How to Triceps Pushdown

Triceps Pushdown is a formative, isolated triceps exercise that will help make your arms more sculpted and strong. Let’s look at the technique of performing triceps extensions, their variations, and typical mistakes that should be avoided.

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 Technique and Types of Triceps Extension

With proper exercise, in addition to triceps, other muscles should not be included in the work. The only exceptions are the body stabilizers working in static and, in fact, the arms with which you hold the handle. If you feel that some other muscle group is actively working in the triceps pushdown exercises, you are doing it incorrectly.

1) Classic Triceps Pushdown

This is a triceps extension with the handle of the upper block. Begin with a warm-up. Exercise can be performed in the block simulator (triceps extension in the crossover).

The handle can be different – a short straight line, a curve line, or rope with which do triceps pushdown.

Use to Different Grip Options:

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How to Do Technique:

1. Hang a short straight handle. Grasp it with a direct grip (palm down). Thumb on top, not bottom.
2. The effectiveness of the load depends on the position of the elbows – the elbows should be pressed to the body. Bend your arms a little more than 90 degrees.
3. The position of the feet can be either on one straight line, or one leg a little forward, and the other a little back. Your task is to get up as steadily as possible. The feet are already shoulders apart, the distance between them is 15–20 cm.
4. The loin is arched, the chest is straightened, the eyes are watching straight. With the weight of the body, we press the handle from above as if hanging over it. This is necessary so that you do not hold the weight of the latissimus dorsi. Therefore, we fix the body in this way. Due to the fact that the elbows are pressed to the body, and you hang over the handle, arching your lower back, you will only pump triceps in isolation.
5. From the “arms curl” position, lower the weight down with the triceps force. The elbows should not diverge to the sides, they are always pressed to the body.

Do 10-15 warm-up reps at an average pace while standing. Then hang the right weight and work 3-4 sets of 8-15 times, depending on the goals of your training.

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2) Curved Triceps Pushdown

Exercise is performed while standing. To pumping the outer part of the triceps, use a curved handle. In this position, the load goes more to the external triceps bundle.

It is better to alternate triceps extension as follows: once a week you do an exercise with a straight handle, next week with a curved one. So you can workouts triceps from all sides.

Variation 1:

One-Hand Triceps Cable Extension – Video Guide:

How to Do Technique:

1. Hang the curved handle. Grasp with a forward or reverse grip. Closed grip.
2. The effectiveness of the load depends on the position of the elbows – keep your elbows closer to your body. Hands in a 45-degree position.
3. The position of the feet in one line in front of the simulator, or put one leg forward so that there is more emphasis for working with large weights.
4. Your task is to stand stable.
5. Bend in the lower back, chest protrudes slightly forward, look in front of you.
6. With your body weight, press on the curved handle using the muscles of your triceps and extend your arms at the elbows.
7. In this exercise, weight is not as important as the technique of execution.
8. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the exercise.

Do 10-15 warm-up reps at a medium pace while standing. Then pick the weight you want and do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Cable Overhead Tricep Extension

In addition to the usual triceps extension, there is also a single triceps extension in the crossover. In this simulator, there are 2 lower blocks that can be used to simulate the exercise “dumbbells french press”.

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1. Attach the crossover handle to the bottom of the for one hand.
2. Sit on the bench so that the handle with the cable from the bottom block is behind your head.
3. Raise your elbow up with your hand behind your head.
4. The cable should not be pressed against your back. To prevent this from happening, take your hand back a little further than in the usual version of the exercise with dumbbells.
5. The movement starts from the back of the head, straighten your arm. Then bend again.

Repeat 10-12 times in 3 sets.

This exercise option may be needed if you want to do a dumbbell bench press from behind your head, but the desired dumbbell is busy. The block version – triceps pushdown is not as convenient as with a dumbbell, but you should know about it anyway.

Variation 2:

Incline Triceps Cable Extension – Video Guide:

Before you Start Perform Triceps Extension

Despite the fact that the exercise is relatively simple, pay attention to a number of contraindications to its implementation.

1. If the elbows hurt, it is not recommended to do the exercise until the acute pain syndrome has passed. It is advisable to do an MRI of the elbow joint to clarify the etiology (origin) of pain.
2. If your wrists hurt, you should also let them recover. You can try using a medium-hard wrists fixation. If you doing triceps extension with wrists fixation and you, not in pain – exercise calmly.

Common Mistakes of a Triceps extension

Knowing what mistakes most people make, you can better control your own technique.

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1. Flexion of the wrist. The wrist should be on the same line as the elbow. Typically, beginners bend them down, increasing the load on the wrist. Naturally, it can hurt your wrist during exercise.
2. The elbows are wide apart. In this position, the latissimus dorsi muscles are connected to fix the arms in the starting position. Focusing on triceps training will no do. And you can not perform the exercise with the right weight.
3. You got too close to the cable block. In this case, a lot of weight will pull you up, and to perform the triceps extension, you will pull your elbows back. And again, the fixation of the body is lost.

Conclusion

Triceps extension in Crossover blocks implies high-quality and isolating technique, and not work for strength (up to 8 repetitions). Choose a lightweight, perform up to 12 times, most importantly, a burning sensation in the triceps.

Girls should not perform arm extension on a block with a large weight, 15–20 repetitions with handles with a grip on top are enough, girls do not need a reverse grip for the forearm.