Tricep Kickback
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Start with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing your torso. Keep your back straight with a slight bend in the knees and bend forward at the waist. Your torso should be almost parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your head up. Your upper arms should be close to your torso and parallel to the floor. Your forearms should be pointed towards the floor as you hold the weights. There should be a 90-degree angle formed between your forearm and upper arm. This is your starting position.
- 2Now, while keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and use your triceps to lift the weights until the arm is fully extended. Focus on moving the forearm.
- 3After a brief pause at the top contraction, inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- 4Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
About Tricep Kickback
The dumbbell triceps kickback is done with the torso bent forward, elbow fixed high along the body. You extend the forearm backward to full lockout, which strongly contracts the triceps at the end of the movement — it is exactly there, arm straight, that resistance is greatest. It is an ideal finisher for pump and definition, more than for mass: the tension peak is in the shortened position, not the stretched one. Keep the elbow perfectly still and the back flat; the whole movement comes from the forearm, never from the shoulder or torso.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circlePeak triceps contraction at full extension
- check_circleExcellent finishing exercise for the pump
- check_circleWorks each arm independently to fix imbalances
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbFix the elbow high and still against your side
- lightbulbExtend the arm fully and squeeze the triceps at the top
- lightbulbKeep the back flat and the torso well bent over
- lightbulbUse a light load to keep the movement strict
warningCommon mistakes
- warningLetting the elbow drop and move during the rep
- warningSwinging the dumbbell with the shoulder instead of extending the elbow
- warningFailing to reach full arm extension
- warningRounding the back while bending forward
helpFrequently asked questions
Why does the kickback feel so hard with light weight?expand_more
Peak contraction happens where the triceps is at a mechanical disadvantage, so a light load is enough to challenge it intensely.
Is the tricep kickback a good mass builder?expand_more
It's mainly a finishing and isolation move; for mass, pair it with heavier movements like skull crushers.
Kickback with one or two arms?expand_more
With one arm, rest the other hand on a bench to stabilise the back and isolate the triceps better — that is the cleanest version. With two arms, torso bent, you save time but the back works more.
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