What Is A Good Triceps Exercise?

The triceps brachii sits on the rear of your upper arm between the shoulder and elbow joints. The triceps makes up roughly 75 percent of the upper arm. When determining which exercise is good for working out the triceps, one should consider a few things like safety and ease of performance, impact on the joints and whether it directly targets the triceps muscle. The triceps rope pushdown meets these criteria and can be performed by individuals of all experience levels. To perform this exercise, you will need a rope and a cable machine.

Triceps

The triceps brachii possesses three heads: long, medial and lateral. The triceps plays a role in shoulder adduction, shoulder extension and elbow flexion. In a rope pushdown, the triceps is the primary muscle targeted, and it does all of the work in this exercise movement without the assistance of any other muscles.

Rope Pushdown

To begin, attach the rope on a cable machine, stand facing the cable machine and position your feet staggered apart like in a walking position. Firmly grab the rope near the bottom just above the two knobs. Position the rope so that your hands are level with your eyes when you first grab the rope. Keep your elbows to your sides at all times when performing this exercise. Push the rope down as you fully extend your arms toward the ground but do not lock your elbows. Keep your torso straight and do not rock back and forth. Return to the starting position and choose a weight that allows you to perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps. This exercise can be used by beginners up to advanced weightlifters.

Safety and Caution

The triceps rope pushdown is relatively safe as long as you know how to perform the exercise properly. If unsure, seek assistance from a personal trainer, who can teach you proper form and ensure personal safety. By using a cable machine, you eliminate any potential risks when using dumbbells or barbells such as dropping the weight on your foot.

Low Impact

Cable machines provide constant resistance throughout the exercise movement, allowing for a smooth and complete range of motion. Additionally, the smooth motion decreases any significant impact or strain on the elbow joint when performing a rope pushdown. Low impact on the joints reduces the potential for injuries such as hyperextension, or other tendon and ligament damage.

Convenience

The rope pushdown on a cable machine can also be beneficial for individuals who are really tall or really short. The cable machine allows weightlifters to adjust the positioning of the rope to meet one's height level. Just pull the pin out of the hole and place it in the hole that brings your hands up to eye level when first grabbing the rope. Unlike dumbbells or barbells, weight can be easily adjusted to provide enough of a challenging resistance for weightlifters of all experience levels. You do not have to walk over to a dumbbell rack or bar station to exchange dumbbells or barbells when increasing or decreasing weight. Just pull the pin out of the weight stack and place it in the hole of the weight that you want to use.