How to Maximize Your Tricep Pushdowns

Introduction:

In this article, I'll discuss five strategies to maximize your tricep pushdown. The primary intent of these benefits is tricep hypertrophy or growth. But, remember, your exercise intent always needs to align with your execution. So, if you're performing tricep pushdowns for a different goal, recognize that these strategies may not be specific to you.

Article topics:

• Don't Start From the Top
• Avoid Excessive Trunk Flexion
• Avoid Excessive Shoulder Momentum
• 1:2 Ratio
• Tall-Kneeling Position

If you're a visual learner, click the video below to watch the same concepts that are discussed in this article.

Don't Start From the Top:

Walking up to the cable machine and beginning your tricep pushdowns can be tempting. However, the initial cable position is usually too high, creating two motions — let me explain.

 The ideal isolated tricep pushdown motion should only include elbow extension and elbow flexion. But, when the cable is too high, the shoulder needs to extend to bring the arm in the proper starting position. This is fine if that's the only time the shoulder is extending. But, unfortunately, it usually results in shoulder flexion/extension occurring every rep in a compensatory motion.

 To avoid this, grab the bar and extend your shoulders, so your arms are by your side. From here, lock them in place and move only through elbow flexion/extension.

Avoid Excessive Trunk Flexion

Let me start by saying, you don't want to be upright in a vertical position. Instead, think of being in an athletic "ready" position. This means all trunk flexion is not "bad." 

 What disconnects from the intent is when the trunk is used to help move the weight and assist with elbow extension. Similar to the shoulder in the above step, we want to lock the trunk in place and avoid the compensatory motion when the goal is to isolate the triceps.

Avoid Excessive Shoulder Momentum

This shouldn't be an issue if you can maintain the proper starting position. Besides that, this compensation will become apparent when you're fatiguing. 

 First, you need to be aware that you're starting to move the shoulder, and once you are, you'll need to either clean your form up or rest, depending on your overall fatigue level.

1:2 Ratio:

How often have you seen someone "pumping out" 50 reps as fast as they can or unable to control the bar due to excessive weight? 

 Well, if that's their intent and they are executing it in that manner for a specific purpose, then they're not wrong. However, in our case of tricep hypertrophy, it would be! 

 Instead of the fast reps, look to slow it down to a 1:2 ratio — for example, 2 seconds on the descent and 4 seconds on the ascent. It would help if you did this for hypertrophy training because the eccentric (lengthening) phase is when you will create the most damage to the muscle. This damage is needed for your body to recognize that it needs to grow to make it easier/more efficient the next time you perform the exercise.

Tall-Kneeling Position

This strategy is the most under-appreciated and over-neglected. When you're in a tall-kneeling position, you begin to increase your compensatory references. For example, if you're moving your shoulders, it becomes evident because you're starting so much lower, so your arms move significantly (noticeably) higher. Additionally, if you're bending your trunk, it becomes evident as your whole body moves and begins to feel generally awkward.

 So, tall-kneeling is an excellent method to decrease the number of coaching cues you use while maximizing the opportunity for triceps hypertrophy.