Triceps
Leaning Cable Pushdown
The Leaning 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) 38%, triceps (medial head) 27% and triceps (long head) 23%.
How to do it
- Set a pulley at its highest position and clip on a straight bar.
- Grip the bar palms down at shoulder-width and step back about one step.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso leans forward about 30 to 40 degrees, elbows slightly in front of the body.
- Push the bar down and back until the elbows are fully straight and the bar reaches the thighs.
- Let the bar rise slowly until the forearms pass the upper arms at a deep bend, keeping the lean fixed.
Tips
- Hold the forward lean still: it gives you a longer range than an upright pushdown.
- Keep the elbows at the same spot in space from the first rep to the last.
Common mistakes
- Standing up out of the lean as the set gets hard.
- Pulling the bar down with the shoulders and lats instead of straightening the elbows.
Muscles worked by the Leaning 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.
Leaning forward flexes the shoulder a little and lengthens the long head. 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.
Leaning Cable Pushdown alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
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No equipment
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Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Leaning Cable Pushdown work?
Mainly the triceps (lateral head) and triceps (medial head). The triceps (long head) assist.
Is the Leaning Cable Pushdown good for beginners?
The Leaning Cable Pushdown is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Band Tricep Pushdown first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Leaning Cable Pushdown?
For example the Band Tricep Pushdown, Machine Tricep Pushdown and EZ Bar Cable Pushdown. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
Sources
- Maeo et al. 2023, Eur J Sport Sci 23(7):1240-1250 (overhead vs neutral arm position)
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