Cable pushdown: how to do it
Main muscles: Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head. Helpers: Triceps long head. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Cable
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Arms
How to do it
- Elbows against your sides, torso leaning forward a little.
- Extend the arms all the way, short pause at the bottom.
- Return to 90° without letting the weight pull the shoulders up.
Common mistakes
Helping with the torso, elbows coming off the sides.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
- Secondary
- Triceps long head
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Full body, 3 days2 × 8–12
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days3 × 8–12
- 5-day split3 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Dips
Bodyweight · Lower chest, Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
Skull crusher
Barbell · Triceps long head, Triceps medial head
Close-grip push-ups
Bodyweight · Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
Overhead dumbbell extension
Dumbbells · Triceps long head, Triceps medial head
Triceps kickback
Dumbbells · Triceps long head, Triceps lateral head
Bench dips
Bodyweight · Triceps lateral head, Triceps medial head
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
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