How to do it
- Attach a rope or bar to a high pulley and stand tall with the elbows pinned to your sides.
- Push down until the arms are fully straight, spreading the rope at the bottom.
- Let the weight return until the forearms are just past parallel.
Cues that matter
- Lock out fully — the last few degrees are where the triceps peak.
- Elbows do not move a centimetre.
Common mistakes
- Leaning over the weight and pushing with the chest and shoulders.
- Letting the elbows flare out on heavy sets.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Triceps
- Lateral head
- Medial head
Also works
- Forearms
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Cable Pushdown in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the triceps with different equipment — for a day the cable is taken, or a gym that does not have one.