3 Kettlebell Tricep Workouts for Bigger Arms

Training with kettlebells will challenge your stability more during workouts. 

The triceps, making up two-thirds of your arm’s mass and manifesting as the horseshoe shape at the back of a well-developed arm, play a crucial role in achieving a muscular appearance (1). Elevating your arm game from merely muscular to impressively sculpted is achievable with the proper kettlebell tricep workout. While dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands can effectively target your triceps, kettlebells provide a distinctive approach to arm sculpting.

This article highlights three kettlebell exercises tailored for tricep development. It includes a detailed guide on executing these exercises correctly to maximize their effectiveness. For comprehensive strategies for achieving arms that stretch the seams of your sleeves, refer to the detailed guide below.

Anatomy of the Triceps

The tricep brachii is the muscle found at the back of your arms. The triceps are divided into three different heads:

• Medial Head
• Lateral Head
• Long Head

It’s the muscle responsible for straightening the arm. The long head starts from the back of the shoulder blade, while the lateral and long head starts from the lateral and posterior surfaces of the humerus bone. 

An efficient way to train your triceps is to do exercises that put your arm in the overhead position, as these exercises emphasize the long head of the triceps. Routines that position your arms backward, like tricep kickbacks, will also emphasize the long head. To train the lateral head, put your elbows in a pronated position, while routines that use an underhand grip are effective for the medial head. Here is a study showing the mechanics of the three tricep heads (2). 

Three Best Kettlebell Tricep Workouts

If you want to sculpt your arms, below is a list of kettlebell tricep workouts you can incorporate into your workouts.

• Kettlebell Triceps Kickback
• Kettlebell Overhead Extension
• Kettlebell Tate Press

Kettlebell Tricep Kickback

The kettlebell tricep kickback is an excellent exercise for building sleeve-ripping arms. As the name suggests, this isolation exercise primarily works the tricep muscles utilizing a small range of motion but high intensity. It also works and activates your core muscles. 

The tricep kickback works all three heads of the triceps, mainly focusing on the lateral head, and helps build muscle mass in your arms. You can do the tricep kickback unilaterally or bilaterally, depending on your training preferences. This is considered one of the most challenging exercises for building tricep muscles.

How to Do the Kettlebell Triceps Kickback

1. Grab a kettlebell, lift it with your right hand, and keep your legs at hip-width length.
2. Hinge at your hips, brace your core and lean forward while keeping your back straight and your head lined up with your spine. This is your starting position.
3. Next, place your left hand on your left thigh and bend your left arm, holding the kettlebell at a 90-degree angle.
4. Without lifting your upper body and upper arm, extend your elbow so it goes behind your body.
5. Finally, return the arm slowly to its starting position to complete a rep. 
6. Mirror this movement using the other side of your body and perform the desired reps.

Kettlebell Overhead Extension

The kettlebell overhead extension is an effective exercise for building your tricep muscles. With this exercise, you perform a tricep pulldown with your elbow at its sides. This also helps strengthen your wrist and elbow flexors, making your arm movements easier. Other secondary muscles include the shoulders and core muscles, which help stabilize during this exercise.

You can do the kettlebell overhead extension unilaterally or bilaterally, depending on your training goals. Remember not to arch your back to avoid injuries. It’s also essential to keep your form slow and prevent momentum to help focus on the target muscles better. You can do kettlebell overhead extensions in a standing, seated, or lying position.

How to do Kettlebell Overhead Extensions

1. Grab the kettlebell in the horns with both hands and stand at hip-width length.
2. Keep your back straight, brace your core, and lift the kettlebell above your head.
3. Next, place it just behind your head, ensuring your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. This is your starting position.
4. Breathe in and slowly using controlled movement. Fully extend your elbows using the kettlebell (make sure your elbows are close to your ears).
5. Pause in this position for about one to two seconds and slowly return the kettlebell to the starting position to finish the rep. 
6. Do for as many reps as you desire.

Kettlebell Tate Press

Building massive triceps to improve your general pressing movement is essential when training. The kettlebell tate press is good at isolating your triceps muscles, thereby eliminating other muscle groups. This helps build a better mind-muscle connection, improving muscle activity in the upper arms.

The kettlebell tate press is named after the elite powerlifter David Tate, who has top rankings in multiple weight classes. You can do the Tate press in a seated, lying, or standing position, depending on your preference. However, it can be challenging, so start light weights to get the form right before progressing to heavier weights.

How to do Kettlebell Tate Press

1. Grab the kettlebells by the horns using an overhand grip and lie flat on a bench.
2. Your starting position is to let your palms face forward with your elbows flared out and pull your shoulders back while keeping a neutral spine.
3. Next, touch your chest with the kettlebells and slowly extend your elbows, thoroughly squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement.
4. Pause in this position for about one or two seconds and slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position, making it one rep.
5. Perform for as many reps as you desire.

A kettlebell tricep workout is an excellent way to improve your free weight training. These routines generally improve your holding, pulling, and pushing movements. So feel free to combine these triceps isolation exercises to maximize your gains. 

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References

1. Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. [Updated 2023 Aug 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/ 
2. Hussain, J., Sundaraj, K., Subramaniam, I. D., & Lam, C. K. (2020). Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of Triceps Brachii During Intensity and Speed Variations of Triceps Push-Down Exercise. Frontiers in physiology, 11, 112. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00112