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The tricep kickback is an exercise that uses dumbbells to strengthen and tone the triceps for strong, sculpted arms. Tricep kickback form is extremely important to move properly and with a full range of motion. If you complain about the wiggle and jiggle on the back of your arms, then you will want to pay attention to this exercise.
Many people complain that as they age their upper arm starts to sag but there is a way to combat this from happening to you. Strengthening and sculpting your triceps can be done at any age. It’s just a matter of using good form and being consistent with your strength training.
Sculpted triceps not only look great but they help you with so many daily activities that involve pushing and pulling. Strong triceps muscles will also help make push-ups more doable and effective.
When learning how to do tricep kickbacks we suggest you start with lighter weights. If the weights are too heavy, you may actually inhibit your progress. Start lighter, master the form, and then progress to heavier dumbbells in your workout as you feel more confident in your ability to do it properly.
Dumbbell kickbacks can be done anytime but pairing it with an overhead extension (such as a resistance band tricep extension) for a superset will give you even better results.
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Tricep Kickbacks Exercise 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.
What Muscles Do Tricep Kickbacks Work?
As can be assumed based on the name, tricep kickbacks strengthen and tone the tricep along with the muscles of the upper arm.
The tricep consists of three heads of the muscle: the long head of the tricep, the medial head of the tricep, and the lateral head of the tricep.
While dumbbell kickbacks engage all three heads of the tricep, it primarily targets the lateral head of the triceps.
The dumbbell kickback also requires the mid and upper back to contract as stabilizer muscle groups throughout the exercise. And don’t forget about the core muscles needed to keep your body hinged forward in a flexed position during the motion of a tricep kickback!
In addition, as mentioned earlier, pairing this exercise with tricep overhead extensions is a great idea. The exercise targets the lateral head of the tricep while the tricep overhead extension targets the long head of the tricep making them a dynamic duo for strengthening and sculpting.
If you want to avoid saggy arms, you should learn how to do this exercise.
Benefits of Tricep Kickbacks
There are many reasons you should incorporate the kickback exercise into your workouts. When you use proper tricep kickback form, it can:
Strengthens Triceps
It’s a great upper-body move! 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.
Strengthens 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 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.
Less Stress on 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.
How Many Calories Do Tricep Kickbacks Burn?
People often ask how many calories they are burning in their workouts. Most exercises will generally burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes you are working at a higher intensity. Bottom line: the harder you work, the more calories you burn.
Tricep kickback builds muscle in your body, which makes for better metabolism and higher calorie burn all day long.
Other Exercises Similar To Tricep Kickbacks
If you like the tricep kickback and the results you get from it, here are a few more exercises you might want to try.
