Tate Press
How to Do a Tate Press
Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand and press them above your chest.
Turn the dumbbells so the inner heads are relatively close together.
Keep the upper arms controlled while bending the elbows outward.
Lower the inner dumbbell heads toward the upper chest without dropping them abruptly.
Stop when the elbows are deeply flexed but the shoulders remain comfortable.
Extend the elbows and drive the dumbbells upward.
Finish with the arms extended above the chest while keeping the dumbbells under control.
Form Check & Technique
DO THIS (Technique Tips)
- Learn the inward path with light dumbbells.
- Keep the weights relatively close.
- Use controlled elbow flexion.
- Think triceps assistance, not chest press.
- Use conservative loads when progressing.
AVOID THIS (Common Mistakes)
- Turning it into a dumbbell bench press — Fix: Keep the inward extension path.
- Lowering toward the face — Fix: Aim toward the upper chest.
- Using too much weight — Fix: Choose loads that let both arms match.
- Letting dumbbells drift far apart — Fix: Keep them relatively close.
- Bouncing off the chest — Fix: Reverse under control.
- Overextending wrists — Fix: Keep handles aligned with forearms.
About Tate Press
The Tate Press is a dumbbell triceps exercise performed lying on a bench with the elbows bending outward as the inner ends of the dumbbells travel toward the upper chest. It is commonly used as powerlifting accessory work because it trains elbow extension while allowing more load than many strict isolation movements. Its arm path is distinct from both the skull crusher and the JM Press.
Tate Press Muscles Worked
The Tate Press is triceps-dominant but uses a hybrid pressing-extension pattern.
- Chest and front delts assist while forearms stabilize the dumbbells.
Sets & Reps Guidance
Technique / Learning
2–3 sets of 10–12 reps with light dumbbells.
Strength Focus
3–5 sets of 5–8 reps.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
3–4 sets of 8–12 reps.
General training baseline. Need.fit automatically adjusts exact sets, reps, and working weight based on your individual fitness level, recovery, and progress over time.
Exercise Variations & Alternatives
JM Press
Barbell triceps press-extension hybrid.
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
More isolated lying extension.
Close-Grip Bench Press
Compound triceps-heavy press.
Barbell Bench Press
Learn proper barbell bench press form, muscles worked, grip and bar-path cues, common mistakes, and practical sets and reps for strength or muscle.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Learn dumbbell bench press form, muscles worked, setup, range-of-motion cues, common mistakes, and practical sets and reps for controlled chest training.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Learn proper incline barbell bench press form, muscles worked, bench-angle guidance, grip and bar-path cues, common mistakes, and sets and reps.
Why the Dumbbells Move Inward
The defining path brings the inner dumbbell heads toward the chest as the elbows bend outward.
Tate Press vs Skull Crusher
A skull crusher lowers toward the head with upper arms more fixed. The Tate Press lowers inward toward the chest and uses a more press-like elbow path.
Tate Press vs JM Press
Both are triceps assistance exercises, but the Tate Press uses dumbbells and an inward path while the JM Press uses a barbell and distinct hybrid bar path.
Flat vs Incline Tate Press
The flat bench is standard. An incline changes shoulder angle and the feel through the triceps and pressing muscles.
Sources & References
- [1]
- [2]