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Exercises

Triceps kickback: how to do it right and when it is worth doing

Published October 19, 2026

A triceps kickback is a one-arm dumbbell exercise where you lean forward with your upper arm held level with your body and straighten your elbow to push the dumbbell back. Only your forearm moves, so the triceps do all the work. It feels light, and that is normal: the load is hardest when your arm is straight, so choose a dumbbell you can hold there for a moment.

Your last triceps kickback set

How to do the triceps kickback

It needs only one dumbbell and a bench, and it trains the triceps hardest with the arm fully straight, the opposite of overhead extensions. That makes it a good second triceps exercise at home or in the gym, especially as a finisher.

Steps

  1. Put one knee and the same hand on a flat bench and lean forward until your back is close to flat, holding a dumbbell in the other hand.
  2. Lift your upper arm until it is level with your torso and tight to your side, with the elbow bent about 90 degrees and the dumbbell hanging below it.
  3. Straighten your elbow and push the dumbbell back until your whole arm is in a straight line.
  4. Hold the straight arm for a second and squeeze the back of your arm.
  5. Bend the elbow slowly back to 90 degrees without letting the upper arm drop, then finish all reps before switching arms.

Cues

  • Upper arm stays parked
  • Lock out and pause
  • Only the forearm moves

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the dumbbell up: use a lighter weight so you can stop it at the top for a second.
  • Letting the upper arm drop toward the floor: keep the elbow level with your back; if it sinks, the weight is too heavy.
  • Bending only partway: straighten the arm fully, since the top is where the triceps work hardest.

Swap for: Cable Triceps Kickback, Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension, Cable Triceps Pressdown

Muscles the triceps kickback works

The triceps kickback works all three heads of the triceps, the muscle on the back of your upper arm that straightens your elbow. The rear shoulders hold your upper arm in place and your back and abs keep your torso steady.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the triceps kickback

GoalSets × repsRIRRest
Build muscle 3 × 10–15 1–2 60 s
Pause for a second at the top of every rep; if you can't, the dumbbell is too heavy.
Finisher 2 × 15–20 0–1 45–60 s
Use it at the end of a push or arm day after a heavier triceps exercise.
Beginner 2–3 × 12–15 2–3 60 s
Start very light and learn to keep the upper arm still.

Triceps kickback variations

  • Cable Triceps Kickback start position

    Cable Triceps Kickback

    Use a low cable when you want tension at the start of the rep too, not only at the top.

    Build a session with it
  • Bench Dip start position

    Bench Dip

    Dip off a bench when you want a bodyweight triceps exercise with no dumbbell at all.

    Build a session with it
  • Close-Grip Push-Up start position

    Close-Grip Push-Up

    Do push-ups with your hands close when you want heavier triceps work at home.

    Build a session with it

Triceps kickback alternatives

Overhead extensions

  • Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension start position

    Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

    Press a dumbbell overhead when you want the triceps stretched more, which the kickback does not do.

    Build a session with it
  • Overhead Cable Triceps Extension start position

    Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

    Use a cable overhead when you have a gym and want the same stretch with steady tension.

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Pushdowns and presses

  • Cable Triceps Pressdown start position

    Cable Triceps Pressdown

    Push a cable down when you want to use more weight on an isolation exercise.

    Build a session with it
  • Close-Grip Bench Press start position

    Close-Grip Bench Press

    Bench with a narrow grip when you want the heaviest triceps work.

    Build a session with it

Are triceps kickbacks worth doing?

Kickbacks get criticized because the dumbbell is light and the load drops off in the bent-arm half of the rep. That is true, and it is why they work best as a second triceps exercise, after a pushdown or an overhead extension, rather than your only one. Done strictly with a pause at the top, they train the triceps hard in the fully shortened position, and they need almost no equipment.

Dumbbell or cable kickback?

The dumbbell version only loads your triceps once your forearm moves past vertical. A cable from a low pulley pulls back along the whole path, so the start of the rep is hard too. Use dumbbells at home and cables in the gym if you have the choice; you can also stand and hinge forward with two dumbbells to train both arms at once.

Questions

How many reps should you do for triceps kickbacks?

Three sets of 10 to 15 reps with a one-second squeeze at the top, stopping one or two reps short of failure, works well.

What muscles do triceps kickbacks work?

All three heads of the triceps, with the rear shoulders holding your arm in place.

What can you do instead of a cable kickback with dumbbells?

The dumbbell kickback is the direct swap. A seated overhead dumbbell extension is a good second choice that also stretches the triceps.

What is the best triceps exercise?

There isn't one best exercise. A good triceps routine pairs one heavy press, like close-grip bench or dips, with one overhead extension and one pushdown or kickback.

Can you do a triceps pushdown with a dumbbell?

Not really, because a dumbbell pulls straight down. The kickback and the overhead dumbbell extension are the closest dumbbell options.

Why do kickbacks feel so light?

The load only acts on your triceps once your forearm moves past vertical, and the muscle is shortest there. A light dumbbell held still at the top is doing its job.