Mention the triceps kickback in certain lifting circles and you would possibly generate some side eye looks of disappointment or perhaps a little bit of mocking laughter. This short-sighted response comes from the exercise’s unlucky and unfair popularity of being ineffective, or being performed only by individuals with “less-than-serious” goals.
The dumbbell kickback was once a staple of bodybuilding’s Golden Era from the Nineteen Fifties to the ’70s. Nonetheless, its popularity in ’80s mainstream fitness classes diluted its muscle-building connection and it began to be performed with extremely light weights for very high repetitions. “To tone up without constructing bulk” was the favored, if misguided, logic.
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Whatever the misinformation, the triceps kickback is a really effective tool to focus on the most important arm muscle — the triceps. The triceps are also a key muscle for performance through many upper body exercises. So forget what you would possibly’ve heard concerning the exercise and learn the actual the reason why you need to include this exercise in your training regimen.
The best way to Do the Triceps Kickback
The fundamental single-arm dumbbell triceps kickback is an isolation (single-joint) exercise that focuses solely on triceps development. It’s an important option to emphasize peak contraction of the muscle.
Step 1 — Set Up within the Starting Position
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Stand in front of something sturdy, like a rack or a bench. Hold one dumbbell and get right into a wide stance. Bend your knees barely and lean forward on the hips while keeping a neutral spine. Aim to have your torso almost parallel to the ground. Place your free hand on the rack or bench for optimum balance and stability.
Pull your working arm up so your elbow is near your ribs and pinned near your body. Let your forearm hang perpendicular to the ground along with your palm facing in toward your body. Don’t look up or forward. Keep your head according to your spine and your chin barely tucked in.
Form tip: Flaring your elbow away out of your body will only encourage cheating to maneuver more weight and potentially strain your elbow joint. Keep your upper arm glued to your side. This just isn’t an exercise to maneuver super-heavy weight. Keep the load relatively light to make sure impeccable form.
Step 2 — Reach a Peak Contraction
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Brace your core and exhale while flexing your triceps until your arm is totally straight. Squeeze at the highest for a second to feel a maximum peak contraction. Your lower arm must be the one thing moving. That is an isolation exercise, so give attention to only working the triceps.
Your hand, and the dumbbell, should pivot around your elbow. Treat your elbow like a hinge. No other a part of your body should move.
Form tip: Remember to reach full extension with each rep. In the highest position, your entire arm must be nearly parallel to the bottom. Because gravity offers minimal resistance against the load in the underside a part of the movement, it’s essential to make use of a full range of motion and emphasize the contraction.
Step 3 — Return to the Stretched Position
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Slowly come back to the starting position while inhaling. Again, only your forearm should move. Pause very briefly in the underside position to avoid quickly swinging the load down and up.
Sure, momentum might help you move more weight, but you’ll diminish the range of motion and the time under tension — each crucial for muscle mass. Swinging the load will even put more stress on the elbow joint. More joint strain with less muscle-building just isn’t an important bargain.
Form tip: Start each set along with your weaker or non-dominant side so you have got more energy and more focus. Perform all repetitions after which match the identical variety of repetitions along with your stronger arm, even when one side is able to more reps. This can help to balance common strength or development discrepancies between left and right arms.
Triceps Kickback Mistakes to Avoid
This exercise might be liable to bad execution since it requires light weights, so a lifter can sometimes lose focus. Find out about essentially the most common errors and how you can avoid them.
Swinging the Weight
Let’s be real for a second: cheating a number of reps at the tip of a session won’t smite you immediately. It will possibly sometimes even be helpful, for knowledgeable lifters using it as a deliberate intensity-boosting technique. But for the overwhelming majority of individuals, you need to avoid cheating and swinging the load with kickbacks or nearly any exercise.
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In the event you swing and cheat, you’ll only actually work your triceps through a really short portion of the range of motion, and the exercise will provide a limited triceps-building stimulus. Furthermore, this may end in more stress to the elbow joint and also you don’t wish to develop tendonitis — that’s the perfect option to keep having small arms.
Avoid it: Ensure that you control the eccentric (lowering the load), and even pause for a dead-stop at the underside briefly. In the event you give attention to only moving your forearm, you principally cannot cheat. In case your elbow moves, you’ve began doing a dumbbell row, not a triceps kickback.
Not Locking Out Your Arm
In the event you don’t completely extend your arms and squeeze your triceps in a tough lockout, you lose many of the advantages of this exercise due to resistance curve. In the beginning of the lift, there is nearly no resistance in any respect since the dumbbell isn’t directly moving against gravity. The toughest a part of the exercise is within the shortened range when the muscle is contracted.
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In the event you don’t lockout, which may occur for those who try using an excessive amount of weight, then you definately don’t really work your triceps’ most difficult a part of the range of motion. That finally ends up making the exercise easier and fewer efficient for muscle growth.
Avoid it: Ensure that you utilize a correct weight that lets you fully lockout your arm. In the event you can’t pause at the highest for a second, the load is simply too much.
Advantages of the Triceps Kickback
Regardless that the exercise is commonly neglected and disrespected, the triceps kickback has unique advantages on your triceps training and can enable you to get greater, stronger arms.
Muscle Growth
This exercise is targeted on directly training the triceps, specifically for hypertrophy (muscle growth). Indeed, this exercise thrives with lighter weight and an extended time under tension, which is an important option to construct muscle and create an aesthetic physique. (1)
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Furthermore, as an isolation exercise, it’s the proper fit for developing a mind-muscle connection and accumulating triceps-specific volume without taxing other muscle groups, that are each helpful for muscle growth. (2)(3)
Pressing Strength
Triceps strength, and the pushing pattern typically, are involved in lots of sports like volleyball, American football, combat sports, etc. And let’s not forget strength sports like powerlifting.
Sure, the triceps kickback won’t create pure neurological strength like training the heavy bench press or overhead press, but constructing larger triceps muscles can eventually improve strength. (4) So for those who’re serious about performance, fit this into your accessory training.
Training the Shortened Range
Many triceps exercises comparable to skull crushers emphasize the lengthened range of motion and stress the stretched position. The triceps kickback, however, focuses on the shortened or contracted portion. Due to its resistance curve, the exercise is comparatively easy within the stretched position and far more difficult in the height contraction.
This will provide a novel stimulus, help develop a stronger mind-muscle connection, and unlock latest gains, because training variety might be higher for motivation and hypertrophy in itself. (5)
Easy on the Elbows
The triceps kickback might be invaluable for knowledgeable lifters with cranky joints. Since the upper arm is in the next position than the forearm, and joint isn’t being strained through your entire range of motion, the elbow can move more freely without significant stress.
If you have got nagging pain in your elbows, shoulders, or wrists, or for those who’re liable to tendonitis, make the kickback appear usually in your training plan.
Muscles Worked by the Triceps Kickback
The aim of the exercise is to coach your triceps, but some postural muscle will likely be recruited as well to carry the position.
Triceps Brachii
That is the most important arm muscle and the primary goal of the kickback. It’s manufactured from three heads. Two of them (the medial and the lateral head) go from the elbow to the humerus (upper arm bone). These are chargeable for extending the arm.
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The long head also extends the arm, but since it is attached to the scapula, it also extends the shoulder and raises the arm. Since the upper arm is positioned alongside the torso, the triceps kickback emphasizes the lateral and medial heads.
Back
The entire back — upper back, lats, and lower back — work to keep up a parallel body position and stabilize the working arm in the course of the kickback. The back’s involvement must be limited to the muscles working statically to carry your body’s position without movement.
Nonetheless, if the kickback is performed improperly, the back muscles (specifically the upper back and lats) may turn out to be more significantly recruited, drawing muscular stress away from the triceps.
Who Should Do the Triceps Kickback
The goal of the kickback is so as to add meat onto your triceps. So for those who’re searching for greater, stronger arms — like plenty of individuals within the gym — you possibly can include this lift in your training regimen.
Beginners
Some people advise that beginners to avoid single-joint exercises and focus totally on the massive basics (multi-joint compound lifts like presses). This is usually sound advice, but isolation work can even have advantages for newer lifters.
By improving the mind-muscle reference to specific muscles, they will feel that muscle work more effectively, which ends up in higher growth and body awareness. Exercises just like the triceps kickback also help to directly train muscles which could also be under-worked when compound exercises are overemphasized.
Physique Enthusiasts
Whether your goal is to look higher or to compete in a physique show, the triceps kickback is an ideal fit. Performing this exercise lets you increase triceps volume without fatiguing other muscle groups, resulting in focused muscle growth.
This could be very worthwhile, for example, for those who lack overall arm development, or if it’s good to create a balanced and symmetrical physique by correcting muscular imbalances.
Strength Athletes
In the event you’re an athlete that requires pressing strength comparable to a powerlifter, strongman/strongwoman, or CrossFit athlete, then triceps training is important. Including the triceps kickback might be surprisingly effective for strength athletes.
The relatively light weight and high muscular tension allows them to increase triceps training volume without aggravating their elbows, which are often already beaten up by heavy lifting.
The best way to Program the Triceps Kickback
The kickback is a single-joint exercise and as such, it just isn’t ideal for moving heavy weights because additional muscles will likely be excessively recruited. The kickback is handiest using moderate to light weight to stimulate muscle growth and zero-in on working the triceps.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetitions
The time-tested bodybuilding scheme of three to 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions will likely be your kickback bread and butter. It is a very efficient way of accelerating volume resulting in muscle growth.
Light Weight, High Reps
This exercise can really shine with higher reps due to its resistance curve, cumulative time under tension, and its low impact on the joints. Performing two to 4 sets of 15 to twenty repetitions can function a tremendous finisher to actually scorch your triceps. It will possibly even be an important option to start your arm workout by really warming-up your elbow joints.
Triceps Kickback Variations
The only-arm dumbbell kickback is an important exercise in itself, but you possibly can tweak it to raised fit your goals or provide a distinct feeling. Listed below are the primary kickback variations.
Cable Triceps Kickback
As an alternative of using dumbbells, use a cable. As an alternative of attaching a handle, grab the cable by the “ball” at the tip, just above the cable clip. This lets you keep a neutral hand position without straining your wrists.
The exercise may not appear to be much due to relatively lighter weight, however the cable provides constant tension through the lift, even greater than using a dumbbell. This stimulates the triceps throughout your entire range of motion, which is able to increase the time under tension and result in improved muscle growth.
Pronated Kickback
This subtle variation was popularized by bodybuilding coach John Meadows. Using a pronated (palms-down) grip will emphasize the medial head of the triceps. Using two dumbbells directly also changes the total-body stability requirement.
Because your forearm is barely rotated, this variation will even address forearm and wrist health. You’ll be able to even perform a form of superset, starting with reps of pronated kickbacks after which immediately transitioning to straightforward neutral-grip kickbacks.
Two-Arm Dumbbell Kickback
This variation is pretty straight-forward: Perform the usual triceps kickback with each arms at the identical time. This can barely decrease the load you possibly can lift since the muscle focus is “divided” between each arms.
This variation also requires more work out of your core, back, and legs to stabilize yourself since you don’t have a free hand to brace on an out of doors support.
Triceps Kickback Alternatives
In the event you’re still not convinced to include kickbacks, listed below are some alternatives that may share similar advantages to boost your training. Variety will challenge the muscles in a different way, promoting latest muscle growth.
Triceps Pushdown
In the event you’ve got access to a cable station, you possibly can perform this fundamental exercise. The triceps pushdown, sometimes called a pressdown, emphasizes the height contraction and isn’t very stressful on the elbow joints.
Use an attachment that lets you extend your arms completely — a rope handle is commonly handiest. As with the kickback, you should definitely keep your arms near your body and only move your hands and forearms without swinging your elbows.
Decline Dumbbell Skull Crusher
The usual flat bench skull crusher is an efficient exercise, but using a decline bench gives it a twist to focus more on the medial and lateral heads of the triceps. The arm angle doesn’t provide as much stretch or long head stimulation, but can offer more tension in the highest position.
Using a pair of dumbbells allows your arms to maneuver freely and reduce strain in your wrist and elbow joints, in comparison with performing the exercise the a barbell or EZ-curl bar.
Overhead Dumbbell Extension
If you should emphasize the long head of the triceps, this variation is for you. Performing triceps extension along with your arms prolonged above your shoulders will focus more on the lengthened range and can significantly recruit the long head since it’s involved in raising the arm.
Because this movement emphasizes the stretched position, make sure your elbows and shoulders are thoroughly warmed up. It’s not a super first-exercise in your triceps workout, but it could be a key player in constructing larger arms.
FAQs
Do I even have to coach my arms directly?
It is determined by a number of variable. In the event you’re a short-limbed lifter, your arms will probably be significantly stimulated with compound exercises just like the bench press, overhead press, rows, and pulldowns. But for those who’re coping with long arms, you need to train them directly because your leverage on big lifts is different and the biceps and triceps are sometimes under-stimulated in those movements.
Ultimately, for those who’re serious about having greater arms, it’s an excellent idea to include at the least some direct training, especially for those who’re a more advanced lifter. In the event you’re a competitive athlete, you need to skip direct arm training in-season and keep that energy on your sport-specific training. Accumulating an excessive amount of training volume may cause burnouts, stagnation, and even regression.
I can’t stop my elbow from flaring. Why is that?
The primary wrongdoer might be weight. If the dumbbell is simply too heavy, flaring your elbow out will recruit extra muscles (in your back and shoulders) to assist lift the load, however it’s on the potential detriment of your joints and it should reduce triceps activation.
In the event you’re certain that you would be able to control the load, it might be a matter of mobility. In case your upper back or shoulder mobility is compromised, it should end in protruded, forward-pointing shoulders that prevent you from keeping your elbows near you. It’s best to include a mobility routine in your workouts with exercises like band pull-aparts and wall slides.
Let’s Get Pumping
The triceps kickback’s bad popularity is unfair and unfounded. Don’t let any misinformed knee-jerk reactions or cliches steer you away from this classic arm-builder. It’s a flexible movement that enables you to hit your tris with light weight, high tension, and minimal joint strain. It’s definitely time to remind today’s gyms that kickbacks are for serious lifters.
References
- Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012 Jan 15;590(2):351-62. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200. Epub 2011 Nov 21. PMID: 22106173; PMCID: PMC3285070.
- Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jan;51(1):94-103. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. PMID: 30153194; PMCID: PMC6303131.
- Reggiani C, Schiaffino S. Muscle hypertrophy and muscle strength: dependent or independent variables? A provocative review. Eur J Transl Myol. 2020 Sep 9;30(3):9311. doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2020.9311. PMID: 33117512; PMCID: PMC7582410.
- Baz-Valle E, Schoenfeld BJ, Torres-Unda J, Santos-Concejero J, Balsalobre-Fernández C. The consequences of exercise variation in muscle thickness, maximal strength and motivation in resistance trained men. PLoS One. 2019 Dec 27;14(12):e0226989. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226989. PMID: 31881066; PMCID: PMC6934277.
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