Band Tricep Kickbacks
A hinged elbow-extension drill standing on a looped band, isolating the triceps through a full lockout.
How to do it
- Stand on the middle of a looped band with your feet hip-width apart and hold one end in each hand.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, keeping a long spine.
- Pin both upper arms to your sides with the elbows bent about 90 degrees.
- Extend both elbows until the arms are straight and the band is taut behind you.
- Pause briefly at lockout without raising the upper arms or shrugging.
- Bend the elbows under control back to the start and repeat.
Key technique cue
Upper arms pinned, back braced — extend only the elbows until the arms are straight.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the elbows drop, which shortens the effective range and turns the finish into a swing.
- ✕ Raising the upper arms as you extend, which shifts work off the triceps.
- ✕ Rounding the low back in the hinge instead of bracing the trunk.
- ✕ Using a band so heavy that the elbows never reach a true lockout.
Benefits
- ✓ Isolates elbow extension with rising band tension at lockout.
- ✓ Needs only a looped band, so it travels outside a full gym.
- ✓ Pairs with pressing days as a high-activity triceps accessory.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Band Tricep Kickbacks
- Cable Tricep Kickback
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickback
About the exercise
Band tricep kickbacks keep the upper arms pinned to the torso while the elbows straighten against a looped band under the feet. The hinge puts the upper arms near horizontal so tension rises as the band stretches toward lockout, which is the opposite of a free-weight kickback that eases at the end. EMG work on common triceps drills ranked the kickback among the three highest-activity patterns tested, and the band version adds that rising resistance without changing the joint action. It is a portable isolation exercise that sits next to cable kickbacks and skullcrushers and suits arm-day accessory work and home or travel programs without a cable stack.
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