How to do a Tate press
Today, we’re going over how to do the Tate press.
Assume a position similar to a bench press with a slight arch in your back. Ground your feet firmly, engage your core, and pull your shoulder blades down.
Begin with the dumbbells directly above your shoulders as you would with a standard dumbbell chest press.
Bring the dumbbells down to your chest by bending your elbows, ensuring that your triceps remain engaged throughout to maintain muscle tension and stimulate growth.
Maintain control over the dumbbells as you extend your elbows to push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
Tate press workout (sets and reps)
The tate press is an isolation exercise, meaning you need to focus the most on hypertrophy ranges.
For this do 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps.
If you can’t get 8 reps, you’re going too heavy.
If you get more than 12 reps, you’re too light.
Tate press muscles worked
Since this exercise focuses on isolating the triceps, it is primarily working the triceps muscle group. Specifically, the medial head of the triceps is being targeted, although all three heads of the triceps are involved in extending the elbow joint.
The medial head is responsible for extending the elbow joint once the shoulder joint reaches a 90-degree angle, which can be visualized as a right angle at the armpit.
Tate press importance
This information is significant because the different heads of the triceps can produce varying amounts of force depending on the elevation of the shoulder from the body, as demonstrated in a scientific study.
Therefore, if you aim to strengthen your triceps and enhance your bench press, for instance, it’s advisable to exercise the triceps with the shoulder at a similar elevation as that during a bench press to stimulate the medial head of the triceps.
Benefits of the Tate press:
There are many different benefits of the Tate press, but the biggest is your improved bench press.
Tate press for bench press
Incorporating the Tate press into your exercise routine is an effective method for increasing your bench press weight as this exercise specifically targets the triceps head that is mainly utilized during the bench press.
Weak triceps are a common cause of bench press plateaus, although this fact may not be widely known. To ensure that your triceps are not hindering your bench press progress, consider adding the Tate press to your workout regimen.
Alternatives to the Tate press
Lying dumbbell triceps extension
Here are the steps to perform the Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension:
- Lie on a flat bench with your feet firmly planted on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand. Your head should be at the end of the bench with your palms facing inward towards each other.
- Extend your arms up above your chest, keeping your palms facing each other and your elbows fully extended. This will be your starting position.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head by bending your elbows, making sure to keep your upper arms stationary and close to your head throughout the movement.
- Stop lowering the weights once your forearms are parallel to the floor, or you feel a stretch in your triceps.
- Slowly extend your elbows, pushing the dumbbells back up to the starting position, ensuring that you do not lock your elbows at the top of the movement.
- Repeat the exercise for your desired number of repetitions, keeping your movements slow and controlled, and avoiding jerking or swinging the weights.
- Once you have completed your set, carefully lower the dumbbells back down to your starting position.
Note: It’s important to select a weight that is challenging but still allows you to perform the exercise with proper form. If you are new to this exercise, it’s recommended to start with lighter weights and gradually increase as your strength and technique improve
Overhead Triceps Push Away
Here are the steps to perform the Overhead Triceps Push Away exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell with both hands.
- Raise the dumbbell overhead, fully extending your arms with the weight directly above your head. Keep your elbows close to your head throughout the exercise.
- Lower the weight slowly behind your head by bending your elbows until the dumbbell is just above your shoulders. Your upper arms should remain stationary while performing this movement.
- Push the weight back up to the starting position by straightening your arms and extending them fully.
- Repeat the exercise for your desired number of repetitions, ensuring that you maintain good form throughout.
- Once you have completed your set, carefully lower the weight back down to your starting position.
Note: It is important to use a weight that you can control throughout the exercise to avoid injury. It is also recommended to warm up your triceps before performing this exercise to prevent strains or tears.
How To Build Muscle
If you use the Tate press in your routine without knowing how to build muscle, you’re just wasting time.
Without the proper diet and nutrition, this exercise is utterly worthless to you.
Here’s how to build muscle with the tate press.
- Calculate your basal metabolic rate (here)
- Eat at a caloric intake
- Have tons of protein before bed
- Read my guide on how to build muscle
History of the Tate press
Dave Tate, a renowned figure in the powerlifting world, is credited with coining the Tate press exercise. Tate began weight training in his teenage years and achieved considerable success in bodybuilding competitions.
However, he eventually shifted his focus to powerlifting and set impressive records such as a 935lb squat, a 740lb deadlift, and a 610lb bench press.
Currently, Tate is a writer for several prominent bodybuilding publications, where he shares his expertise with readers interested in optimizing their workouts.
Summary:
All in all, if your upper body is lacking, you need to be using the Tate press to pack on some muscle.
Also, you need to stop being small. Fix it.
