The triceps kickback comes in a few versatile variations.

First, there’s the classic bent-over triceps kickbacks using just a pair of dumbbells. Then you’ve got the smooth and steady cable triceps kickbacks version, especially popular for its ability to maintain more even resistance across the movement. Finally, when you’re ready to dial up the focus, there’s the single triceps kickback helping isolate things one arm at a time.

Each version looks slightly different, but all follow the same foundational setup and motion: leaning over, hinging at the elbow, and straightening your arm behind you.

This guide will touch on the most useful form and setup differences across triceps kickbacks so you can understand which option feels right.

Beginners often appreciate how accessible the exercise feels once getting more familiar with hinging their torso and elbows and keeping the arm steady. Consider this your step-by-step look at an exercise built around control rather than arm-swinging momentum.

As you move through this breakdown, you’ll learn tips on how to align your shoulders and elbows, and what it means to create tension without “forcing” the weight back. The triceps kickback is a small motion, but it rewards precision.

Triceps Kickback: Step by Step

1. Get in your opening stance.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, pointed forward.
Hinge gently at the hips, pushing your hips backward horizontally while keeping your spine straight and long.
Engage your core.
Keep your neck aligned with your neck, gaze down and forward.

Note: For single triceps kickbacks challenging only one arm at a time, you can place your non-working hand on a bench or your thigh for light support, as needed.

2. Bend your elbows ~90 degrees.

Create a 90-degree angle with both arms while holding dumbbells or cable handles with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
Ensure your elbows remain close to your ribs.

Tip: This angled, controlled elbow position is what allows the muscles worked during triceps kickbacks to remain targeted.

3. Start the backward extension.

Straighten your arm behind you in a smooth line.
Keep your grip neutral, palms facing your torso.
Avoid swinging or jerking. Your shoulders and upper arm should stay completely still. The only movement comes from your elbow hinge.

Tip: Imagine a string tied to your wrists, gently pulling it back while the rest of your body stays frozen in place.

4. Pause at full extension, once your arm is back in a straight line.

Hold for a moment.
You should feel tension in the triceps, not your shoulders.

5. Slowly return the weight back to start.

Hinge again the elbow, returning to its starting 90-degree angle.
Focus on “resisting” the weight rather than letting it drop or swing forward.

Reset each rep. Keep your torso and core tight, your elbows anchored, and your breath steady before the next rep.

Triceps Kickback: reps & intervals

Triceps kickbacks can be done in flexible rep and interval ranges.

These numbers below are here to rep volume based on goal type, not a hard-and-fast rule. Factors like your current arm strength level, fatigue rate, and your chosen variation (dumbbells or cable triceps kickbacks, standing vs. leaning over on a bench) may shift what feels right.

Muscle growth: 6-20 reps
Strength endurance: 8-12 reps
Max strength: 4-8 reps
Beginner intervals: 2-3 working sets
Intermediate intervals: 3-4 working sets

Average Duration of Triceps Kickback

Treat these merely as pacing suggestions. Everyone’s natural tempo differs depending on balance, load, coordination, overall routine, and more.

One triceps kickback rep: ~3-4 seconds
One triceps kickback set: ~30-50 seconds

Estimated Calories Burned

These calorie ranges are broad educational estimates. Your size, load selection, tempo, number of sets, and total workout will all influence actual energy expenditure.

(Estimates here calculated based on average adults in each category completing 3 sets of 10 triceps kickbacks.)

Women (140-180 lbs): ~10-20 calories
Men (170-210 lbs): ~15-25 calories
Adults above 210 lbs: ~15-30 calories

Recommended Number of exercises Per Week

Most people include triceps kickbacks 1-2x/week.

Play around with working this exercise best into your routine. The number of times you perform triceps kickbacks can depend on your strength or athletic power goals, plus the intensity of other arm exercises you choose.

Practicing variations like single bent over triceps kickbacks or cable-based versions can help keep your routine fresh without adding excess strain.

Warmup & Cool Down Exercises

A short warm-up helps your triceps, shoulders, and elbows prep for safe backward extension, while a cool down returns your body back to “normal.”

Warm-Up (choose one or both):

Light resistance band triceps extensions (30 sec)
Arm circles (30 sec)

Cool Down (choose one or both):

Triceps overhead stretch (30 sec each side)
Cross-body shoulder stretch (30 sec each side)
Forearm/wrist release (30 sec each side)

Muscle Groups Targeted

The muscles worked during triceps kickback includes all three “heads” of the triceps: the long, medial, and lateral. This all-encompassing nature is part of the reason triceps kickbacks are a popular part of many arm-toning strength workouts.

Keeping your elbows high and the rest of your arm still helps ensure proper and precise tension. The slight hinge-forward position also recruits some of your upper back and core for stability, but only lightly.

Overall, the movement is designed to highlight those triceps rather than rely on multiple major muscle groups. Whether you choose dumbbells, cables, or a bench-supported setup, the goal stays the same: clean elbow extension through a controlled arc.

Equipment Used for Triceps Kickback

Triceps kickbacks can be done using any of the following pieces of equipment, making the exercise easy to build into almost any routine.

Dumbbells or grip-friendly plates
Cable machine
Tonal System with Smart handles
Optional: Workout bench for support while leaning

At-home alternatives:

Resistance band kickback
Water bottle or household weight substitute

Who This Workout is Most Effective For

Individuals who prefer light, steady isolation patterns rather than heavy compound lifts.
Beginners learning controlled elbow extensions.
Anyone focused on push-based workouts, especially to support upper-body muscle mass development.
People wanting an accessory movement that pairs well with compound upper-body lifts like rows or chest presses.
Lifters exploring single-arm variations.

Answers to FAQs about Triceps Kickback

They can be, particularly if you’re someone wanting to improve arm tone and composition by targeting the largest muscle in your arm, the triceps.

Kickbacks emphasize the triceps at full extension, a position not always reached in other lifts. When done with steady posture and controlled motion, the exercise can provide a clear sense of triceps engagement. Many people use kickbacks alongside presses or dips to round out their routine, but do what works best for your routine.

Some people find kickbacks awkward at first because the hinge position can feel unfamiliar. Others struggle with keeping the elbow still, which can make the movement overall less effective at targeting all three muscles comprising the tricep.

Overall, it’s often the early coordination — not the exercise itself — that creates some resistance. Many learn to embrace the exercise with lighter starting loads, slower, form-focused pacing, and finding your preferred variation.

They serve different purposes. Dips, when done with proper form and control, tend to recruit more overall upper-body muscle groups, demanding more from the chest and shoulders. Kickbacks are designed to better isolate the triceps with far less load and less joint stress. Many people include both, balancing the broader effort of dips with the precision of lighter kickback patterns.

Both can work well and should effectively work your triceps, but may feel different for your body. Dumbbells can increase the level of resistance from gravity and creates peak tension while your arm is at full extension, while cable triceps kickbacks are known to provide more consistent resistance throughout the entire arc. The choice often comes down to what feels smoother and really what equipment is available.

Concluding words on Triceps Kickback

The triceps kickback is a small, steady movement that helps you understand elbow extension without overwhelming the rest of your upper body.

When you keep your posture tight and your arm path consistent, the exercise becomes a reliable way to practice arm control and coordination. Variations like cables, bench-supported positions, or single triceps kickbacks give you room to explore what feels most natural.

For more thoughtful, step-by-step breakdowns helping you strength train with confidence, check out Tonal’s Resource Hub featuring 60+ exercises and movements. It’s a simple way to learn technique, expand movement patterns, and build strength you can feel.

Triceps Kickback: A Targeted Arm-Toning Exercise

Contents

Triceps Kickback: Step by Step