How do I make the TRX Triceps Kickback harder?

Walk your feet toward the anchor point so that you lean back further at the start. A more horizontal body puts more of your weight through the straps and makes each rep harder. You can also slow the lowering phase to about three seconds.

How do I make it easier?

Walk your feet away from the anchor point so that you stand more upright. This reduces the load on the triceps, so you can learn to keep the upper arms still before leaning further. TRX Chest Press is another entry point.

Is this the same as the TRX Triceps Extension?

No. In the TRX Triceps Extension you face away from the anchor with your arms overhead, while here you face the anchor with your upper arms beside your ribs. The elbow extension is the same, but the arm position and the feel of the load differ.

How many reps and sets should I do?

Most people do 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, stopping a rep or two before form breaks. Adjust your foot position until that range is challenging.

How is it different from a dumbbell triceps kickback?

A dumbbell kickback loads the triceps most at the top, when the arm is straight and level with the torso, and barely at the bottom. The strap version works the other way round, with the hardest part at the start when you lean back. If you want a kickback with a different load shape, try the Dumbbell Triceps Kickback.

TRX Triceps Kickback

What Is the TRX Triceps Kickback?

TRX Triceps Kickback is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the triceps. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you face the anchor point, hold both handles close to your ribs and straighten your elbows to push your body upright. Your body weight is the load, so the exercise needs nothing more than a suspension trainer and a strong anchor.

The upper arms stay beside the torso while the forearms swing down and back, the same arm position as a dumbbell kickback. The difference is the direction of the load: the straps pull your body toward the anchor, so the triceps work hardest at the start, when you are leaning back, and the work eases as you come upright. This makes it a clean way to train elbow extension without a dumbbell, a bench or a cable stack.

Your body angle sets the difficulty. Walking your feet toward the anchor point makes you lean back more and makes every rep harder, and walking them away from the anchor makes you more upright and the exercise easier. Because you can change the angle with a single step, it suits a wide range of strength levels and is easy to progress from week to week.

It works well as a finisher after a pressing session or as arm work in a travel or home routine. If it is too hard, start with a more upright body and build up with TRX Triceps Extension or TRX Chest Press. To keep the same pattern with an external load, try Cable Triceps Kickback or Dumbbell Triceps Kickback.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): Primary
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Primary
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): High
Deltoid: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low
Erector Spinae: Minimal
Gluteus Maximus: Minimal

Instructions

Anchor the suspension trainer high and hold one handle in each hand with your palms facing each other.
Face the anchor point and walk your feet toward it until the straps are taut, then lean back with your body straight from head to heels.
Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees and pin your upper arms against your ribs, with your hands close to your chest.
Keep your shoulders down and your core braced so your hips do not sag or pike.
Straighten your elbows and push the handles down and slightly back toward your hips, keeping your upper arms still beside your torso.
Let your body rise toward upright as your arms straighten, and finish with your arms fully straight and your wrists in line with your forearms.
Pause briefly, then bend your elbows slowly to lower back into the leaning position.
To make the exercise harder, walk your feet closer to the anchor point and lean back more. To make it easier, walk your feet away from the anchor point so you stand more upright.

Common Mistakes

Elbows drifting away from the ribs
When the upper arms flare out or swing forward, the shoulders take over and the triceps lose tension, so keep the elbows pinned beside the torso.
Swinging the body
Throwing your hips or torso back and forth turns the rep into momentum, so move only at the elbows and keep the body in one straight line.
Sagging or piking at the hips
A hip that drops or bends breaks the straight line from head to heels and shifts effort away from the triceps.
Leaning too far for your strength
Walking the feet too close to the anchor makes the start so hard that you cannot keep the upper arms still, so use a more upright angle until reps stay clean.
Shrugging the shoulders
Pulling the shoulders up toward the ears adds neck and upper trapezius tension, so keep the shoulders down and the chest open.
Bending the wrists at the finish
Letting the wrists collapse as the arms straighten shifts strain to the forearms, so keep the wrists in line with the forearms.

Injuries

TRX Triceps Kickback is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Body weight limits the load, and the movement is a simple elbow extension with the upper arms close to the body.

The most common strain point is the back of the elbow, where the triceps tendon attaches. Repeated, high-volume elbow extension can irritate it, and pain just above the point of the elbow when you straighten the arm against resistance is the usual sign. Keep the reps slow and controlled, and avoid snapping the elbows straight at the end. Some lifters also feel the front of the shoulder when the upper arms drift behind the torso, so keep the arms beside the ribs and the shoulders down.

Because your lean sets the load, start with your feet farther from the anchor point and walk them closer only when you can finish every rep with the upper arms still. Check that the anchor is secure and that the straps stay taut throughout, since slack straps let your body drop suddenly. Stop the set if you feel sharp elbow or shoulder pain, or any pinching at the front of the shoulder, and step back to a more upright angle or an easier option such as TRX Triceps Extension.

Overview

Primary Focus: Triceps
Equipment: Suspension trainer and body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make the TRX Triceps Kickback harder?: Walk your feet toward the anchor point so that you lean back further at the start. A more horizontal body puts more of your weight through the straps and makes each rep harder. You can also slow the lowering phase to about three seconds.
Q: How do I make it easier?: Walk your feet away from the anchor point so that you stand more upright. This reduces the load on the triceps, so you can learn to keep the upper arms still before leaning further. TRX Chest Press is another entry point.
Q: Is this the same as the TRX Triceps Extension?: No. In the TRX Triceps Extension you face away from the anchor with your arms overhead, while here you face the anchor with your upper arms beside your ribs. The elbow extension is the same, but the arm position and the feel of the load differ.
Q: How many reps and sets should I do?: Most people do 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, stopping a rep or two before form breaks. Adjust your foot position until that range is challenging.
Q: How is it different from a dumbbell triceps kickback?: A dumbbell kickback loads the triceps most at the top, when the arm is straight and level with the torso, and barely at the bottom. The strap version works the other way round, with the hardest part at the start when you lean back. If you want a kickback with a different load shape, try the Dumbbell Triceps Kickback.