Muscles worked
The single arm pushdown trains your triceps one arm at a time, with your upper arm by your side. All three heads straighten the elbow, and your trunk works a little extra to keep you upright while the cable pulls on one side. With one hand you can choose your grip freely: palm down, palm facing in or palm up. Your triceps do the work in every grip, but the feel in your elbow and wrist differs, so pick whichever suits you. It also shows clearly if one arm is weaker.
Common mistakes
- Your upper body twists towards the cable. As your arm tires, your body tends to rotate so your shoulder can help. Pick a stance, square to the cable or slightly side-on, and hold it for the whole set.
- Your arm never fully straightens. With too much weight, many people stop a few centimetres short. Use a load that lets you lock out and squeeze your triceps briefly at the bottom.
- The cable yanks your hand up. Relax the moment each rep is done and your triceps rest on the way up. Control the handle all the way back to roughly chest height.
Variations and alternatives
- The triceps pushdown with both hands, when you want to move more weight.
- The triceps kickback is a one-arm dumbbell option when the cable is busy.
- The single arm overhead extension puts your arm overhead and gives the long head more to do.
- The band pushdown does the same movement with a band at home.
Sets and reps
For muscle, aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per arm, or 15 to 20 for endurance. If one arm lags behind, it can get an extra set until it catches up. The guide to sets and reps shows how to match them to your goal.
The smallest step on a cable stack is often heavy for a single arm. Use a small add-on weight if the machine has one; otherwise add reps until the next plate is manageable. That is how you apply progressive overload to each side separately.