Overview: Using exercise bands is an excellent way to get a great portable workout anywhere. There is no need for heavy equipment, cumbersome dumbbells or huge machines. All you need is a pair of resistance bands and you can perform a workout in the privacy of your own home, your hotel room when you’re traveling and even your office when you’re at work! Although exercise bands will not provide the level of resistance as free weights, they will still provide enough resistance to stimulate your muscles and get a great workout.
Muscles Targeted: This exercise really hits the triceps very well and allows you to isolate the muscle from a bent over position. The triceps muscle is located at the back of the arm and consists of three heads. It is the largest muscle of the arm and its one that you really want to train in order to build big and impressive arms. Although the triceps is the primary muscle worked, the bent over kickbacks also targets the forearms as the secondary muscle. 
Exercise Instructions (two arms): The bent over triceps extension can either be performed using one arm or both arms. While holding the handles of the exercise band, step on the middle of the band using one foot. If you want even more tension and resistance, you can place both feet on the exercise band. If you’re only using one arm, start the exercise by bending over so that your back is flat. Position your right hand at about hip level with your palm facing back away from you. Position your arm at about 90 degrees and tuck your elbow into your side. Slowly raise the exercise band and fully extend your arm behind you and up to the top position. Keep your elbow in a fixed position throughout the entire range of the movement and do not raise or lower it. This will allow you to keep 100% of the tension on the triceps muscle. Fully extend your arm at the top of the movement, pause for a moment then slowly lower the handle back to the starting position. If you’re using both arms, simply position both hands in the same manner and perform the exercise using the same technique. It’s a little easier to step on the band with both feet when using two arms. To decrease the resistance, stand with both feet together. To create more tension and resistance, place your feet on the band at about a shoulder width stance.
Exercise Instructions (one arm): Place one foot on the exercise band and make sure to take up the extra slack on the bands and create tension before beginning the exercise. Maintain a slight bend in your knees and bend over at the waist. Position your arm at about hip level and bend your elbow at 90 degrees. While keeping your elbow into your side, slowly pull the handle back behind you while keeping your elbow in a fixed position throughout the entire range of the movement.
Things To Avoid: The biggest mistake with the triceps kickbacks is allowing your elbows to move all around when performing this movement. When you let your elbow move around, it takes all the tension off the triceps since your shoulder joint is not in a fixed position. Your focus should be to maintain a locked position with your elbow and tuck it into your side. Keep it in the same position when you fully extend and lower the exercise band. Avoid arching your back and rounding your shoulders. Make sure to maintain a flat back throughout the entire range of the movement. Always perform this exercise slow and controlled with a very slow tempo to ensure you’re placing maximum tension on the triceps muscle.
Exercise Instructions (standing one arm): One of your hands will be extended out in front of your body at about waist-level. The other hand will be at your side at waist-level as well. Slowly extend, or ‘kick back,’ the hand that is at your side while keeping that same elbow firmly set in place. Extend your arm back to a point where your elbow becomes completely locked out. It is very important to keep the lead hand that is out in front of your body in a firmly set position throughout this entire exercise. Be sure to squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement and hold for a one-count. Repeat with other arm.
Reps and Sets: Since this is a resistance band exercise, the level of resistance will be minimal when compared with free weights or machines, so your overall repetition range will be 15-20 reps per set. Shoot for 2-3 sets for this exercise and combine a few more exercises to create a great triceps workout routine.
Other Exercises To Use: A few great exercises to combine with the bent over triceps kickbacks are the triceps extensions and bench dips. This will allow you to hit the triceps from different angles which will stimulate the muscle very well in order to make it grow bigger and stronger.
