Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown

What is the Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown?

The reverse-grip pushdown is a cable triceps isolation done with an underhand, palms-up grip on a single handle or bar. Supinating the grip changes the triceps’ line of pull to emphasise the medial head (the lower inner portion) and tends to keep the elbows tucked, making it a good complement to the standard overhand pushdown.

Muscles worked

Primary: Triceps

The triceps extends the elbows to press the handle down; the underhand grip shifts emphasis toward the medial head on the lower inner arm while the upper arms stay pinned.

How to perform the Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown

1. Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and grip it with a supinated (underhand) grip at shoulder width.
2. The underhand grip keeps the wrist supinated, which biases the medial head of the triceps and reduces forearm takeover.
3. Pin the elbows to the sides and keep the wrists firm and straight under the load.
4. Press the bar down by extending the elbows until the arms lock out with the palms facing up.
5. Squeeze the triceps at the bottom without letting the wrists curl or the elbows flare outward.
6. Return the bar under control to forearm-parallel, resisting the stack rather than letting it pull the arms up.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation against a high cable: elbow extension with the upper arms fixed at the sides, using a supinated (palms-up) grip. The reverse grip changes the recruitment slightly toward the medial head and helps keep the elbows tucked through the range.

Form cues

• •Grip the bar or handle underhand, palms up, and pin the elbows to your sides.
• •Extend the elbows fully at the bottom and squeeze before letting the handle rise.
• •Keep the wrists firm and straight so the grip doesn’t give out first.
• •Use less weight than an overhand pushdown: the supinated grip is weaker.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the wrists curl under load instead of keeping them firm and straight.
• •Flaring the elbows outward, which loses the medial-head bias of the underhand grip.
• •Loading it too heavy so the forearms take over and the form breaks down.
• •Letting the bar rise too high so the elbows lift off the ribs.

Variations & alternatives

• •Overhand triceps pushdown, the standard-grip base movement.
• •Rope pushdown, a neutral grip you can spread for a harder lockout.
• •V-bar pushdown, a rigid neutral grip for a stable overload.
• •Single-arm reverse pushdown, one arm at a time to even out imbalances.

Tricep Pushdown

Triceps · Cable

Overhead Tricep Extension

Triceps · Dumbbell

Skull Crusher

Triceps · Barbell

Tricep Dip

Triceps · Bodyweight

Close-Grip Bench Press

Triceps · Barbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the reverse-grip pushdown in the library’s 10–15 rep range as a triceps accessory after pressing, using it to bias the medial head alongside a standard pushdown. The supinated grip means lighter loads, so keep the wrists locked and the elbows tucked, chasing a full lockout each rep.

Frequently asked questions