Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, smith-machine bench press, close grip bench press
Skip to what you’re interested in:
- How to do a Tate press
- Tate press workout (sets and reps)
- Muscles worked
- Benefits of the Tate press
- Alternative exercises
- History of the Tate press
- Additional resources
How to do a Tate press
Get into a similar position as you would with a bench press with a slight arch in the back. Ground your feet, engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down.
Start with the dumbbells positioned directly above your shoulder as with a normal dumbbell chest press.
With the dumbbells touching, bend your elbows to move the ends of the dumbells down to your chest. Make sure not to let your triceps relax once the dumbbells reach your chest. We want to keep our time under tension up to spark muscle growth.
Whilst keeping good control over the dumbbells, extend your elbows to push the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Tate press workout (sets and reps)
With this exercise we’re primarily looking for a hypertrophy and strength benefit from the workout. For this reason, we’ll be looking for:
8 – 10 reps for 4 sets
Tate press muscles worked
Triceps, specifically the triceps brachii medial
As this is a triceps isolation exercise you can guess that the main muscle worked is the triceps.
But to be more specific, whilst all three heads of the triceps extend the elbow joint, this exercise targets the medial head. The medial head is responsible for elbow extension once the shoulder joint reaches a 90-degree angle (imagine a right angle at your armpit).
Why is this important? Who cares?
It’s important because when your shoulder is at a various level of elevation from your body, different heads of your triceps can generate different amounts of force (see the scientific study here).
This means that if you want to increase your bench press by building your triceps, for example, you should train the triceps at a similar shoulder elevation used in the bench press to activate the medial head.
Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, smith-machine bench press, close grip bench press
Benefits of the Tate press
Improved bench press performance
Because this exercise targets the triceps head primarily used during the bench press it’s a great way to increase your overall bench press weight.
Weak triceps can be a common reason for bench press results to plateau, although most people aren’t aware of this. Make sure your bench press isn’t being held back by your triceps by employing the Tate press into your routine.
Alternatives to the Tate press
Overhead Triceps Push Away
This exercise hits all 3 heads of the triceps and is a great way to build the triceps overall without neglecting the medial head.
Lying dumbbell triceps extension
This is another brilliant exercise that works all 3 heads of the triceps. Try moving your elbows a little closer to your head when doing this exercise. This stops your triceps from resting at the end of the rest to increase the time under tension for the muscle.
History of the Tate press
This exercise was coined by Dave Tate (Instagram), a legend in the powerlifting world. Dave started weight training in his early teens and went on to win countless bodybuilding competitions. However, as time passed he became more interested in powerlifting. In his career he’s recorded a 935lb squat, a 740lb deadlift and a 610lb bench press, not bad…
Now, he currently writes for some of the most prestigious publications in the bodybuilding space, dropping his knowledge to all of those interested in getting the most from their workouts.
Additional Resources
- Study: The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension
- Related guides: does bench press work the biceps?, smith-machine bench press, close grip bench press
Olly is a CIMSPA accredited personal trainer with a BSc degree in sport management from Solent University. He has over 10 years experience helping clients reach their health & fitness goals.