Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Why Triceps Kickbacks Are Better Than Pushdowns

By Russ Howe


There are many contenders, but what is the best triceps exercise?

With pushdowns and close grip bench press, most people presume they have found the best tools for the job.

If you pushed most people on their answer, many would opt for the often used rope pushdown as the true king. It's ability to zone in and create an extreme burn in the arms is truly uncanny.

But according to the latest science, there is one clear winner in this category and it is none of the above!

Believe it or not, triceps kickbacks are the most effective exercise for hitting your triceps. This may come as a revelation to even the most ardent fitness enthusiast, as this exercise has long been overlooked or left to the end of a workout, replaced by bigger, manlier exercises.

There's no error.

Interestingly, not only were they the most productive technique to use, they were head and shoulders above the competition!

In 2012, researchers from the University of South Carolina Upstate set out to discover the facts behind which exercise isolated the muscle more than any other. They compared several of the best known moves, putting subjects through an intense arm training routine and noting the key factors taking place inside the muscle.

The long head of the triceps increased muscular activity 20% over pushdowns, but the lateral head, which gives your arms more shape, was where the real magic happened. In a direct face-off versus the often hailed rope pushdown, kickbacks raised muscular activity by a shocking 50%!

All of this occurred despite the fact that subjects were lifting a significantly lighter load.

Sometimes, using a lighter resistance can pay dividends and that was the case in this particular study. With subjects training with light dumbbells on this exercise, they were able to focus on hitting the muscle without the distractions of a heavy load to control. All this made for fresh results.

So despite the fact that this exercise has long been relegated to the "if I have time" category on arm day, it is actually a hidden gem when it comes to packing on lean size and toning your arms in double quick time. You may have to dust off some old muscle magazines to see it performed, but the latest studies confirm it'll be worth your while.

Despite their lack of popularity, dumbbell and cable kickbacks have now been accepted as the best triceps exercise and are a very useful tool for anybody looking to tone up their arms.




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