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The tricep kickback is an exercise that uses dumbbells to strengthen and tone the triceps for strong, sculpted arms. If you complain about the wiggle and jiggle on the back of your arms, then this is the exercise for you!
Below, I’ll show you how to do a tricep dumbbell kickback and the benefits of adding them to your workout routine.
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Tricep Kickback Instructions
Tricep kickback form is very important to avoid injury and maximize your results. Here are the steps to performing this exercise:
- Start with feet hip-distance apart and dumbbells on the sides of the body, palms facing in towards the body.
- Engage abdominals, feet shoulder width apart, and hinge forward at the hips, bringing the upper body almost parallel to the floor.
- In the hinged forward position and palms facing in towards the body, lift the elbows up to your rib cage in a row position, engaging the upper back muscles.
- On the exhale, engage the triceps by straightening the arms from the elbows and pressing the dumbbells back.
- Squeeze the tricep as you hold the extension for a second or two, and then release back to the starting position. (During this exercise, you are not swinging from the shoulder. The shoulder joint remains stabilized, and you bend and straighten from the elbow.)
- Repeat tricep kickback for 10-15 reps, take a 30-second break, and complete two to three total sets for optimal muscle fatigue.
Tricep Kickback Benefits
There are many reasons you should incorporate the kickback exercise into your workouts! Here are some of the most notable:
Strengthens Your Triceps
It’s a great upper-body move, and one of the best tricep exercises!
Using a light to medium pair of dumbbells, the triceps get stronger as they work to press and pull the dumbbells out and in. This pushing and pulling motion is a surefire way to tone up those triceps.
Works Your Shoulders
Tricep kickback targets the tricep muscle directly, but indirectly, your shoulder is also getting a challenge. Keeping the dumbbells lifted and in place works your shoulder muscles as well as your entire arm.
Strengthens Your Upper Back
While you perform this exercise, the upper back muscles are engaged the entire time. You want to avoid scrunching and overuse of the tops of the shoulders, so by engaging your upper back muscles, you will have better form during your tricep kickback.
Puts Less Stress on Your Wrists
Throughout the motion of a tricep kickback the wrists remain in a neutral position. In other words, no stress or extra added strain is added to the wrist joint.
Unlike tricep dips, a bodyweight movement used for strengthening the triceps, the tricep kickback uses a light to medium set of dumbbells to strictly isolate the tricep and upper back muscles, causing no irritation on the wrist joints.
Easy Ways to Incorporate Tricep Kickbacks Into Your Workouts
Tricep kickbacks are an effective addition to any workout routine (and pairing them with tricep overhead extensions is a great idea!). If you need some routines to get you started, try incorporating them into one of my upper-body workouts:
- Say Goodbye to Bat Wings With These 7 Moves
- Your Flabby Arms Workout
- A 20-Minute Easy Upper Body Workout For Beginners
- 15-Minute Upper Body Workout At Home
If you like the tricep kickback and the results you get from it, here are a few more exercises you might want to try.
