The pushdown is the default triceps exercise in every gym: elbows at your sides, push a cable bar down to straight arms. Its strength is that the cable keeps a steady load through the whole rep and the setup is almost impossible to get wrong, which is why it is where most people should start and where most triceps volume ends up.
How to do it
- Elbows at your sides and locked there — only the forearm moves.
- Push down to full extension and squeeze before coming back up.
Common mistakes
- Leaning over the bar and pressing with the whole upper body.
What it trains
- Triceps
- extend the elbow — the prime mover, though the long head stays short throughout
- Lats
- hold the upper arms against the ribs so the elbows stay put
- Forearms
- grip the bar and keep the wrists from bending back at lockout
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
How many reps should I do on pushdowns?
Ten to fifteen. It is a single-joint movement on a small muscle, so very heavy low-rep sets mostly turn into leaning your bodyweight onto the bar. Set that range in StackUp and it will suggest the next weight up once your heaviest set tops it.
Do pushdowns build the whole triceps?
Not quite. With the upper arm at your side the long head never lengthens, so it gets the least out of a pushdown. Pair it with an overhead extension and the whole muscle is covered — that combination is why both movements exist.
Overhand or underhand grip?
Overhand for the standard version, which is where you will be strongest. A reverse grip shifts a little emphasis towards the medial head and forces stricter form because you cannot lean into it, but you will use noticeably less weight.
Why am I leaning over the bar?
Because the stack is too heavy and your bodyweight has joined in. Stand a small step back from the tower, keep the torso upright with a slight forward lean that does not change during the set, and take a plate off.
In StackUp. Logged as weight and reps per set, and your heaviest working set decides whether the weight goes up next time. Get the app.
Arms
