How many sets and reps of the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback should a beginner do?

Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per arm with a light dumbbell, since this is a finishing move rather than a heavy strength lift. Add weight only in small jumps once you can lock out and pause every rep without the elbow dropping.

What can I do instead of the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback without a bench or dumbbells?

Brace the free hand on a sturdy chair or low wall instead of a bench. A filled water bottle, or a light resistance band anchored at hip height, gives similar resistance if there's no dumbbell around.

What is the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback good for, and when is it not worth doing?

It's a light, high-rep triceps finisher that sharpens lockout strength and evens out arm development between sides. It's a poor primary triceps builder for someone chasing strength or size, since the position limits the load you can use, so it fits best at the end of an arm session rather than the start.

Beginner

Reverse-Grip Dumbbell Kickback

Supinating the hand as you straighten the arm turns a standard kickback into a medial-head squeeze, sharpening the contraction at the fully locked position. Because the shoulder is extended, the triceps has to finish the rep with no momentum to lean on. It is a light, high-rep finisher that teaches a clean lockout and evens out arm development.

Equipment: Bench, Dumbbell
Body part: Triceps
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Triceps Brachii Medial Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head
Browse by movement: Elbow Extension

How to do it

1
Hinge forward with one hand braced on a bench and a dumbbell in the other hand.
2
Bring the upper arm up alongside your torso so it is roughly parallel to the floor.
3
Start with the elbow bent and the palm facing your body.
4
Extend the elbow to straighten the arm behind you, rotating the palm to face the floor (supinated) at lockout.
5
Squeeze the triceps, then reverse under control back to the start.
6
Exhale as you extend, inhale on the return, then switch arms.

Tips

Keep the upper arm pinned and level; if it drops, the weight is too heavy.
Rotate the wrist smoothly so the palm faces the floor exactly as the arm locks out.
Pause briefly at full extension rather than swinging into the next rep.

Variations

Common mistakes

The torso rises out of the hinge as the arm extends, using the back and hips to help finish the rep instead of the triceps alone.
The elbow flares out away from the body during the extension, turning a straight backward kickback into a diagonal one that loses tension on the lockout.
Swinging the dumbbell like a pendulum instead of extending purely from the elbow lets momentum do most of the work.
The wrist rotates too early, well before the elbow is anywhere near straight, so the lockout squeeze happens with the palm already turned instead of turning into it.
Rushing both directions of the rep without slowing down for the negative skips half of the muscle's actual work each rep.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback should a beginner do?: Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per arm with a light dumbbell, since this is a finishing move rather than a heavy strength lift. Add weight only in small jumps once you can lock out and pause every rep without the elbow dropping.
What can I do instead of the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback without a bench or dumbbells?: Brace the free hand on a sturdy chair or low wall instead of a bench. A filled water bottle, or a light resistance band anchored at hip height, gives similar resistance if there's no dumbbell around.
What is the reverse-grip dumbbell kickback good for, and when is it not worth doing?: It's a light, high-rep triceps finisher that sharpens lockout strength and evens out arm development between sides. It's a poor primary triceps builder for someone chasing strength or size, since the position limits the load you can use, so it fits best at the end of an arm session rather than the start.

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