Triceps Pushdown

Triceps

Equipment: Cable

New to this

Your first triceps pushdown

What weight should I start with on the triceps pushdown?

Pick a weight you can push for 12 clean reps. On most cable stacks that's somewhere around 30 to 50 lb to start, but stacks differ enough that the rep count is the better guide.

Sets of 10 to 15 suit triceps well. Three sets at the end of a pressing day is plenty.

Stand about a foot back from the machine and lean forward slightly. Standing directly under the cable makes the bottom of every rep awkward.

What usually goes wrong on the triceps pushdown?

Your elbows travel forward and back. Keep them at your sides and let only your forearms move.

You lean your whole bodyweight into the bar. If your heels lift, drop the weight.

You stop short at the bottom. Push until your arms are fully straight and pause for a beat. That lockout is the part that trains the triceps hardest.

If the cable station is busy

Bench dips need nothing but a bench, and the dip machine loads the same muscles with a fixed path if you're not confident holding your own bodyweight yet.

How to do it

Attach a straight or angled bar to a high pulley and grab with an overhand grip (palms facing down) at shoulder width.
Standing upright with the torso straight and a very small inclination forward, bring the upper arms close to your body and perpendicular to the floor. The forearms should be pointing up towards the pulley as they hold the bar. This is your starting position.
Using the triceps, bring the bar down until it touches the front of your thighs and the arms are fully extended perpendicular to the floor. The upper arms should always remain stationary next to your torso and only the forearms should move. Exhale as you perform this movement.
After a second hold at the contracted position, bring the bar slowly up to the starting point. Breathe in as you perform this step.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.