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Triceps Pushdown

Draftstrength50%beginner⬤ limited evidence

View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start: standing facing a cable column with slight forward hip hinge, chest tall, elbows pinned to the ribs, forearms raised to about 90° of elbow flexion gripping the bar/rope at upper-chest height
End: elbows fully extended pressing the handle down toward the thighs at lockout, elbows still pinned to the sides
Range of Motion: elbow extension from ~90° flexion to full lockout (~90-0°); elbows fixed at the sides

How to Perform

Stand facing a cable column with a straight bar or rope attachment set at upper-chest height. With elbows pinned to your sides and a slight forward hinge at the hips, extend the elbows fully to push the handle down toward the thighs, then control the return until the forearms rise to roughly 90 degrees of elbow flexion without letting the elbows drift forward.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Triceps Pushdown”

Equipment:cable machinestraight bar or rope attachmentresistance band (alternative)

Starting position: standing

Coaching Cues

1
Pin your elbows to your ribs — only the forearms should move.
(internal)
2
Push the handle straight down to the floor and pause briefly at full lockout.
(external)
3
Keep the chest tall and shoulders down; do not shrug or lean onto the bar as you press.
(internal)
4
Let the handle rise slowly on the way up, stopping when the forearms reach about parallel to the floor.
(external)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

For strength/hypertrophy in healthy adults, 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions at moderate-to-hard effort, 2-3 sessions per week, consistent with general resistance-training guidelines; no pushdown-specific dosing trials exist.

EMG Activation Data

Surface EMG comparisons of common triceps exercises consistently show the pushdown produces high activation of the lateral and medial heads of the triceps brachii, with somewhat lower relative recruitment of the long head because the arm-at-side position keeps the biarticular long head shortened at the shoulder. Training studies comparing arm-at-side versus overhead elbow extension suggest greater long-head hypertrophy when the shoulder is flexed (long head at longer lengths), so the pushdown is best viewed as biased toward the monoarticular heads. Rope attachments allowing terminal wrist spread and full elbow lockout are commonly reported to increase peak activation near end range compared with a fixed straight bar, though differences between attachments are modest.

Muscles Involved (8)

Primary Movers

Triceps Brachii— Prime mover for elbow extension; all three heads contribute, with the long head relatively shortened at the shoulder in this arm-at-side position.

Stabilizers

Posterior Deltoid— Works isometrically to keep the humerus at the side and resist the cable pulling the arm into flexion.

Latissimus Dorsi— Isometric shoulder extension/depression torque to anchor the upper arm against the rising cable line of pull.

Lower Trapezius— Maintains scapular depression so the movement is not substituted with shrugging or leaning.

Rectus Abdominis— Braces the trunk against the anterior-superior pull of the cable, especially at heavier loads.

Lengthened / Stretched

Brachialis— Antagonist elbow flexor lengthening as the elbow extends.

Biceps Brachii— Antagonist elbow flexor that lengthens under control through the pressing phase.

Synergists & Assistors

AnconeusSynergist— Assists elbow extension and stabilizes the humeroulnar joint, particularly at initiation and near lockout.

Easier Variations ↓

Band Triceps Pushdown

Anchor a light resistance band overhead (door anchor or pull-up bar) and perform the same movement; the ascending band resistance is lighter in the lengthened position and easier to control.

Half-Range Pushdown

Perform the pushdown only through the bottom half of the range (from 90 degrees to full extension) with lighter load, useful early in rehab for lateral elbow or triceps tendon irritability.

Harder Variations ↑

Single-Arm Rope Pushdown

Perform one arm at a time with a rope handle, adding an anti-rotation trunk demand and exposing side-to-side strength asymmetries.

Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Face away from the column and extend the elbows with the arms overhead; this trains the long head at longer muscle lengths and increases the shoulder-stability demand.

Target Movements (1)

Elbow ExtensionHumeroulnar Joint

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Pushing Up from Chair Pushing (Doors, Carts)

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Improve Overhead Pressingperformance

Research Notes

claude-researched 2026-07; muscle/movement links validated against the roster. Adversarial clinical verification pending — do not promote past needs_review without human review.