Cable Triceps Kickback
What Is the Cable Triceps Kickback?
Cable Triceps Kickback is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the triceps and also engages the rear shoulders and upper back, which hold the arms in place. It is a beginner-level movement performed bent over at the hips between two low pulleys, pressing both handles back at the same time by straightening the elbows.
The exercise builds triceps size and endurance with light loads, so it usually sits late in an upper-body or arm session as an accessory after heavier pressing work such as dips or close-grip presses, or as a finisher. Working both arms together saves time and keeps the two sides moving at the same pace, which suits higher-rep sets.
All three heads of the triceps straighten the elbow, so all three do the work here. The long head also crosses the shoulder, and with the upper arms held back beside the torso it works in a shortened position, which is why many programs pair the kickback with an overhead movement such as the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension that trains the same head on stretch. The cable also changes where the effort sits compared with a dumbbell. A Dumbbell Single-Arm Triceps Kickback has almost no resistance while the forearm hangs straight down and is hardest at lockout, while a low pulley in front of you loads the triceps from the first inch of the press and gets lighter as the arms straighten.
The movement suits beginners because the load is light and the cable guides the path, but it does ask you to hold a flat-backed hip hinge for the whole set. If that position tires your lower back first, start with a bench-supported dumbbell kickback or an upright Cable Triceps Pushdown (Rope) and return once your trunk can hold the hinge. Because the weights are small, a deliberate squeeze of the triceps at full extension matters more than chasing heavier weight.
Muscles Worked
- Triceps Brachii (Long Head)
- Primary
- Deltoid
- Medium
- Teres Major
- Low
Instructions
- Set both pulleys of a dual cable station low, around knee height, and attach a single handle to each.
- Take a handle in each hand and step back from the machine until the weight stack lifts off and the cables stay taut.
- Stand facing the machine with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back until your torso is angled about 45 degrees to the floor, and brace your core.
- Draw your elbows back so your upper arms sit close to your sides, elbows bent about 90 degrees and hands beside your hips with palms facing in.
- Keeping your upper arms close to your sides, straighten your elbows to press the handles back until your arms are straight and reaching behind you, letting the upper arms lift only slightly.
- Squeeze your triceps for a moment at full extension without snapping the elbows.
- Bend your elbows to let the handles return slowly to the start, keeping your upper arms from drifting forward.
- Keep your back flat and your head in line with your spine for every rep, then stand up and step toward the machine to unload the cables when you finish.
Common Mistakes
Swinging the upper arms
Letting the upper arms drift forward on the return and swinging them back to throw the handles turns the set into a shoulder movement and takes the work off the triceps.
Going too heavy
A weight you can only move by rocking the torso or heaving the shoulders is too heavy, so drop the load until only the forearms move.
Rounding the back
Letting the lower back round or the torso rise as the set goes on loads the spine and changes the cable angle on the arms.
Standing too close to the machine
Standing so close that the stack touches down at the bottom of each rep removes tension at the start, so step back until the weight stays lifted.
Snapping into lockout
Jerking the elbows straight at the end of each rep jars the joint, so finish the press under control and squeeze.
Rushing the return
Letting the cables pull the hands forward quickly skips the lowering half of the rep, where the triceps still do useful work.
Injuries
Cable Triceps Kickback is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The loads are light and the cable guides the path, so problems usually come from the position you hold rather than the weight you move.
The lower back is the most common strain point, because it holds the bent-over position for the whole set without support. Brace your trunk and keep your back flat from hips to head, and stop the set when you can no longer hold that position. The back of the elbow is the other area to watch. Snapping the arms into a hard lockout on every rep, or loading so heavily that you jerk the handles, stresses the triceps tendon where it attaches at the elbow. Lifting the upper arms high behind you to chase a longer range can also irritate the front of the shoulder.
If the hinge bothers your back, do the Dumbbell Single-Arm Triceps Kickback with one hand and knee braced on a bench, or train the triceps standing upright with the Cable Triceps Pushdown (Rope). To progress, add a one-second pause at full extension and a slower return before adding weight. Stop if you feel sharp pain at the back of the elbow, pain in the front of the shoulder, or any back pain that builds during the set, and see a qualified professional if it persists.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the cable kickback better than the dumbbell kickback?
Neither is better, they load different parts of the rep. A Dumbbell Single-Arm Triceps Kickback is easy at the start and hardest at lockout, while a low cable in front of you is hardest early in the press and lighter at full extension, so many lifters use both.
- Q: What height should the pulleys be set at?
Set both pulleys low, around knee height, so the cables run up toward your hands as you hinge forward. Moving them up or down a notch shifts where the rep feels hardest, so pick the height that feels smoothest for your arms and keep it the same from session to session.
- Q: Should I do both arms at once or one arm at a time?
Both arms together saves time and keeps the two sides even, which is the version shown here. Working one arm at a time lets you brace your free hand on the machine to take load off your lower back and makes it easier to focus on a weaker arm.
- Q: Why do I have to use so much less weight than on pushdowns?
With the arms straightening behind you, the triceps work at a mechanical disadvantage and the shoulders and back cannot help, so the usable load is much lighter than on a Cable Triceps Pushdown (Rope). Choose a weight you can press back with no torso movement for 10 to 15 controlled reps.
- Q: Is this the same as a cable glute kickback?
No. A glute kickback straightens the hip to drive a leg back from an ankle strap, while this exercise straightens the elbows to press the handles back and works the triceps.