The Top Exercise for Building Stronger and More Defined Arms, Recommended by a Trainer

One trip to the grocery store is often enough to show just how much arm strength matters. Even if you regularly train your arms, you may be overlooking a key muscle group. Many focus on the front of the arms with exercises like bicep curls or hammer curls, but the tricepsthe muscles at the back of the armsfrequently get neglected.

Stephanie Mansour, a top trainer featured in the Start TODAY app, highlights a single exercise that effectively targets and tones the triceps for stronger, more defined arms.

Trainer Tip: The Ultimate Move for Arm Toning

Mansour recommends tricep kickbacks as the go-to exercise. "Tricep kickbacks are fantastic because they tighten and shape the back of the arms, which is often where we notice flabbiness," says Mansour, a certified personal trainer and fitness contributor for TODAY.

This exercise involves leaning slightly forward while holding a dumbbell in each hand. With elbows in place, bend and extend your arms backward. Not only does this strengthen the triceps, it also engages the core for balance. Unlike some other tricep exercises, kickbacks prevent the front of the arms from taking over, ensuring your focus remains on the back.

"Many people concentrate on bicep curls and the front of the upper arm, neglecting the triceps," Mansour notes. "Even when attempting to target the triceps, the biceps can sometimes dominate. Tricep kickbacks solve both of these issues."

How to Do Tricep Kickbacks

Mansour demonstrates this move step by step in her 10-Minute Upper-Body Basics routine. Start with light weights and follow these instructions:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting your arms hang naturally at your sides.
3. Hinge at your hips so your torso forms a diagonal line, chest facing the ground.
4. Lift the weights toward your chest, keeping elbows at a 90-degree angle and upper arms close to your sides.
5. From this position, extend your forearms backward while keeping elbows steady. Imagine pushing the weights toward the back of the room.
6. Squeeze your triceps at the top, then return to the starting position with elbows bent.

Once tricep kickbacks feel manageable, you can increase repetitions or weight, or switch to alternative exercises such as tricep dips or skull crushers to challenge the muscles differently.

Additional Workouts and Tips

Explore routines that focus on triceps for stronger, more toned arms. TODAYs Expert Tip of the Day series offers simple strategies from qualified experts covering fitness, diet, mental health, and more, every weekday.

Author: Sophia Brooks