Triceps Rope Pushdown

The triceps rope pushdown is a cable exercise that targets the muscles on the back of your upper arm. You push a rope attachment down from a high cable pulley, straightening your elbows against resistance.

Set up by attaching a rope handle to a high cable pulley. Stand facing the machine with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Grab one end of the rope in each hand with a neutral grip, palms facing each other. Start with your elbows bent at about 90 degrees and tucked in close to your sides. Your forearms should be roughly parallel to the floor.

Push the rope down by straightening your arms. As you reach the bottom, pull the ends of the rope slightly apart so your palms face outward at lockout. Control the rope as it rises back up until your elbows bend to about 90 degrees. Keep your upper arms still throughout the rep; only your forearms move.

Breathe out as you push down and breathe in as the rope returns. Keep your ribs down and your torso upright without leaning into the movement. To make it easier, use less weight or reduce the range of motion. To make it harder, slow down the lowering phase or add a brief pause at full extension.

Fault: Your elbows drift away from your body. Fix: Pin your upper arms against your sides and imagine they are glued there for the entire set.

Fault: You lean forward or use your body to shove the weight down. Fix: Stand tall with a slight forward lean from the ankles, keep your core tight, and move only at the elbows.

Fault: The rope shoots back up uncontrollably. Fix: Take two to three seconds to lower the rope back to the start, feeling tension in your triceps the whole way.

Fault: You stop before your arms fully straighten. Fix: Push until your elbows lock, then spread the ends of the rope apart for a strong finish at the bottom.