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Top 40 Muscle-Building Foods

Protein 101 Those of you following any of my programs and / or striving to be a top bodybuilder or ...

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Pain Versus Gain: What is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, & do we need it to Grow?

Most hard working bodybuilders, from rank beginner to seasoned pro, will experience some degree of training-related muscle soreness. Whether experienced ...

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What are Prebiotics and Probiotics and Why do They Matter?

Bloated stomach? Endless flatulence? Wicked diarrhoea? Believe it or not, you don’t have to live with these symptoms. Ever wonder ...

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Interview Q&A Series with Ben: Time Under Tension

Question: “Is there an optimal amount of Time Under Tension (TUT) to shoot for each set?” When trying to maximize ...

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Glutamine

Almost everyone is familiar with the idea that glutamine is great for muscle recovery, but it is often under utilized ...

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What Times Should I Be Eating Carbohydrates?

There are essential fatty acids, and there are essential amino acids, but there are no essential carbohydrates – our body ...

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Tricep Pushdowns / Pressdowns


Guidelines for all tricep pushdown movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

  • keep head neutral (no looking up or down), shoulders back / scapula contracted (no internal / external rotation of shoulders)
  • maintain elbows in a fixed position, inline with shoulders and wrists, turned inwards (facing the front) while consciously shoving them towards each other throughout (don’t allow them to flair out to the sides)
  • mentally think about creating an ‘arc’ as opposed to just going straight up and down
  • aim for full elbow flexion and extension; touch forearms to biceps at the top (try to really squeeze the biceps in order to fully lengthen the triceps) and shove right down aiming to the floor at the bottom
  • if you’re under complete control of the weight and you posses healthy joints, locking-out at the bottom is fine, otherwise do not.  Perhaps switch it up every now and then taking into consideration how heavy the weight you’re using is.

 

Tricep Cable Pushdowns / Pressdowns – Overhand or Reverse-Grip

At the top

At the bottom

    Exercise Specific:

  • for reverse-grip variation: avoid using a straight bar (potential for compromised / uncomfortable wrists); use a cambered bar or similar.
  • keep in mind that to achieve a maximum shortening of the triceps, the elbows must be behind the torso, though for maximum power and strength they must be slightly in front
  • as an intensifier, move arms up higher and higher closer to the mid-range as fatigue sets in.

 

Neutral-Grip Rope Tricep Pushdowns / Pressdowns

At the top

adding ‘intensifier’ at the bottom

    Exercise Specific:

  • as an intensifier, you can choose to pronate the wrists outwards at the bottom while squeezing the triceps hard.

 

One-Arm Rope Tricep Pushdowns / Pressdowns

    Exercise Specific:

  • keep wrist, elbow, and shoulder in a straight line
  • wrist neutral and rigid
  • do not allow the shoulder to move or the elbow to travel forward.

 

One-Arm Machine Tricep Pushdown

    Exercise Specific:

  • keep wrist, elbow, and shoulder in a straight line
  • wrist neutral and rigid
  • drive tricep into the pad.

 

Duel-Rope Tricep Pushdowns / Pressdowns with elbows back

palms facing each other

    Exercise Specific:

  • attach two ropes to the one pulley and try to extend the arms behind the torso at the bottom while contracting the triceps hard (keep the elbows fixed as always throughout).