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Dumbbell Seated Kickback

A seated, hinged-over kickback with both arms working together, training the triceps in a lengthened-shoulder position with strong peak contraction at lockout.

ArmsDumbbellElbow extension
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-seated-kickback

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Triceps

Secondary

Posterior deltoidsForearmsSpinal erectors

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Elbow extension

Setup

  1. 01Sit on the end of a bench with a light dumbbell in each hand.
  2. 02Hinge forward from the hips with a flat back until the torso nears parallel.
  3. 03Lift both elbows so the upper arms sit tight against the torso.
  4. 04Start with the elbows bent to about 90 degrees.

Execution

  1. 01Extend both elbows simultaneously until the arms are straight behind you.
  2. 02Hold the lockout for a beat and squeeze the triceps.
  3. 03Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbells under control.
  4. 04Keep the upper arms frozen in place for every rep.

Checkpoints

  • -Upper arms stay parallel to the floor throughout.
  • -Full lockout is achieved on every rep.
  • -The hinge angle at the hips never changes.
  • -Dumbbells do not swing past the line of the torso.

Common mistakes

  • -Using momentum from the shoulders instead of extending the elbows.
  • -Letting the elbows sag as the set fatigues.
  • -Loading too heavy to reach a straight-arm finish.
  • -Rounding the back during the hinge.

Programming notes

  • -Use 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps with light dumbbells.
  • -Best placed late in an arm or push session as an isolation finisher.
  • -Progress by adding a pause at lockout before adding load.

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