Bent-Over Cable Kickbacks

Why Is This Exercise So Effective?

This exercise targets the extreme contracted position of the triceps. It has a distinct advantage over dumbbell kickbacks in that cables provide a more effective line of pull. You will also get a tremendous abdominal workout from the stabilizing work that is required.

How To Do It

This exercise uses a low pulley and the cambered bar pulley attachment.

• Start by attaching the bar to the pulley with a short length of chain.
  
  
• This gives you a little breathing room from the stack, making the start of the exercise easier to accomplish.
  
  
• You can achieve this same separation by removing the pin, pulling the cable out about a foot or two, then sticking the pin back in.

Set the bar on the floor then place your feet just in front of the bar. You will be facing the stack and your heels will be right up against the bar. The cable will be running directly between your legs.

• Bend over and pick up the bar, grasping it with a palms-backward grip.
  
  
• Your arms will be on the outsides of your legs and the bar should be resting behind your knees.
  
  
• Step back a little in order to get tension on the triceps at the beginning of the movement.
  
  
• Basically, you just need enough separation to get the weight off the stack so that it doesn’t hit the stack at the bottom of the movement.

The movement itself looks exactly like a two-arm kickback movement.

• Keeping your upper arms as high up as possible, straighten your elbows and squeeze the triceps hard all the way to the top.
  
  
• Hold the bar there for a second or two then lower and repeat.

You will find that you get an incredible contraction at the top of this movement. The reason for this is simple: this exercise is hitting its point of maximum tension at the exact point and angle where the triceps has it’s greatest anatomical potential for contraction.

Squeeze it as hard as you can - your triceps will feel like jelly at the end of the first set.

As an added bonus to this exercise, you will probably find that your abdominals are getting a tremendous workout as well.

• This is due to the fact that your abs are working to keep you from shooting forward from the backward tension you’re placing on your triceps.
  
  
• This stabilization work will give you a great burn your abs!

How to incorporate this exercise into your workouts:

This exercise can be done on its own or placed after a stretch position movement such as the Bodyweight Tricep Extension.

• It also works very well as a finishing exercise for the triceps.

Common Errors

1. Using momentum and not squeezing

These two errors go hand in hand. They really defeat the purpose of this exercise, which is maximizing tension on the triceps at the point of maximum contraction potential. Always use a slow, deliberate movement and squeeze as hard as you can at the top for maximum contraction.

Tricks

1. Hook the bar behind your legs

This is a great way to do rest-pause training. At the bottom of the rep, instead of hanging onto the bar, you can simply hook behind your knees and rest it there while you recuperate a little. You’re still in position and the weight stays in the start position.

2. Try to get your elbows as high as possible

The higher you can get your elbows, the more intense of a contraction you will get in your triceps. The position of maximum contraction for the triceps is with the elbow behind the body.