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Cable Tricep Kickback

A hinged one-arm cable extension: the upper arm stays beside the torso while the elbow straightens behind the hip.

How to do it

  1. Attach a single handle to a low or mid pulley and stand facing the stack.
  2. Hinge the hips, plant the feet, and rest the free hand on the thigh.
  3. Bring the working upper arm beside the torso so it is roughly parallel to the floor, elbow bent about 90 degrees.
  4. Keep that elbow still and extend the forearm backward until the arm is straight.
  5. Squeeze the triceps at lockout without swinging the shoulder.
  6. Bend the elbow under control to return, then repeat and switch arms.

Key technique cue

Keep the upper arm high and near horizontal — only the forearm moves.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping the working elbow, which shortens the range and turns the lift into a row.
  • Swinging the whole arm from the shoulder instead of isolating the elbow.
  • Standing too upright so the cable no longer lines up with the forearm.
  • Using so much load that the torso has to heave each rep.

Benefits

  • Isolates the triceps at peak contraction with constant cable tension.
  • Lets you train one arm at a time when a side lags.
  • Fits a standard cable tower.

Progression: from easier to harder

  1. Step 1 You are here
Full “Triceps kickback” progression

About the exercise

The cable tricep kickback isolates the triceps: the elbow extends while the upper arm stays pinned beside a hinged torso. It is a single-arm exercise performed facing a cable tower: torso about parallel to the floor, working elbow high and still, bent about 90 degrees at the start, then the forearm extends. The key is to keep the upper arm high and near horizontal, otherwise the effective range collapses.

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