8 Kettlebell Tricep Exercises | How To Build Horseshoe Triceps with KBs

Your triceps brachii is a three headed muscle on the posterior side of your upper arm.

You have the long head, lateral head, and medial head, each with their own muscle belly, and all of which converge onto the tendon of the ulna bone just past your elbow.

Together, they are responsible for extension of the elbow. So, all tricep exercises involve elbow extension.

Note: While the lateral head and medial head originate on the humerus (upper arm bone) and only act on the elbow, the long head originates at the scapular and crosses the shoulder joint, so it also acts on shoulder extension (moving your arm behind you) and shoulder adduction (moving your arm toward the center of your body).

Now, depending on the tricep exercise, certain heads will be emphasized more than the others.

For example:
- Exercises that bring your arm overhead will emphasize the long head because this position stretches it. i.e. overhead extensions
- Exercises that position your arm backward will also emphasize the long head because it involves shoulder extension. i.e. tricep kickbacks
- Exercises that use an overhand or neutral grip will emphasize the lateral head because they pronate the elbow.
- Exercises that use an underhand grip will emphasize the medial head.

That said, no matter what, if you are performing an exercise that involves elbow extension, all three heads of your triceps will be activated. Just the degree of activation changes.

With that in mind, if you want to develop your triceps to their fullest potential, it’s important that you hit the muscle from all angles by employing the different training variables - hand positioning, arm positioning, and load placement.

The 8 kettlebell exercises in this video do exactly that. They complement each other, not repeat one another, as to allow for full development of the triceps.

Not only will these kettlebell tricep exercises help you build impressive looking arms (the triceps make up 60-70% of your upper arm’s total muscle mass!), but they will also translate into serious improvements in your compound pushing movements, like strict presses, and sports performance for athletes.

8 KETTLEBELL TRICEP EXERICSES (WITH TIMESTAMPS):

1. Bell-Grip Overhead Extension (0:09)
2. Tricep Dip (0:29)
3. Tate Press (0:54)
4. Tricep Kickback (1:13)
5. Skull Crusher (1:26)
6. Close-Grip Floor Press (1:48)
7. Single Arm Overhead Extension (2:13)
8. Push Up On The Ball (2:27)

All in all, if you want to develop some meaty horseshoes on the back of your arms using kettlebells, implement these tricep exercises into your routine.

FAQs:

How many tricep exercises per workout?

Choose 3 exercises that use different variables (overhand grip, underhand grip, and arm positioning) so you can hit all three tricep heads equally each session.

While your compound movements will likely be the same each week, you can switch up the tricep isolation exercises each session.

How often should I do kettlebell tricep exercises?

Aim to do around 20 sets per week, ideally split into two sessions. Studies show that hitting each muscle group twice a week is best for hypertrophy and strength.

What compound KB exercises target the triceps?

Any pushing or pressing exercise will target the triceps because it involves elbow extension. So, exercises like floor presses, strict presses, push presses, push ups, and dips all strengthen the triceps. What’s really great about these compound pushing movements is that you can use heavy kettlebells, and heavy loads are great for the triceps because the muscle is made up of about 67% fast-twitch muscles, which respond best to heavy, powerful exercises.

Do I need to do tricep isolation exercises with kettlebells?

While you don’t NEED to, isolation exercises for the triceps are great because they allow you to work your triceps through their full range of motion, which is also very important for building muscle and strength. You can really hone in on your triceps for both stretching tension and contraction tension in a way that you can’t with compound exercises. So, by doing kb tricep isolation exercises, you will maximize potential for both size and strength.

Are kettlebells good for triceps?

Kettlebells are unique for the triceps because they allow for more training variables and they provide different loading mechanics. i.e., you can hold the kettlebell on the horns, the top of the handle, or the bell. Moreover, the load of the kettlebell is not perfectly even over the palm of your hand like a dumbbell, which requires more stabilization and thus causes more tension and muscle activation.

Learn more about hitting your arms with kettlebells:

KB Tricep Exercises: https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/...

KB Bicep Exercises: https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/...

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