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Triceps Pushdown

beginner · isolation

Triceps Pushdown

Setup

Clip a straight bar or a rope to the highest pulley on the cable stack, above head height, so the handle hangs at upper-chest level. Stand about one step away, with your feet slightly staggered and a small forward lean.

Execution

  1. Take the handle, tuck both elbows against your ribs and keep them there for the whole set.
  2. Exhale and straighten your arms down over 1-2 seconds until the elbows are fully extended.
  3. Hold one beat at the bottom and squeeze the triceps, without snapping the elbow into a hard lock.
  4. Inhale and let the handle rise over 3 seconds until your forearms are parallel to the floor.
  5. Keep the torso still so that only the forearms move from the first rep to the last.

Breathing

Exhale as you press down, inhale as the handle comes back up. Keep the rhythm steady because it runs at high reps.

Quick cues

  • Elbows pinned to your ribs.
  • Only the forearms move.
  • Take longer coming up than going down.
  • No snapping the elbow straight.
  • Imagine snapping a lolly stick.

Common faults

  • Fault: The elbows drifting forward and up on every rep

    Fix: Pin a towel between your upper arm and your ribs and keep it from falling all set.

  • Fault: Leaning the whole body down to drive the handle

    Fix: Step back half a pace, drop one plate and hold the torso at a fixed angle.

  • Fault: Only half-extending, with the arms never straightening

    Fix: Lower the load and pause for one beat at full extension on every rep.

  • Fault: The shoulders shrugging so the upper traps take over

    Fix: Set the shoulders down before you start and think about sliding your shoulder blades into your back pockets.

Equipment

cable

Muscle groups

arms