WhatWorksWhat.
Triceps

Cable Triceps Pushdown

Sharp burn on the back of the upper arm at lockout.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Cable machine
  • Triceps
  • Triceps - Inner triceps
  • Triceps - Outer triceps
  • Long-head triceps
  • Outer triceps
  • Inner triceps

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Long-head triceps

    Not hit

    Crosses the shoulder - hit best with arms overhead.

  • Outer triceps

    Hit

    Lateral head - hit hardest with pronated pushdown.

  • Inner triceps

    Hit

    Medial head workhorse - always involved, peaks at lockout.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

7:06· Jeff Nippard

How To Build Huge Triceps with Optimal Training Technique

Cable Triceps Pushdown start position with elbows pinned and forearms bent around 90 degrees.
Start
Cable Triceps Pushdown finish position with arms extended down and elbows pinned to the sides.
Finish

Stand close to the stack, elbows pinned to your sides. Push down by extending only at the elbow. Lock out, then return only to ~90°.

Common mistakes

  • Leaning the torso to use bodyweight.
  • Letting elbows flare forward - turns into a shoulder/chest pushdown.

Where you should feel it

Sharp burn on the back of the upper arm at lockout.

Injury risk · 1/10

SafetyKeep elbows pinned - flaring them shifts load into the shoulder without growing the triceps.

Progression

Step back, or step up.

Same movement family, different rung. Harder versions sit above, easier versions below — tap a rung to land there.

  1. Progress toSkull crusherHeavier elbow extension under stretch.
  2. Progress toOverhead triceps extensionLoads the long head, the part pushdown leaves alone.
  3. You're hereCable Triceps Pushdown
  4. Step back toBench dipBodyweight version - useful when no cable stack is around.

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains triceps. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Rope, palms apart

    Spread the rope at the bottom.

    95% on target

    On target

    More lateral head.

  • V-bar

    Hard pronated.

    90% on target

    On target

    Heaviest loading.

  • Single-arm reverse grip

    Underhand, one arm.

    85% on target

    On target

    Medial head bias.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Overhead Triceps Stretch

    Reach one arm overhead and bend the elbow so the hand drops behind the head. Use the other hand to gently press the elbow back. 30s per side.

    TricepsLats

  • Behind-the-back Triceps Stretch

    One arm reaches behind the back from above, the other behind from below. Try to clasp the hands - or use a towel between if you can't. 30s per side.

    Triceps

Evidence