Triceps Pressdown: Simple Guide (Tips and Video Demo)

Training

Triceps Pressdown: Simple Guide (Tips and Video Demo)

Written by Herman Leir

The triceps pressdown is one of the ultimate exercises for targeted triceps development, and it can give your upper arms that 3D look so many people dream of.

But there’s one caveat: to get the best possible results, one needs to understand the triceps pressdown, mastering the exercise’s setup, form, and execution.

(Triceps Brachii, Physiopedia)

Man in red sando, doing Triceps Pressdown — **Keep Elbows Tucked In** – Prevents some shoulder involvement and isolates the triceps.

In this full guide to the triceps pressdown, you can find all the essentials on how to perform the exercise on the cable machine. Later on, we will also be taking a look at alternative equipment and the differences between the triceps pressdown and pushdown (are they the same thing?).

How to perform the Triceps Pressdown (Video):

Personal trainer from the HermQ team showing how to do the Triceps Pressdown.

Performing the Triceps Pressdown in 3 Steps

Before diving right into performance, we want to remind you of the importance of warming up before any type of training. For the triceps pressdown, a few sets with lighter weight will do the trick.

Following the warm-up, you can step into the triceps pressdown right away:

Step 1: Setting Up

Girl in gym clothes, doing triceps pressdown — **Use a Moderate Weight** – Focus on form, not just heavy weight.

Start by using enough weight to ensure the exercise is challenging but can still be performed in a safe and controlled manner.

Then, approach the cable machine, standing upright with the feet at shoulder-width apart. Grab the cable as firmly as possible, wrapping the thumbs around the handle.

Finally, don’t forget to take a little step back while holding the cable to ensure there’s enough tension in it.

Step 2: Mastering Form

Shirtless man dooing triceps pressdown — **Extend Fully at the Bottom** – Lock out for a full contraction.

Mastering form is about knowing exactly what to do with your body before executing the triceps pressdown. We suggest focusing on the following essentials:

Elbows: Should be kept close to your sides, maintaining a moderate bend.
Forearms: Should at least be horizontal at the start of every press.
Shoulders: Avoid the rounded shoulders posture by keeping your shoulders back.
Hips: Slightly hinged.
Back: As straight as possible.

Step 3: Executing the Triceps Pressdown

Starting with your forearms in a horizontal shape, push the cable down until your hands are near your thighs. At the bottom of the movement, we recommend that you give your triceps a little squeeze.

As you release the cable up again, focus on controlling the movement without using body weight or swinging to create momentum.

Extra: Cable Machine Attachments

On a final note, please consider that the triceps pressdown can be performed using several cable-machine attachments, not just a bar. These are the three most common options:

Standard straight bar: High level of stability provided by the bar ensures smoother, more easily controlled movement.
Rope: Another classic solution, the rope is on of the best cable machine attachment for a more complete contraction of the triceps.
V-bar: The best for people looking for a comfortable grip, mainly caused by the fact that the hands are placed more closely together and at an angle.

Can You Do the Triceps Pressdown Without the Cable Machine?

Man in black shirt doing Triceps pressdown — **Try Different Grips and Attachments** – Each variation hits the triceps differently.

The triceps pressdown is most commonly associated with the cable machine, but it can be performed (albeit with slight variations) using other types of equipment.

Here are the best alternatives to the cable machine for the triceps pressdown:

Resistance bands: By securely placing a resistance band in a high point (like a doorframe), you can do a pressdown movement similar to the one you would do on the cable machine. It’s a great DIY alternative to the machine, but it has the disadvantage of relying solely on the band’s resistance, and not any type of adjustable weight. Also there is less tension in the stretched postition, which is the most growth promoting.
Barbell and dumbbells: Although not the same thing, the barbell and dumbbell triceps extension are two exercises that can fill in for the triceps pressdown, as they activate the triceps brachii muscles with similar efficiency. Barbell and dumbbell weights can be adjusted, but the provided movement is necessarily different from the one provided by the resistance band, which is closer to the cable-machine triceps pressdown.

Triceps Pressdown vs. Triceps Pushdown

Last but not least, a quick note on the fact that the expressions “pressdown” and “pushdown” are used interchangeably to refer to the same triceps exercise.

While people can sometimes mistake them for two different exercises, “triceps pressdown” and “triceps pushdown” are actually two different names given to the very same thing.