Exercise · form guide
Tricep Pushdown (Cable)
- Primary muscle
- Triceps (all 3 heads
- Also works
- lateral emphasis)
- Equipment
- Cable Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Tempo
1-0-2-1 (1s down, squeeze, 2s return, 1s stretch)
Push through the pinky, not the thumb. This simple cue shifts work from forearm to the lateral head of the tricep.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Upper arms locked to sides throughout
- Full extension at bottom — squeeze hard
- Controlled return to 90°+ for stretch
- Elbows shouldn't drift forward or back
- Try rope attachment for better lateral head isolation
Common mistakes
- Elbows flying out = front delts take over
- Partial ROM at bottom — missing the squeeze
Injury notes
Wrist pain? Use neutral-grip rope or EZ bar
Progression
Increase 2.5kg when reps hit top of range with good form.
Indian gym reality
Cable stations in most tier-2 and tier-3 Indian gyms sit at the back with one shared pulley — expect a queue during peak hours (7–9 am and 6–9 pm). Bring supersets or plan this lift for off-peak windows.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Loop a resistance band around a fixed pole or rack — mimics the constant-tension profile of a cable.
- Use the free-weight version of the same pattern; the machine's guidance is convenience, not necessity.
Home & hostel version
Pull-ups from a doorway bar (₹500 on Amazon) are the single best home back exercise. Add a resistance band assist if you can't hit 5 clean reps.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Tricep Pushdown (Cable) work?
Primarily Triceps (all 3 heads, lateral emphasis). Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Tricep Pushdown (Cable) per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
My Indian gym doesn't have this machine — what do I do?
See the "If your gym doesn't have this equipment" section above — every variant listed is a legitimate substitute, not a compromise.
How often should I do Tricep Pushdown (Cable)?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
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