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Cable Kickback animation

How to do the Cable Kickback

TricepsCableBeginner

The cable kickback is a beginner-friendly isolation movement that keeps constant tension on the triceps throughout the entire range of motion, something free weights simply cannot match. Master this exercise and you will build the long, defined triceps that give your arms their shape from every angle.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Front deltsChest

Step-by-step

  1. Attach a single handle to a low pulley, hinge forward at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, and brace your core.
  2. Pin your upper arm tight against your side with your elbow bent at 90 degrees, this is your locked starting position.
  3. Extend your forearm back and up by straightening the elbow fully, squeezing the triceps hard at the top.
  4. Slowly return the handle to the start under control, resisting the cable pull for a full 2-count negative.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the upper arm swing down during the movement, which turns a triceps isolation into a shoulder exercise. Fix this by imagining your elbow is bolted to your ribcage and never letting it drop.
  • Using too much weight and cutting the range of motion short, leaving the hardest and most productive portion of the rep untrained. Fix this by selecting a load that allows complete elbow extension on every single rep.
  • Rushing through reps with momentum instead of muscular control, bleeding tension away from the triceps. Fix this by slowing the extension to a 2-count and the return to a 2-count on every rep.

Pro tip — At the peak of each rep, rotate your pinky slightly upward as you lock out the elbow. This subtle supination cue maximally activates the lateral head of the triceps and intensifies the contraction in a way most lifters never discover.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Triceps exercises

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