Tricep Cable Workout: 5 Best Exercises To Tone Up Your Arms

Are your triceps lagging behind the rest of your physique? Take it easy, as we will discuss the best tricep cable workout to hit all three heads of your triceps in this article.

Why cables? First off, they're ideal for keeping constant tension on the target muscle. Second, they're ideal for performing drop-sets and supersets, which are critical for building up the triceps.

Free weight movements like skullcrushers or dips are both dangerous and difficult to perform to failure. So, here's a look at a well-structured tricep cable workout that can boost your gains.

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Tricep Cable Workout to Tone Up Arms

Here're five such exercises:

1) Cable Rope Pushdown

If there's one exercise that you have to mandatorily add to your tricep cable workout, it's pushdowns. You can use a straight bar, EZ bar, or a rope to do this exercise.

Instructions:

• Attach a bar to the cable machine.
• Adjust position according to your height and limb length. Stand upright with your back straight and elbows tucked. Use a staggered stance for better balance.
• Pull the cable or bar down to your thighs. Use the triceps to initiate the movement and not the forearms. Avoid leaning your bodyweight on the bar.
• Squeeze the triceps hard at the bottom.
• Return to the starting position while controlling the eccentric. Repeat.
• Perform 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps.

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2) Standing Overhead Tricep Extension

Add this exercise to your tricep cable workout to emphasize the long head of the tricep.

Instructions:

• Attach a bar or rope to the highest pulley in the cable station. The height of attachment may differ based on your height.
• With your back towards the machine, grab the bar or rope. You should feel a light stretch in your triceps.
• From that position, extend your arms forward. Flex your triceps at the end of the extension.
• Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat.
• Perform 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps.

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3) Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdown

It's a variation of the pushdown but uses an underhand grip to focus on the inner part of the long tricep head. Alternate it with the overhand variant while structuring your tricep cable workout for better gains.

Instructions:

• Stand upright, facing a high-pulley cable with a short straight bar attached to it.
• Keep a slight bend in your knee. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart.
• Grab the bar with a supinated grip (underhand or palms-up). Hold the bar at chest level with your elbows tucked by your sides.
• Keeping your elbows fixed, straighten your arms till they're extended fully.
• Don't lock out entirely, and avoid flaring the elbows.
• Flex your triceps at the bottom of the movement.
• Slowly return the bar to the starting position

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4) Cable Triceps Kickback

This exercise can help grow all three heads of the tricep and is better used towards the end of a tricep cable workout as a finisher. It can also be done with dumbbells.

Instructions:

• Attach a rope to the lowest notch on the cable machine.
• Bending your knees, keep your back straight, and grab the rope with your left hand.
• Keeping your upper arm parallel to the floor, extend at the elbow till your arm is straight back and fully extended.
• Try to move only your forearms.
• Contract the triceps hard for a second, and return to the starting position.
• Complete all the reps on the left arm before moving on to the right arm.

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5) One-arm Cable Overhead Extension

Are your triceps looking unbalanced and asymmetrical in the mirror? If that's the case, you need to add unilateral overhead cable tricep extensions to your tricep cable workout.

Instructions:

• Attach a D-handle to the cable machine at just below chest height.
• Grasp the handle with one hand, and press it up over your head.
• Turn away from the cable machine. Lean a little forward, adopting a staggered stance for balance, and lower your hand behind your back.
• Your elbow should be raised high. The cable should be pulled taut, and you should feel a light stretch in your triceps.
• Exhale as you raise the handle over your head by extending your elbow.
• Inhale as you flex your elbow to lower the handle towards the starting position.
• Complete all reps with one arm before moving to the next.

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Takeaway

Add the aforementioned exercises to your tricep cable workout for incredible tricep gains. Pick two from the list above, and add them to your next upper body workout.