All about the Cable Pull-Down
(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 Pull-down. 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.
Now, how do we perform the Tricep Pull-down correctly? Hmmm.
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 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 Pull-down (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.
My understanding is that the two distinct forms of the Tricep Cable Pull-down activate slightly 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 a swift Goodbye to your ‘Turkey wings’ – and start to get some beautifully sculpted arm definition.
