Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdown
A cable pushdown taken with the palms facing up instead of down. The underhand grip stops you from leaning your bodyweight into the bar and forces the elbow to do the work, which is why the weight you use here is markedly lighter than on a standard pushdown and why the medial head is the part that finally feels it.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Set a straight or EZ bar on the high pulley, roughly at chest height when your arms are bent.
- Take an underhand grip at shoulder width, thumbs wrapped over the bar.
- Stand a step back from the stack with feet hip-width and a slight knee bend so the cable is not rubbing your chest.
- Pin your elbows against your ribs and pull your shoulders down. That elbow position is the whole exercise.
- Start from a full lockout at your thighs and let the stack pull you into the first rep rather than starting bent.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — Exhale as you push down, inhale as the bar rises. One second down, one second held at lockout, two seconds back up — the slow return is where most of the work is.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Start at about half of what you push down with an overhand grip — for most people that is 10-20 kg on the stack. The marker of a correct load is that your elbows stay glued to your ribs and you can hold a one-second lockout on the final rep. Add a plate only when you can do that for 15 reps.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Halve the weight. Stand upright with a pin behind your elbows against your ribs, and pick a load you can lock out cleanly for 12 reps without your torso moving a centimetre.
Squeeze a rolled towel between your upper arms and your ribs. If it drops, the weight is too heavy — reduce it and finish the set with the towel in place.
Keep the knuckles down and the wrist in line with the forearm. If you cannot, switch to an EZ bar so the grip is angled and the wrist stays neutral.
The last few degrees of elbow extension are where the medial head does the most. Finish every rep with the arm dead straight and a one-second squeeze before you let it rise.
Why bother
The supinated grip removes your ability to cheat. On an overhand pushdown you can drop your chest over the bar and push with your lats and bodyweight; palms-up, your wrist and shoulder cannot hold that position, so the elbow extensors have to produce the force alone. Expect to use 30-40 percent less weight than you would overhand, and expect that to be honest.
It also biases the medial head — the small, deep head at the back of the elbow that fills out the lower triceps near the joint. The long head is barely stretched here because the shoulder stays at your side, so this is a complement to overhead extension work, not a replacement for it.
Where it fits
Last movement in an arm or push session, after the pressing is done and there is nothing left that needs your bracing. Pair it with an overhead extension so both ends of the triceps get covered in the same session. Two to three sets is enough; the cable's constant tension makes each one count.
If this one isn't it
No kit, too hard, or too easy — here's where to go instead.
Same job, different kit
Start here instead
Asked and answered
Why can I use so much less weight than on a normal pushdown?
Because the overhand version lets you lean your chest over the bar and add bodyweight and lat drive to the movement. Palms-up, the shoulder cannot hold that position, so the triceps alone move the stack. The lighter number is the accurate one — chasing the overhand weight here just reintroduces the cheat.
Does the underhand grip really hit a different head?
It shifts emphasis toward the medial head rather than isolating it. The three heads share one tendon, so nothing here is exclusive, but electromyography and practical experience both put more of the load on the medial head with a supinated grip. The long head needs an overhead extension, which this movement does not provide.
Straight bar or EZ bar?
EZ bar if a supinated straight bar bothers your wrists or elbows, which is common. The angled grip lets the forearm rotate slightly and takes the strain off the wrist without changing what the triceps does. Straight bar if it feels fine — there is no meaningful difference in effect.
Can I do this with one arm at a time?
Yes, with a single handle, and it is worth doing if one arm is noticeably weaker. Unilateral work removes the stronger arm's ability to compensate and lets you feel the elbow position much more clearly. Lead with the weaker arm and match its reps with the stronger one.