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Kettle Bell Tricep Exercises

With the explosive strength of the cannonball it resembles, a kettlebell will help reshape your body in surprising ways. Not only will you reap the rewards of a traditional strength workout, but benefit from an aerobic and core strengthening exercise. Even though kettlebell exercises are easy, you must ensure that you’re using the correct size for your current level of fitness and that you use proper form to avoid injury. Get ready to partake in some very unique and fun kettlebell exercises for your triceps.
Triceps Extensions
Performing tricepss extensions with kettlebells will help decrease the amount of stress on the elbow and shoulder joints. You can perform tricepss extensions, standing, seated or even laying down. The tricepss extension is an isolation exercise, meaning the triceps is the only muscle getting extensive work during the move. To perform, grab a kettlebell by the handle and lift your arm over your head, then bend your arm all the way and let the kettlebell rest near the back of your shoulder. Lift the kettlebell straight up as high as you can, hold it for a second and then return to the start position to complete one repetition.
Triceps Kickbacks
Triceps kickbacks are another isolation exercise for the triceps muscles. Performing kickbacks with kettlebells requires more work since your muscles are forced to do more stabilizing because of the kettlebell's odd shape. To perform kickbacks you will lean over, preferably using a bench or something to support yourself. Your back should be parallel to the floor and your upper arm, or the arm being trained, should be parallel to the floor as well. Grab the kettebell and start with your elbow bent in a 90 degree angle. Then extend your arm fully, hold for a second and return to the start position to complete one repetition.
Lying Presses
Just like with standard lying presses such as the bench press, floor press and decline press, during kettlebell lying the triceps muscle is heavily involved in the exercise. The chest is the main muscle trained, but all bench press exercises also work the triceps. Use kettlebells to perform bench presses and floor presses which will train the triceps. To perform lie on the ground or bench and start with the kettlebells next to your shoulders, then straighten your arms and press them straight up before returning to the start position to complete one repetition.
Standing Presses
In kettlebell standing presses, just as in conventional presses, the shoulder is the main muscle worked, but the triceps is also strengthened and used for support. Kettlebell push presses and one-arm presses are variations of the shoulder press. To perform start by holding the kettlebells at your shoulders and then press them straight up over your head as high as you can before returning to the start position to complete one repetition.
Explore In Depth
References
- ACE Fitness: Kettlebells Kick Butt
- Critical Bench: Exercise: Kettlebell Triceps Extensions
- YouTube: KB Lying Press
- ExRx: Kettlebell Press
- Manocchia P, Spierer DK, Lufkin AK, Minichiello J, Castro J. Transference of kettlebell training to strength, power, and endurance. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(2):477-84. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825770fe
- Vancini RL, Andrade MS, Rufo-Tavares W, Zimerer C, Nikolaidis PT, de Lira CAB. Kettlebell exercise as an alternative to improve aerobic power and muscle strength. J Hum Kinet. 2019;66:5–6. Published 2019 Mar 27. doi:10.2478/hukin-2018-0062
- Greenwald S, Seger E, Nichols D, Ray AD, Rideout TC, Gosselin LE. Effect of an Acute Bout of Kettlebell Exercise on Glucose Tolerance in Sedentary Men: A Preliminary Study. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016;9(3):524–535. Published 2016 Oct 1.
- Meigh NJ, Keogh JWL, Schram B, Hing WA. Kettlebell training in clinical practice: a scoping review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2019;11:19. Published 2019 Sep 3. doi:10.1186/s13102-019-0130-z
Writer Bio
Based in Harker Heights, Texas, Timothy Onkst has been writing about sports, fitness and health since 2003. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications including "Texas Roundball" magazine, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports and other websites.