Chest Pressdown
Target your lower chest with the Chest Pressdown. A great exercise for building size and strength!
The Chest Pressdown is a compound exercise that mainly works the chest. You'll need: cable machine or straight bar attachment.
Required Equipment
Chest Pressdown Muscles Worked
Primary
Chest (pectoralis major, sternal head); Upper Chest (pectoralis major, clavicular head)
Chest Pressdown Variations and Alternatives
How to do the Chest Pressdown
Stand facing away from a cable machine with a bar attached to the high pulley.
Grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands a bit more than shoulder-width apart.
Step forward so that there's tension on the cable and you can lean slightly forward from the hips, feet shoulder-width apart.
Extend your elbows and push the bar down towards your hips, without locking out your elbows at the bottom.
Slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position, controlling the weight as you feel a stretch in your chest.
Focus on keeping your chest up and shoulders back throughout the movement to avoid rounding your back.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions and sets.
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Chest Pressdown FAQs
What muscles does the Chest Pressdown work?
The Chest Pressdown mainly works the chest. The main muscles are the pectoralis major.
What equipment do you need for the Chest Pressdown?
Cable machine or straight bar attachment.
Is the Chest Pressdown a compound exercise?
Yes. It's a compound movement, meaning it trains several muscle groups at once rather than isolating one.
What workout day should the Chest Pressdown go on?
It belongs on push day in a push/pull/legs routine.
What are some Chest Pressdown variations and alternatives?
Similar exercises include the Cable Hammer Pushdown Jack, Cable Seated Chest Press, Cable Seated Front Press and Cable Bench Press.
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