Regular weight training plays an important role in any training to get stronger, increase lean muscle mass and reduce body fat. It also helps you strengthen bones and joints to make you less prone to injury and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. The triceps pushdown may be part of your weight training regimen. When isolating your triceps for a workout, it's important to use correct form to avoid injury.
Basic Movement and Muscles Worked
As the name suggests, triceps pushdowns work your triceps using a high pulley or pulldown machine as you follow basic pushdown form holding the pulldown bar. The triceps are responsible for two movements of your arm -- they work to straighten your elbow from a flexed position, and play a role in extending and adducting your shoulder. The triceps pushdown only works the first of these functions, but it can still be an effective exercise in your routine, regardless of your goals.
Variations
The easiest way to vary the basic pushdown is to change your grip so that your palms are facing up. You may have to reduce the weight slightly when doing this, as it will be a tougher challenge for your grip strength. If your gym has them, you also can use different cable attachments. Rope handles, V handles, fat bars and parallel handles all will provide a new test. Finally, try slowing down your repetitions so that you take five seconds to push down, and resist the movement for five seconds on the way back up.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Weight training exercises can be split into two categories -- compound exercises, in which two or more joints and muscle groups are being trained, and isolation exercises, which work just one joint and muscle. Pushdowns isolate your triceps, which is great if they are lagging behind other body parts, and you want to give them some extra attention. However, strength coach Chad Waterbury writes in his article "Build Big Triceps Fast" that the triceps are designed to work with the shoulder joint, and isolation exercises can put them at a higher risk of injury.
Pushdowns in Your Routine
Charles Poliquin, trainer and owner of Poliquin Performance Center for elite athletes in Chicago, recommends ditching pushdowns altogether, and doing parallel bar dips, dumbbell extensions and close grip bench press variations instead. However, if your triceps are an area which you feel need more attention you may still wish to include pushdowns in your routine, but do them at the end of a workout, after you have performed your compound movements. You also may find that they are not particularly beneficial when training for weight loss, as isolation movements don't burn many calories, so you would be better off sticking to full body compound movements.
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