V-Bar Tricep Pushdown

What is the V-Bar Tricep Pushdown?

The V-bar pushdown is a cable triceps isolation using a rigid V-shaped bar that sets the hands in a slightly angled, near-neutral grip. The solid bar is stable and lets you drive a bit more weight than a rope, making it a strong, straightforward overload for the triceps while keeping the wrists comfortable.

Muscles worked

Primary: Triceps

The triceps extends the elbows to press the V-bar down; the rigid, near-neutral grip lets you push firmly to a full lockout while the upper arms stay pinned.

How to perform the V-Bar Tricep Pushdown

1. Attach a V-bar to a high pulley and grip it so the hands sit in the angled V with a semi-pronated position.
2. The V-bar angles the wrists into a slightly neutral line, which is easier on the wrists than a straight bar while still hitting the lateral head.
3. Pin the elbows to the sides and hinge slightly forward, keeping the upper arms fixed.
4. Press the V-bar down by extending the elbows until the arms lock out at the thighs.
5. Squeeze the triceps at full extension without leaning your bodyweight onto the bar.
6. Let the bar rise under control to forearm-parallel, keeping the elbows pinned to the ribs.

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 rigid V-bar. The angled solid bar keeps the wrists in a comfortable near-neutral position and, being rigid, is stable enough to overload harder than a flexible rope.

Form cues

• •Grip the V-bar with the hands in its angled slots and pin the elbows to your sides.
• •Extend fully at the bottom and squeeze the triceps before letting the bar rise.
• •Keep a slight forward lean and braced torso so you don’t press with bodyweight.
• •Control the return all the way up to a full stretch each rep.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the elbows drift forward off the ribs, turning it into a chest-assisted press.
• •Leaning bodyweight onto the bar to force it down rather than extending the elbows.
• •Letting the bar rise too high so the elbows flare and tension leaves the triceps.
• •Shrugging the shoulders up instead of keeping the upper arms pinned and still.

Variations & alternatives

• •Straight-bar pushdown, a fully pronated grip on a rigid bar.
• •Rope pushdown, a flexible grip you can spread for a harder lockout.
• •Reverse-grip pushdown, an underhand grip biasing the medial head.
• •Overhead cable extension: loads the long head’s stretch instead.

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 V-bar pushdown in the library’s 10–15 rep range as a primary triceps accessory after pressing. The rigid bar’s stability makes it a good pick when you want to overload the pushdown a bit harder, so add small increments over time and keep the upper arms locked at your sides.

Frequently asked questions