Dépense estimée selon votre poids
Mouvement d'isolation · 3 s par répétition
| Répétitions | Dépense estimée |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0,23 kcal |
| 10 | 2,3 kcal |
| 20 | 4,6 kcal |
| 50 | 11,5 kcal |
| 100 | 23,0 kcal |
Estimation à partir des équivalents métaboliques (MET) du Compendium of Physical Activities. La charge, le tempo et la durée des repos font varier le résultat du simple au double : à lire comme un ordre de grandeur, pas comme une mesure.
What is the triceps kickback?
The kickback is an elbow extension exercise done with the upper arm pinned to your torso. You start with the elbow bent to 90 degrees, then drive the forearm backwards until the arm is fully straight. The range is short, so it only needs a light weight.
It's an isolation exercise: one joint does the work, the elbow. The shoulder stays put, and so does everything below the waist. That restriction is exactly what makes it work the triceps brachii so well, with no help from the back or the legs.
You'll see it written a few different ways: tricep kickback, triceps kickbacks, dumbbell kickback. The label doesn't matter, it's the same backwards extension (with a dumbbell, a cable or a band).
Dumbbell triceps kickback: step by step
There are two ways to set up the dumbbell triceps kickback: braced on a bench, or standing in a split stance. One knee and one hand on the bench, the other foot on the floor, torso lowered until it's nearly parallel to the floor. The dumbbell goes in your free hand.
- Bring the elbow up level with the triceps, upper arm against your ribs.
- Lock the shoulder down: it doesn't drop, it doesn't rotate.
- Straighten the forearm backwards until it's horizontal.
- Hold the contraction for a second, then come back slowly.
Keep your back flat and your neck in line with your torso. Elbow dropping as the set goes on? The weight is too heavy. Two sets of 12 to 15 reps per arm are enough to feel the work.
Without a bench to lean on, the bent-over standing version puts more load on your lower back. I'd only use it if you have no bench, because doing both arms at once quickly gets wobbly.
Which muscles are worked?
The muscles worked are first and foremost the three heads of the triceps. Since the arm is pulled behind you, the long head works in a shortened position, and that's the head that gives the visible thickness on the back of the arm.
Then there's the rear delt and the scapular stabilisers, which keep the shoulder steady throughout. They don't produce the main force, but without them the elbow slides down.
In the gym, nine lifters out of ten go too heavy and turn the extension into a shoulder swing. The kickback doesn't forgive extra weight.
Among triceps movements, the kickback has a specific job: it doesn't replace dips or the close-grip bench press, it finishes them off at the end of a session. Our training programs by goal put it last in the arm work for exactly that reason.
Cable, pulley or band triceps kickback
With a dumbbell, the resistance comes from gravity: highest when the forearm is vertical, almost nothing once the arm is straight. The cable triceps kickback fixes that. The low pulley pulls in a straight line, so the tension stays constant from start to finish.
| Variation | Tension at lockout | Equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell | Low | Bench |
| Cable | Constant | Machine |
| Band | Increasing | Band |
| Kettlebell | Variable | Kettlebell |
At home, my pick is the band triceps kickback: the band tightens as the arm extends, exactly where the dumbbell falls off. Anchor it low, at the bottom of a door, and take a step forward.
Load, common mistakes and pairings
Expect 4 to 8 kg for most lifters, far less than on a compound lift. An isolation exercise is judged on the quality of the contraction, not the number on the dumbbell!
- The elbow dropping: a sign the weight is too heavy.
- The torso popping up on every rep.
- The wrist bending instead of staying neutral.
- Dropping the weight back down with no control, which kills the eccentric.
As a superset, pairing biceps curl and triceps kickback works really well: a curl with the arm vertical, then bend over for the extension. You cover the front and the back of the arm in one continuous set, without swapping dumbbells.
Not sure where these sets fit in your week? The session generator builds the schedule from your profile and the equipment you have, and shows you every movement on video.
Where the kickback fits in a session
Put it at the end of an upper-body session, after the heavy work. The triceps is already pre-fatigued, so 10 to 15 reps per arm are enough to finish the job.
Three sets per session, twice a week: that's a sensible amount. Beyond that, elbow recovery becomes the limiting factor, especially if you're already doing dips.
Rotate the equipment month to month: dumbbells for one block, cable for the next. That rotation keeps the stimulus fresh without changing exercise, and lets you track progress against the same load reference.