Have you been doing the Cable triceps pushdown for tons of sets hoping to pump up your arms?

Still on that Cable Machine, here’s the guide to “How you can hit all three heads of your triceps with Cable Machine” only.

Get to know the three heads of Triceps

How do you train your triceps on a cable machine? - Tricep anatomy

How do you train the triceps on a cable machine? It's essential to understand the structure of the triceps. It includes the long head, lateral head, and medial head. Among the three, the long head is the most significant factor in determining how big an arm appears, as it enhances the impression of arm bulk from the back.

After that, we will look at the primary functions of the triceps, which are:

Elbow extension: since all three heads pass the elbow joint, extend your elbow.
Shoulder extension: The long head also spans the shoulder joint, aiding in shoulder extension as a result

Now, it's time to target three heads of triceps with the cable machine only!

2. How to train your triceps on the Cable Machine? - 3 exercises

You should include three types of exercises to hit the three heads from different angles.

One is when your arm is overhead such as Overhead Cable Extension
One is when your arm is down at your sides, such as a Triceps Press down
One is when your arm is back behind your torso, such as a Kickback

Now, let’s dive deeper into the technique of each exercise!

Overhead Cable Extension

You will set the rope at your eye level because you want to push it out in a linear movement instead of pushing it up or down.
You should hinge your hips forward, leverage forward on one foot, and change the stance position every set. After that, tighten your core, and pull your elbows to your head as close as possible. Finally, remember to drop your chest and lower your upper body to make sure that you are pushing out the rope.
When reaching the peak, you should rotate the handles outwards to squeeze your triceps, giving a better Mind-muscle connection.
NOTE: Use a lighter weight load with a high rep (10-20 reps/set)

How do you train your triceps on a cable machine? - Overhead Cable Extension
Source: Youtube: **Colossus Fitness**

2. Triceps Pressdown

You had better use a bar instead of a rope, as a bar allows you to overload more while the rope is a bit unstable.

As the Overhead Cable Extension, you want to set the bar at eye level, grab it using a roughly shoulder-width over-hand grip to prevent the inclusion of the pecs, and hinge your hips forward simultaneously.

After that, when you are in this beginning position, pull the bar down until your forearm is pressed against your biceps.
Then, squeeze your triceps for better contraction and Mind-muscle connection when reaching the bottom. Because the long head takes place during shoulder extension, letting the elbows move somewhat forward and backward, you should squeeze your triceps to drive down while you pull your elbows slightly back and get the long head more involved.
As long as it increases the long head's level of engagement, slight elbow movement is acceptable.

Alternative: you can do a Single-arm Tricep Pushdown to prevent muscle imbalance: Unlike the straight bar, this way, you can slightly extend to the shoulder at the bottom to get an extreme peak tricep contraction.
NOTE:
- Use a moderate weight load with a moderate rep (6-12 reps/set).
- Load the rope and single arm push down with lightweight (10-20 reps) for more Muscle connection focused.
- Don’t stay too upright because this way, you may limit tension on the triceps at the top and reduce the range of motion at the bottom.

How do you train your triceps on a cable machine? - Triceps Pressdown
Source: Youtube: **Jeff Nippard**

3. Kickback

If performed correctly, this exercise's contraction should be intense, even painful.

You can do it with dumbbells. However, using the cable enables more consistent tension throughout the range of motion.

What makes the kickback unique: The fact you're placing the shoulder behind the torso, which provides the most muscular possible contraction at the top; if your shoulder is in line with your torso, you’re just doing a normal Pressdown.

You can use a D handle, one end of a rope, or just grip the cable head itself for a more stable feel
Then, grab the handle and pull it into position by your side, making sure your elbow is locked at about a 90-degree angle, and from here, you want to simultaneously squeeze your triceps to move the weight back as you simultaneously move your elbow back, forcing your shoulder into a hyper-extended position.
At the top, you can see your arm extended back behind your torso, which simultaneously forces the long head to contract through an active range of motion at the elbow and shoulder.
Once you reach the top, reverse the motion under control, allowing the elbow to bend as the shoulder comes slightly forward.

NOTE: Use a lighter weight load with a high rep (10-20 reps/set)

How do you train your triceps on a cable machine? - Kickback
Source: Youtube: **Jeff Nippard**

We hope this post can help you on your Triceps Day - Tricep workouts with Cable Machine. If you want to get a proper definition of your Triceps and Chest, check out our Chest Champion Digital Programme now.