Tricep Pushdowns

Tricep pushdowns have always been recommended as a great exercise for building mass on your triceps. These pushdowns use few muscles, thus allowing you to put your complete focus on your tricep muscles. The tricep muscles located at the end of your upper arm comprises three muscles and are bigger than the bicep muscles found at the front of the arm. Let's look at some different variations of tricep pushdowns.

Tricep Pushdown Exercises

Tricep Pushdown: Stand facing a pulley at a height with a straight, cambered or V bar. In an erect posture, hold the bar shoulder width apart. Keep your stomach tight, chest straight and have stable elbows. Place your elbows under control and lower the bar down. Stop just before your elbows are straight and come back to the original position of the bar. You should stop when your elbows are parallel to the ground and reverse the motion. Perform 15 reps of 3 sets.

Resistance Band Tricep Pushdown: Stand in an erect posture while you hold the exercise bar tubing. You can attach this exercise equipment around a pole, fence, back deck or a tree. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, chest firm and up, and elbows stable. Lower the tubing down while keeping your elbows stable and in a flexible motion. Halt before your elbows are straight and go back to the original position of the bar. Stop the hand motion when your elbows are parallel from the ground and then reverse the motion. The difference between this exercise and tricep pushdown is, in this workout you need to stand away from the tubing. While in a tricep pushdown, the distance is very less. Do 15 reps of 2 sets.

One Arm Tricep Pushdown: Take a few steps away from the machine and hold the fastening with an underarm grip. If you are comfortable, you can stand with one foot in front of the other. Begin the exercise with the handle in front of your chin. Push down the handle to your waist level while keeping the elbow at your side at all times. Lock the elbow when you reach waist level and squeeze your tricep. Return to the starting position and repeat the same movement for the other arm. Do 10 reps on each arm for 3 sets.

Reverse Tricep Pushdown: Set a bar attachment on a pulley. Face the bar, hold it with your palms facing up at shoulder width. Lower the bar until your arms are fully extended by your sides. Lift the bar as you breath in so it is adjusted with your chest. Forearms should do all the movement and the elbows should be fixed at your side. Lower the cable and bring it down to the starting position while you breath out, contracting the tricep muscles hard. Do 15 reps of 2 sets.

Tricep Pushdown with Rope: Fix a rope attachment on a high pulley and hold it with an easy grip, your palms should be facing each other. Stand in an erect posture, with a very small inclination forward. The upper arms should be close to your chest, make sure your arms are parallel to the floor. Your upper arms should not move and remain next to your torso, pull the rope down as you exhale, remember to move only your forearms. Hold the stretched position for a second then bring the rope slowly back to the starting point and inhale as you perform this step. Do 13 reps of two sets.

So these were the different types of tricep pushdowns. Always perform tricep pushdowns after you have exercised your chest or shoulders, or if you are doing them before any exercise have a good warm up.