Triceps · Isolation movement
Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown
An isolation exercise for the triceps. You need a cable machine.
Looping the start and end of the movement.
Primary muscle
Triceps
Secondary muscles
–
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Beginner
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. Many lifters feel the underhand grip more in the medial head, and it tends to keep the elbows tucked.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Triceps
- The triceps extends the elbows to press the handle down while the upper arms stay pinned; many lifters feel the underhand grip most in the medial head, low on the back of the arm.
How to perform the Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown
- Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and grip it with a supinated (underhand) grip at shoulder width.
- The underhand grip keeps the wrist supinated, which biases the medial head of the triceps and reduces forearm takeover.
- Pin the elbows to the sides and keep the wrists firm and straight under the load.
- Press the bar down by extending the elbows until the arms lock out with the palms facing up.
- Squeeze the triceps at the bottom without letting the wrists curl or the elbows flare outward.
- 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 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.
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
What does the reverse grip change on a pushdown?
The underhand grip keeps the elbows tucked, and some lifters feel it more in the medial head, low on the back of the arm. It also keeps the wrist supinated, so you’ll handle less weight than an overhand pushdown.
Why do my wrists give out before my triceps?
A supinated grip is weaker at the wrist, so grip can fail before the triceps if the load is too heavy. Drop the weight, keep the wrists firm and straight, and focus on locking out the elbows rather than gripping harder.
Use this exercise in a program
The Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize triceps volume.
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