Growing Your Triceps With Cables!

Cables are a great way to build muscle and sculpt your triceps! Who doesn’t want some horseshoes on the back of their arms?! Cables allow you to keep constant tension on the muscle allowing for a great pump and awesome tricep GAINS!! Cable movements are considered isolation movements. I recommend if you’re really looking to build mass you start with heavier compound exercises like the close-grip bench press or dips. Isolation exercises (with multiple angles) are a great way to finish off your workout while pushing as much blood into the muscle as possible and allowing for a GREAT MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION!

Proper Form – Pushdowns

With this being an isolation exercise, it doesn’t take a whole lot of weight to work the muscle. Too many people try to lift too much weight on their cable movements, which will result in using unnecessary muscles like their shoulders and back. Form is much more important than lifting as heavy as possible.

When performing cable pushdowns, your arms should be by your side with your forearms up and your palms face down while holding onto your attachment. You simply only extend your forearms in a downward motion (moving from the elbow) until your arms are fully extended with your triceps contracted. You then squeeze/contract for a second, allowing a great mind-muscle connection (MMC) and then repeat.

Proper Form – Bent-Over Overhead Cable Extensions

Bent-over overhead extensions are the cable equivalent to skull crushers. Simply grab the rope and bend over close to a 90 degree angle. Extend the rope in front of your head making sure you’re keeping your elbows tucked in and only extend your forearm from your elbow until your arms are fully extended. Just like the pushdowns, you want to squeeze/contract the muscle for at least a second allowing for a good (MMC).

Proper Form – Standing Overhead Cable Extensions

Why another exercise? Well, growing your triceps is all about hitting different angles, and this one is great to hit the long head of the tricep. Simply lower the cable close to the ground and then grab the rope bringing it up with your forearms and elbow bent behind your head. Then all you have to do (while keeping your elbows tucked) is extend your forearms up until your arms are fully extended and, you guessed it, just squeeze and contract at the top allowing for a great pump and MMC!

Conclusion

Growing your arms or any muscle group for that matter is always about proper form and targeting the muscle you’re training with a solid MMC. You guys can perform these exercises as a tri-set (doing all 3 in a row) for a really great pump. Perform 3 sets of 12-15 doing all 3 in a row, and I PROMISE you’ll love the pump you get! This is a great exercise for the end of your arm/push day! I hope you enjoy!