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Tricep pushdowns

AR-15

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Ok so can someone give me the skinny on which bar hits what part of your triceps on cable pushdowns? I mostly trained for strength but now that I want to be more specific about targeting certain muscles I feel like I’m selling myself by just using the small Vbar all the time. Is there benefits to using a straight bar or ropes or whatever else when you hitting your triceps? Reverse grip? Yes/no? I’m sure I’m missing something. Thanks in advance
 
Ok so can someone give me the skinny on which bar hits what part of your triceps on cable pushdowns? I mostly trained for strength but now that I want to be more specific about targeting certain muscles I feel like I’m selling myself by just using the small Vbar all the time. Is there benefits to using a straight bar or ropes or whatever else when you hitting your triceps? Reverse grip? Yes/no? I’m sure I’m missing something. Thanks in advance
I use all vbar rope and the cable call 4 pull down
 
Straight bar kills my elbows. It feels like something is going to pull loose on the inside elbow. VBar gives the best grip and allows for the most weight. Ropes are a little easier on elbows than straight, but most of the failure is in the grip, so it is hitting forearms too. I tend to feel ropes in the top of the tricep. IMHO, vbar is best at isolating tricep overall.
 
Lately I been using a wide grip on a pull down bar and been getting a great connection and pump. Vbar is probably my favorite but rarely sore from it no matter what weight I use, this new grip I’m sore every time with less weight.
 
Yeah I always used the small vbar the most but it seems like I’m also too used to it because the weight I’m getting into is hard to handle sometimes. If I don’t go super heavy I don’t feel shit.


Lately I been using a wide grip on a pull down bar and been getting a great connection and pump. Vbar is probably my favorite but rarely sore from it no matter what weight I use, this new grip I’m sore every time with less weight.
 
V, straight , reverse grip(takes time), rope or towel, parallel.

Max
I like the slightly curved for reg/reverse
 
All of the exercises have use if you are trying to develop visually appealing, balanced muscles.
 
When it comes to triceps and biceps, I personally never use a straight bar.. honestly if you had a carbon copy and one trained with straight bar movements and the other did variations with ropes in different variations of grits that weren't fixed, you won't see much of a difference.

When doing tricep extensions pull downs, they will work the lateral head of the muscle mostly, when doing a hammer grip with overheads or DB skull crushers it will incorporate more of the long head.

One of my personal favorites is the long rope extension.. lean forward a bit more, and you get a lot more range of motion and contraction with using the long rope. If you don't have one you can just rig up two ropes side by side.. it gives you a nice stretch when you come all the way up to the top, and a hell of a pump when you come all the way down and you can track and hold.. right from there you can do a nice superset by immediately spinning around and turning it into an overhead extension by leaning forward with using the same upper pulley.
Single hand upper cable tricep extension with arm close and in front of body, you can use your other free hand to assist and help you cheat with a few more reps.

Seated plate dips, you don't need many plates, but just drop set with these and bail with the plate, three sets to failure.

You really only need four movements tops.. and during the week throw in two of your favorite tricep movements with 4 x 15 for pumps.

I've always had great mind to muscle connection with my triceps. They respond best to more time under tension, truly contracting and stretching the fuck out of them.
Between sets you can do a killer stretch that is equally painful as the movement. Standing bench tricep stretch.. i will also lay my forearms in front of me on the preacher curl machine will seated with my hands in neutral grip position.. while leaning my chest onto my arms holding the stretch 60 seconds after each set..
 
I use rope a lot and really pull the rope apart at the bottom , I use the z bar and v bar also . I don’t really focuse on the amount of weight , but constant tension on the muscle and breaking it down !
 
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I would imagine the difference between bars to be slight honestly.
The move itself is mainly a pump/finish exercise and not a great mass-builder.
I see guys at the gym, just using cables, doing these like every day.
Their physique has not changed a bit in 10 years. I do like them however at the end.

I lean into them a bit, almost over.
I bring the bar up to forehead almost, leaning into them, its sort of like a lying skull-crusher (only standing).
I feel I can go heavier and get a bit more out of them.
 
I use rope a lot and really pull the rope apart at the bottom , I use the z bar and v bar also . I don’t really focuse on the amount of weight , but constant tension on the muscle and breaking it down !
exactly.. full true ROM, mechanics of the movement.
I to use a lot of ropes/cables. Fuck the weight, make anything feel heavy if the mind to muscle connection is there.. It's all about that tempo, that lockout squeeze at the end, hold it, slow negative and NO hold at start, fire away instantly back into the movement with a TRUE nice ROM.. feel the TRUE mechanics of the ROM.. Once people have to muscle it and form compromises its no longer effective.. This is one of the movements where cheats don't work. If form falls apart, drop set that mother fucker and rip 2 more, if form is shit again, drop again. Or get it on the next set.

1) One great way to do these is single handed pull downs, use the ball on the cable.. single hand in front of chest. and when at failure someone can use the other hand with just 2 fingers to help assist with a few more reps by pushing on the wrist/cable of the the hand in motion.. Great self assisting movement. Between sets, do full tri stretches for holds of 30-60 secs and repeat movement. if done right, not much is need for tris..

Example:

CHEST/TRI (side delt pump) DAY

Chest routine

Tri's
1) Rope pull downs 4 x 15 or V-bar
2) single handed pull downs, either in front or have back facing cable machine 2 x 12
3) dip machine 4 x 10-12
4) slight incline on portable bench, DB skull crushers or laying on floor BD skull crushers

delt pumps Movements

Later in the week on shoulder day, toss in 1 Tri movement of choice on cable. V bar, behind head rope tri extensions, supinated cable single hand grip. the list goes on..
4 x 15

Love cables!
 
I would imagine the difference between bars to be slight honestly.
The move itself is mainly a pump/finish exercise and not a great mass-builder.
I see guys at the gym, just using cables, doing these like every day.
Their physique has not changed a bit in 10 years. I do like them however at the end.

I lean into them a bit, almost over.
I bring the bar up to forehead almost, leaning into them, its sort of like a lying skull-crusher (only standing).
I feel I can go heavier and get a bit more out of them.

These are great, I would toss these in on days where it was a tri pump, 1 movement of choice.
Same, bend over, bar to forehead and extend to full lockout and squeeze on the hold, slow release getting that full stretch and back to lock out.
4 sets until complete failure, reps greater than 15 - up to 20 at times.

Very convenient when gym is packed and a cable machine is open, its in and out with this one. Hits them hard too for a good pump!
 
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