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Triceps Pushdown Machine

The cable triceps pushdown presses a bar or rope from chest height to straight arms with the elbows pinned to the ribs, loading the triceps evenly through the whole motion. Maddy makes it the gym-day volume anchor for arm training because it is easy to load, easy to progress, and kind to the elbows. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.

Muscles worked

Triceps · triceps brachii Anconeus

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength4 × 5-6 reps2 min
Muscle3 × 9-12 reps60-90 s
Endurance2-3 × 18-27 reps30-45 s

Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.

Level — Beginner

Beginner; the machine removes balance demands, which is exactly why strictness is the only variable worth watching.

Proper form — 5 cues

  1. Stand tall with a slight forward lean and grip the attachment at chest height.
  2. Pin the elbows to your ribs — they are hinges, not passengers.
  3. Press down to complete lockout and squeeze the triceps for a beat.
  4. Control the return until the forearms pass slightly above ninety degrees.
  5. Keep the wrists straight and the shoulders down away from the ears.

Breathing: Exhale as you press to lockout, inhale as the forearms rise back up.

The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most

Leaning body weight over the cable to push the stack down.. The lean recruits the chest, shoulders, and gravity — the triceps become a spectator holding on. Fix: Set the feet under the hips, lighten the stack, and keep the torso angle identical from first rep to last.
Elbows drifting forward and up on the return.. Drifting elbows turn the movement into a pullover-pressdown hybrid and let the lats share the load. Fix: Imagine your elbows are bolted to your ribs; if they drift, the weight is dictating the movement instead of you.
Stopping ten degrees short of lockout every rep.. The final degrees of extension are the triceps' signature job — skipping them trains everything except the finish. Fix: Make the one-second locked-out squeeze the rep's definition, and count only reps that reach it.

Common questions

Rope or straight bar for pushdowns?

The rope lets your hands turn and split apart at the bottom, which many lifters feel as a harder peak contraction and most wrists find more comfortable. The straight bar allows a touch more load with a fixed path. Neither is wrong — pick by wrist comfort first, then rotate attachments between training blocks so progress never stalls on one groove.

How heavy should triceps pushdowns be?

Heavy enough that the last two reps of each set genuinely slow down, light enough that your elbows stay pinned and your torso never dives over the cable. In practice most people are one or two plates above their honest weight. Drop the pin until every rep locks out with a squeeze, then build back up — the triceps grow from the reps that finish.

Can I replicate pushdowns at home without a cable machine?

A resistance band anchored overhead — over a door anchor or pull-up bar — reproduces the pattern well, with the caveat that band tension rises toward lockout rather than staying even. Pair banded pushdowns with dumbbell lying extensions and kick-backs and the triceps lack nothing at home. The taxonomy's dumbbell extension pages cover both of those in full.

Related exercises

Overhead Cable Triceps ExtensionTriceps Reverse Grip Triceps PushdownTriceps Rope PushdownTriceps Single Hand Cable Triceps PushdownTriceps Single Hand Triceps Dumbbell ExtensionTriceps

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