Appears in642 Workouts*

Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown

Target all three heads of the triceps with this essential cable classic. The straight bar offers a stable grip for maximizing tension and building serious upper-arm strength and definition.

The Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown mainly works the triceps, with help from the shoulders and forearms. You'll need: cable machine.

Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown demo video 2
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Required Equipment

Cable Machine
Cable Machine

Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown Muscles Worked

Primary

Triceps (triceps brachii)

Secondary

Front Shoulder (anterior deltoid); Forearm Flexor (brachioradialis)

How to do the Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown

Setup

  • Attach a straight-bar handle to a high-pulley cable machine.

  • Stand facing the machine with your feet hip-width apart.

  • Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands spaced roughly shoulder-width.

Movement

  • Start with your elbows tucked close to your torso and bent at approximately a 90-degree angle, with the bar held near your upper chest.

  • Contract your triceps to push the bar downwards in a controlled arc until your arms are fully extended towards your thighs.

  • Focus on maintaining a stationary upper arm position; only your forearms should move.

  • Squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the movement for a brief second.

  • Slowly return to the starting position by allowing your elbows to hinge, resisting the weight on the way up.

Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown FAQs

What muscles does the Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown work?

The Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown mainly works the triceps, with help from the shoulders and forearms. The main muscles are the triceps brachii.

What equipment do you need for the Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown?

Cable machine.

What workout day should the Cable Straight-Bar Tricep Pushdown go on?

It belongs on push day in a push/pull/legs routine.

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