Why You Should Never Do This Tricep Exercise Ever Again
Your triceps can be a tricky muscle to target, so it may feel like you need to go to great lengths to work this muscle. One of the most popular tricep exercises is called a tricep kickback. To do a tricep kickback, hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend your knees slightly in a standing position. Keeping your spine straight, lean forward and keep the backs of your arms in line with your spine. Slowly extend your arms backward until they are held straight out behind you. Hold this position for a second and then return to starting position (via Healthline).
Unfortunately, tricep kickbacks are very difficult to perform correctly and can lead to injuries in the shoulders and elbows. "Kickbacks put your shoulder in a poor position to move effectively, and also don't allow you to load the movement with much weight," CrossFit instructor Dan McCarthy told GQ. "For those reasons the movement generally won't yield the results you're looking for." Instead of tricep kickbacks, McCarthy recommends doing basic pushups to work your triceps instead.
There are safer ways to work your triceps
If you hate pushups but still want to build your tricep muscles, there are plenty of ways to work this part of the body safely. According to Well + Good, you can best work your triceps by using both weighted and bodyweight exercises. You should also work all parts of your upper body to get the most out of your targeted tricep exercises. "Triceps are used in all of our pushing movements, like push-ups and bench presses," Dave Schenk, co-owner and co-CEO of LIFT Society, said. "And if you want to get stronger in these movements, you need to strengthen your shoulders along with your triceps, because your shoulders will help support these big lifts which will, in turn, allow you to load up your triceps with more weight."
Some of the best tricep exercises include plank up-downs and tricep dips (via Self). To do a plank up-down, start in a high plank position. Lower one arm at a time until you are in a standard plank position. Return to starting position to complete the rep. To complete a tricep dip, sit on a chair and place your hands on either side of your body. Keeping your hands on the chair, lift your body up and forward until your back is an inch or two away from the platform. Keep your heels on the floor and slowly lower your body toward the floor before lifting yourself up again to complete the rep.