Exercises / Triceps Pushdown

Triceps Pushdown

Also known as: Cable pushdown, Tricep pushdown, Pressdown

A cable pushdown. The elbows stay pinned as the handle is pressed to a straight-arm finish.

Primary muscles
Triceps (triceps brachii)
Equipment
Cable (high pulley, straight bar or rope)
Pattern
Isolation
Difficulty
Beginner
Line diagram of a Triceps Pushdown.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Line-art start of a straight-bar cable pushdown.
Triceps pushdown with cable 1.svg by Everkinetic, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA (share-alike). Source.
Line-art lockout of a straight-bar cable pushdown.
Triceps pushdown with cable 2.svg by Everkinetic, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA (share-alike). Source.

Cues

  1. Stand facing a high cable, take a bar or rope, and pin the elbows to the sides.
  2. Start with the elbows bent and the upper arms still; the only move is the forearms pressing down.
  3. Finish with the elbows straight and the triceps short; do not lean into the stack.
  4. Return until the elbows are bent and the triceps stretch, without letting the shoulders shrug up.
  5. Keep the wrists stacked; do not turn the pressdown into a wrist dump.

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows and turning it into a dip or a pulldown.
  • Leaning the whole torso down to move a stack that is too heavy.
  • Cutting the lockout short so the triceps never finish.

Safety

  • Pin the elbows. A slammed stack means the load is too high.
  • Stop if you feel sharp elbow pain at lockout.