All about the Tricep PullDown
(Triceps)
BENEFITS & MUSCLES WORKED: All three parts of the Triceps – Long, Lateral, and Medial heads.
START POSITION: Stand in front of a cable machine and grab the bar using a Pronated Grip (overhand). Tuck your elbows into your sides (they don’t actually have to touch) and bend your knees very slightly. Allow the cable to pull your arms upwards without pulling your elbows upwards and outwards. This is the Start position.
NOTES: Difficulty Rating: 73%
The first thing to note here is the confusion surrounding the naming of this exercise.
I was first introduced to this exercise by an old-school expert who owned and operated an old-school gym (before the Internet and social media had a significant impact on the world). Back then, it was called the Tricep Pulldown. And that is the name I will always associate with it. But it seems that nowadays, half the Internet is calling it the Tricep Pushdown. 🙁
Too much confusion! Too much information! Call it whatever you want to call it – make sure you do it right.
The triceps pulldown primarily targets the lateral and long heads of the triceps. It also engages the medial head to some extent. While it’s mainly a triceps exercise, it can also work your forearms and core for stabilization. Now, how do we perform the Tricep Pulldown correctly?
Mine is an old-school form, and I make no apologies for that – it worked for me and made me run so much faster. However, it appears that a new form of this exercise is now in circulation. That’s fair enough. My advice is to experiment (within reasonable bounds) and see what works best for you.
The form that I use for the Tricep Pulldown involves a more upright stance and standing closer to the cable machine (so that the cable almost brushes against my nose). And my feet have a slightly wider stance than the more modern form of the Tricep Pulldown (or Pushdown).
I am sure that a more modern form of this exercise is being taught in Sports Universities, and I am not going to argue against the sports scientists. Still, instead of some sacred principles that I have learned and proven in competition, I tend to follow my internal instincts and block out all else. All I can say is that you should try both techniques and compare the results for yourself.
These two distinct forms of the Tricep Pulldown activate different parts of the Tricep muscle, and likely, there is more Shoulder engagement in the modern form of the exercise. The modern form has a narrower foot separation and a bend at the hip joint so that the upper body is leaning forward (thereby encouraging the upper body to lean into the weight, which, in my simple purist opinion, is cheating). Maybe you should do both forms? I will leave it up to your judgment.
Breathe out as you push down and in as you bring the bar back up again. Pause for a split second at the bottom of the move. Keep it smooth and controlled, with no rocking, swaying, or jerking.
Finally, you can say Goodbye to your ‘Turkey wings’ – and start to get some beautifully sculpted arm definition.
5 Tips for doing the Tricep Pulldown with perfect form
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent for stability
- As you pull the bar down, focus on squeezing your triceps at the bottom of the movement
- Ensure that you keep your elbows tucked in and your wrists straight throughout the exercise
- Slow and controlled movements are key
- Avoid using momentum or swinging your body to pull the weight down
The Tricep Pulldown is just one of several excellent Tricep exercises that I do. The Pulldown is best left to the end because it is perfect for doing dropsets, where you slowly decrease the weight and keep doing reps until you get a final burnout. Here are three other excellent exercises for Triceps:
