Tricep Pushdown
Rep Range
8–12
Rest Time
1m 30s
Increment
5 lb
Muscles Worked
How to Perform
- 1
Set the pulley to the appropriate height for the exercise — low for curls, high for tricep pushdowns, mid for crossovers.
- 2
Grip the handle or attachment firmly. Step into a stable stance with a slight stagger for balance.
- 3
Perform the movement by contracting only the target muscle. Cables provide constant tension, so move slowly and deliberately.
- 4
Control the return to the starting position. The cable should never go slack during the set.
Common Mistakes
Flaring the elbows out wide, which shifts the load off the triceps and onto the shoulders.
Using momentum or swinging the upper arm. Keep the upper arm fixed and move only from the elbow.
Not fully locking out the arm, which is where the triceps work hardest. Complete the range of motion.
Pro Tips
Squeeze at full lockout for a full second. The triceps are strongest at full extension, so that is exactly where you should hold the contraction.
Experiment with different grips — overhand, underhand, rope, and V-bar all hit slightly different heads of the triceps.
Related Exercises
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