the entire movement.
Letting one arm travel faster than the other.
Fix: Watch both dumbbells move at the same pace and depth; a mismatch usually means one side needs lighter weight for a few sessions.
How to program it
- 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps is a solid range for this triceps isolation move.
- As a single-joint accessory exercise it tolerates 2 sessions a week when paired with different pressing work, as long as the triceps aren't already fatigued from a heavy press day.
- Place it after your main pressing lift, since fatigued triceps make the flared elbow position harder to control safely.
- Increase reps toward the top of the range before adding weight; the flared elbow position is easier to lose control of as the load climbs.
Safety notes
- Use a weight you can lower under full control, since the dumbbells travel close to your face and chest.
- Stop if you feel elbow or shoulder pain rather than normal triceps fatigue, and check your elbow flare angle.
- Have a training partner nearby or use lighter dumbbells when training close to failure, since there's no rack to bail the weight onto.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many reps of Tate press should I do?
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with a weight you can fully control is a good starting range.
What can I use instead of dumbbells for Tate press?
A barbell skull crusher or a band skull crusher both train the triceps through a similar elbow-extension pattern if dumbbells aren't available.
Tate press vs skull crusher, what's the difference?
Both extend the elbow to work the triceps, but the Tate press flares the elbows out to the sides instead of keeping them pointed toward the ceiling, which many lifters find more comfortable on the shoulders.
Why do I feel this in my shoulders as well as my triceps?
Your shoulders work isometrically to keep the upper arms steady while the elbows do the pressing, so some shoulder engagement is normal; sharp shoulder pain is not, and means the weight is too heavy or the elbow angle has drifted.
Should I do Tate press with both arms at once or one at a time?
Both arms at once is standard and keeps the set efficient; if you notice one triceps is clearly weaker, occasional single-arm sets can help even that difference out before going back to training both together.