Learn how to do triceps kickbacks and build your triceps with this simple exercise you can do nearly anywhere. This exercise demo uses dumbbells, but you could use kettlebells or a band. If you do these well, which you will after reading this, you can use pretty light weights and still make it effective.
What Does the Triceps Kickback Work?
This answer is pretty simple. 
The triceps kickback works the triceps. The triceps are a group of 3 muscles in your upper arm. They function to extend the elbow, and make up the majority of the muscle mass in your upper arm.
If your upper arm jiggles, it’s probably unflexed triceps or fat on top. Working triceps can firm up your upper arm.
Can’t get enough arm work? Try these biceps curls for more!
How to Do the Triceps Kickbacks
Start with a very light weight, like 3-5 pounds. You can always go much heavier; for now, I want you to learn to excel at doing this movement with lighter weight.
Stand with a weight in each hand, and hinge over. The hinge allows your back to stay straight, and you bend at the hips. Imagine you had a rigid cast on your whole torso so you couldn’t bend your spine forward or backward, and then push your hips behind you.
From here, press your elbows behind you, which will be up toward the ceiling.
Your elbows will stay in this position. Think about your upper arm being parallel to the ground here.
Now, straighten your elbows and squeeze hard at the top. Control the weights down, and repeat.
Note that as you bring the dumbbells back down, you can bring them to just below your elbow. You don’t have to curl them all the way into a biceps curl with a big bend in your elbow.
If you notice that the weights feel easier as you go, check your upper arm angle. If your arms are falling back toward the floor, the exercise will become less challenging and feel really easy. Simple remedy: just pull your elbows back up toward the ceiling.
Add These In Your Program!
Where do you add these in your training program? Try triceps kickbacks on your arm day, or upper body day. I suggest doing them after you’ve done pushups, bench press, or overhead press. Start with 3-4 sets or 8-12 reps. Like I mentioned above, start very very light and get good at them. From there, increase the weight a small amount. Let me know how they go!
Triceps also help with pushups. Add these in your program to help strengthen your triceps, and get your first pushups with this plan.
Need Motivation?
Join my team programs, which my clients do at home or at their own gyms. Follow along and get fit together! Keep at it – you can do this!
About the author
Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.
