Does the reverse grip target the medial head of the triceps?

Not on its own. The medial head works hard in every pushdown whatever the grip, and because all three heads attach to the ulna, which does not rotate when the palms turn up, there is no good evidence that flipping the grip shifts the work onto the medial head. Changing the upper-arm position, such as working overhead, shifts emphasis between the heads far more than changing the grip.

Why can I lift less weight with a reverse grip?

With the palms up, the wrist extensors and grip have to hold the bar against a cable that is pulling it toward your fingers, and you cannot lean over the bar the way you can with an overhand grip. Most people need a noticeably lighter weight, so drop the load and build it back up while the wrists stay straight.

Can I use an EZ-bar attachment instead of a straight bar?

Yes. A cambered attachment lets the hands sit slightly less turned than a straight bar does, which many people find easier on the wrists and elbows, and the movement is otherwise the same.

Is the reverse-grip pushdown enough to build the triceps on its own?

Not if size is the goal. A 12-week study that had adults train one arm with cable elbow extensions at the side, the pushdown position, and the other arm overhead found about 1.4 times more total triceps growth on the overhead side (19.9% versus 13.9%), with the biggest gap in the long head. Pair it with an overhead movement such as the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension.

Where does it fit in a workout?

Most people place it late in an upper-body or arm session, after the heavier pressing work, and use moderate to high reps, around 10 to 15 per set, since the grip limits how much weight the bar can hold.

Cable Triceps Pushdown (Reverse Grip)

What Is the Cable Triceps Pushdown (Reverse Grip)?

Cable Triceps Pushdown (Reverse Grip) is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the triceps and also engages the wrist extensors on the top of the forearm, which hold the bar against the pull of the cable. It is a beginner-level movement performed at a high pulley with a straight bar held in an underhand, palms-up grip, straightening the elbows from chest height down to the thighs while the upper arms stay at the sides.

Like the overhand Cable Triceps Pushdown (Straight Bar), it builds triceps size, elbow extension strength and muscular endurance with steady cable tension through the whole range. It usually sits late in an upper-body or arm session, after the heavier pressing work, and suits moderate to high rep ranges.

All three heads of the triceps straighten the elbow on every rep. With the upper arm hanging at the side, the long head stays relatively short, so the lateral and medial heads carry much of the work, just as in any pushdown. The reverse grip is often said to target the medial head, but all three heads attach to the ulna, which does not rotate when the palms turn up, so flipping the grip cannot hand the work to one head. Changing where the upper arm sits, such as working overhead, shifts emphasis between the heads far more than turning the hands.

What the reverse grip does change is the forearm's job. The wrist extensors work hard to keep the hands in line as the cable tries to pull the bar toward the fingers, most people handle noticeably less weight than with an overhand grip, and the palms-up position makes it hard to lean over the bar, which keeps the set strict. It suits lifters who want a stricter pushdown or a change of stimulus. Anyone new to the movement should get comfortable with the overhand straight-bar version first, and anyone who cannot turn the palms fully up without discomfort is better served by the neutral grip of the Cable Triceps Pushdown (Rope).

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): Primary
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): High
Extensor Carpi Radialis: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Teres Major: Low
Deltoid: Minimal
External Oblique: Minimal
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Minimal
Rectus Abdominis: Minimal

Instructions

Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable station and select a light weight.
Grip the bar underhand, palms facing up, with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your thumbs wrapped around the bar.
Stand facing the machine a short step back, feet about hip-width apart, so the cable runs almost straight down to the bar.
Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders down and back, core braced and knees soft.
Pin your upper arms to your sides with the elbows bent and the bar at lower-chest height, forearms angled up toward the pulley.
Keeping your wrists straight and in line with your forearms, push the bar down by straightening your elbows while your upper arms stay still.
Continue until your arms are fully straight and the bar is in front of your thighs, then pause briefly.
Let the bar rise slowly back to lower-chest height without letting your elbows drift forward or your wrists bend.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Common Mistakes

Bending the Wrists
Letting the cable pull the bar toward the fingers or curling the wrists to hold it strains the wrists and lets the forearms take over, so keep the wrists straight in line with the forearms.
Using the Overhand Weight
Loading the bar as heavily as an overhand pushdown makes the wrists give way and pulls the torso over the bar, so start lighter and build up.
Letting Elbows Drift Forward
Letting the elbows travel forward as the bar rises swings the upper arms so the lats and shoulders help move the weight instead of the triceps.
Flaring the Elbows
Letting the elbows point out to the sides changes the arm path and lets the shoulders help, so keep them close to the ribs.
Stopping Short of Lockout
Ending the rep before the arms are straight cuts the range of motion and skips the point where the triceps are fully shortened.
Rushing the Return
Letting the bar fly back up removes the controlled lowering phase and makes it easy for the elbows to drift and the wrists to bend.

Injuries

Cable Triceps Pushdown (Reverse Grip) is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain points are the wrists, which must stay straight while the cable pulls the bar toward the fingertips, and the elbow, both at the back where the triceps tendon attaches and on the outside where the wrist extensor muscles that hold the bar begin. Leaning over the bar or letting the elbows travel forward can also load the front of the shoulder.

Start with a lighter weight than you use for the overhand pushdown and add load only while the wrists stay in line with the forearms for every rep. Wrap the thumbs around the bar so it cannot roll toward the fingers, straighten the elbows smoothly rather than snapping into lockout, and build weekly triceps volume gradually. Turning the palms fully up takes full forearm rotation, so if that position is uncomfortable, a cambered EZ-style attachment or the neutral grip of the Cable Triceps Pushdown (Rope) is a better choice.

To regress, return to the overhand Cable Triceps Pushdown (Straight Bar) or the rope version. To progress, add weight in small steps, slow the return, or train each arm on its own with the Cable Single-Arm Pushdown.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the back of the elbow, pain on the outside of the elbow or the top of the forearm that builds through the set, pain in the wrist, clicking or catching that comes with pain, or a sudden pop or loss of strength when straightening the arm. Pain that persists after rest should be assessed by a qualified professional.

Overview

Primary Focus: Triceps
Equipment: Cable
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the reverse grip target the medial head of the triceps?: Not on its own. The medial head works hard in every pushdown whatever the grip, and because all three heads attach to the ulna, which does not rotate when the palms turn up, there is no good evidence that flipping the grip shifts the work onto the medial head. Changing the upper-arm position, such as working overhead, shifts emphasis between the heads far more than changing the grip.
Q: Why can I lift less weight with a reverse grip?: With the palms up, the wrist extensors and grip have to hold the bar against a cable that is pulling it toward your fingers, and you cannot lean over the bar the way you can with an overhand grip. Most people need a noticeably lighter weight, so drop the load and build it back up while the wrists stay straight.
Q: Can I use an EZ-bar attachment instead of a straight bar?: Yes. A cambered attachment lets the hands sit slightly less turned than a straight bar does, which many people find easier on the wrists and elbows, and the movement is otherwise the same.
Q: Is the reverse-grip pushdown enough to build the triceps on its own?: Not if size is the goal. A 12-week study that had adults train one arm with cable elbow extensions at the side, the pushdown position, and the other arm overhead found about 1.4 times more total triceps growth on the overhead side (19.9% versus 13.9%), with the biggest gap in the long head. Pair it with an overhead movement such as the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension.
Q: Where does it fit in a workout?: Most people place it late in an upper-body or arm session, after the heavier pressing work, and use moderate to high reps, around 10 to 15 per set, since the grip limits how much weight the bar can hold.