Triceps
EZ Bar Cable Pushdown
The EZ Bar Cable Pushdown is a strength exercise on a cable machine for your triceps. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: triceps (lateral head) 40%, triceps (medial head) 28% and triceps (long head) 20%.
How to do it
- Set a pulley at its highest position and clip on a short EZ bar.
- Grip the angled sections of the bar with palms down, hands about shoulder-width.
- Step back half a step, feet hip-width, and pin your elbows to your sides with the forearms just above parallel.
- Push the bar down until your elbows are fully straight and the bar touches your thighs.
- Let the bar rise slowly until the forearms are back just above parallel, elbows still fixed.
Tips
- The angled grip takes pressure off the wrists, so keep the wrists straight and stacked over the bar.
- Lean forward only slightly and keep that angle for the whole set.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows flare out as the bar goes down.
- Letting the bar rise above chest height so the elbows lift off the sides.
Muscles worked by the EZ Bar Cable Pushdown
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Elbow extension with the arm at the side: the lateral and medial heads do most of the work, the long head is active but not lengthened because the shoulder stays neutral.
EZ Bar Cable Pushdown alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
No equipment
Make it harder
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the EZ Bar Cable Pushdown work?
Mainly the triceps (lateral head) and triceps (medial head). The triceps (long head) assist.
Is the EZ Bar Cable Pushdown good for beginners?
Yes. The EZ Bar Cable Pushdown is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the EZ Bar Cable Pushdown?
For example the Band Tricep Pushdown, Machine Tricep Pushdown and Rope Pushdown. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the EZ Bar Cable Pushdown harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Leaning Cable Pushdown and Cross Body Tricep Pushdown.
Sources
- Maeo et al. 2023, Eur J Sport Sci 23(7):1240-1250 (overhead vs neutral arm position)
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