A tricep muscle, also known as “triceps brachii,” is a muscle in the upper arm that aids in extending the elbow and rotating the forearm.
The blood flow to this area consists of main oxygen which travels between capillaries and brings nutrients and oxygen to cells. The triceps muscle can come from many sources such as push-ups and dumbbell curls.
It’s important for these muscles to be strengthened because it helps with posture improvement, strength control, stabilization for sports, better-pushing motions and turning responsibilities during any activity.
Reverse grip pushdown is one of the best moves for those looking to isolate their triceps muscles, helping them build upper-body strength.
To isolate your triceps muscles and build upper-body strength, try adding reverse-grip tricep pushdowns to your bodybuilding routine.
reverse grip pushdown:

Pushdowns are one of the most popular exercises in the gym to work on building your triceps. They come in all sorts, but today we are going to show you how the reverse grip version works.
The exercise is similar to a standard pushdown, but with just one slight change. This tiny switch-ups the difficulty of this exercise and makes it one of the toughest in the whole gym.
The Reverse-Grip Triceps Pushdown forces your pushing muscles to work even harder because of the grip and the angle used during the movement. This helps build muscle while also reducing the risk of injury-inducing imbalances in your body.
You can read also our article Rope bicep curl.
let’s talk about the difference between standard pushdown and reverse grip pushdown:
standard grip pushdown:
One way to start your triceps training is with the overhand press down. By doing this exercise, you will clear more blood from your elbows so they have more oxygen for the rest of the workout. Make sure that your elbows are positioned next to your sides, and not forward during each repetition, in order to limit how much help other muscles provide.
reverse grip pushdown:
The underhand version of the press down targets your triceps without help from any other muscle groups. The reverse grip is a single-joint move that will isolate your triceps. You may have tried the rope press down in addition to the overhand version, but you should also include the underhand variation because it’ll give you better results.
which one is better?
The triceps consist of 3 heads: the lateral, medial and long heads. Each head has a specific attachment point, but they all share the same tendon which crosses over the elbow and is attached to the ulna. The triceps can be targeted by either doing compound moves such as close-grip bench presses or isolation moves such as the press down.
You cannot completely isolate any individual muscle of the triceps during any move, and you can involve one over the other to a greater extent depending on the angle of your arm to your torso, as well as with slight rotations of the wrist.
Having your arms at the side of your body targets the lateral head. Having an underhand grip on the bar places more stress on the medial head of the triceps and less involvement on the bigger, more visible lateral head. The medial head’s major purpose is to stabilize the elbow. Therefore, the overhand grip is clearly better when it comes to targeting this muscle group.
benefits of reverse grip pushdown:
In this blog, we are discussing the reverse grip pushdown and here I am going to tell you the benefits of reverse grip pushdown.
- Best isolation exercise: The reverse-grip tricep pushdown is an isolation exercise. Isolation exercises are helpful because they allow you to balance out any strength or muscle imbalances in your body. For example, if your chest is much stronger than your arm, you can perform the reverse-grip tricep pushdown to compensate for the imbalance. This can make you look better.
- Best for size gain and strength: Many weightlifters and casual lifters focus on the pushdown motion to build size and strength in the triceps. However, many human beings overlook the reverse-grip tricep pushdown. This variation helps build strength in the medial head of the tricep, which is much easier for new exercisers to work without getting tired as quickly.
- Convenience: Heavy equipment is not necessary for a good tricep workout. You can strengthen your triceps using either the ‘reverse-grip tricep pushdown with cable system’ or the ‘reverse-grip tricep pushdown with resistance band’. And you don’t need anything fancy to do them- all you need is a sturdy pole or bar and a resistance band.
muscle worked in the reverse push down:
Since this move predominantly works the triceps, it is a good isolation exercise choice. Still, not all isolation movements are alike.
- Primary muscle group: The name of this exercise, the reverse-grip tricep pushdown, gives an indication that it primarily works the triceps. The scientific term for this muscle is the triceps brachii (Latin for “three-headed muscles of the arm”). The lateral, medial, and long heads of the triceps all work together whenever you extend your arm.
- Secondary muscle group: It’s a single-arm exercise and can slightly activate the lats (latissimus dorsi), the abs (rectus abdominis), the obliques (exterior obliques), the pecs (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor) and the traps (trapezius). These stabilize the upper body during the execution of this exercise.
equipment needed to perform reverse grip push down:
You can perform this exercise in two ways.
- In a cable machine with the help of a straight bar/E-Z bar: To do this movement, use your favourite machine. A cable machine is the easiest and most effective. Ideally, you can use a straight bar but an EZ-curl bar could also be effective.
- With the help of resistant bands: You can target your triceps with the help of a resistance band. If a workout space is limited, this may be ideal for you. You will only need a higher support beam of some sort to attach the bands for this workout.
how to perform reverse grip pushdown with perfect form?
For reverse grip triceps pushdowns, we recommend using a weight you can handle for about 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions for each set.
- Lift the pulley to the highest height setting on the cable machine. You have to stand in the front of the machine and grab the handle with an underhand grip.
- Your weight should be over your feet and raised off the machine’s platform. Your posture should be straight. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, with the pressure on your legs pushing downward. Your back should stay straight and you should keep your head parallel to the ground throughout the movement.
- Distribute your weight evenly and make sure you are gripping the floor with your feet. Your upper arm should be against your ribcage, while your lower should touch it. Maintain a neutral shoulder blade position.
- Beginning from a resting position with your shoulders, hips, and core relaxed, tighten the front of the abdominal muscles to prevent caving in the sensation while lifting. Exhale as you lift and resume the starting position before inhalation.
- Start by pressing your hand and elbow together. Squeeze your triceps to bring your arm straight. Make sure the only movement is at your elbow joint; don’t allow any movement at the hand or shoulder.
- Slowly lower your arms until they are straight in front of you, then bend your elbows to return to the starting position. Do the reverse-grip pushdown for desired reps.
how many and when to perform?
You can do this move during an upper-body day or a pressing day. This movement is mostly isolation, so you’ll need to do low weight and high reps. You’ll work on anywhere from 2-4 sets and 8-15 repetitions – but if you really want to build your triceps, you should give them special attention by doing more reps with a lower weight.
let’s discuss the common mistakes we do during reverse grip push down:
Now we know how to perform reverse grip pushdown but still, we do some common mistakes as a beginner. So let’s go through this.
- Elbow movement: One common mistake people make when lifting weights is swinging their elbow back and forward. Lifting weight in this way will actually recruit the lat muscles of your back, rather than your triceps. To make sure you get a maximum contraction of the triceps, keep your elbows close to your body as you lift the weight.
- Rounding the back during movement: Many people try to push down the weight with their arms placed backwards, round their back and shoulders. This mistake is more likely to happen when lifting heavier weights. To fix this, constantly keep your back straight and focus on controlling the weights instead of trying to overpower them.
- Flaring out the elbows: A common mistake with reverse-grip triceps pushdowns is to flare your elbows. The chest and shoulder muscles take over when the elbows are flared out, but you want to isolate the triceps. We want to work the triceps muscle; don’t flare your elbows so that we can isolate it better.
- wrist bending: To complete this triceps exercise, you need to keep your wrist straight. If your wrists are bent, you will be unable to stretch your arm completely. This will reduce the range of motion and make it difficult to work for the muscle group properly.
- The arm is not fully extended: When trainees keep their wrists straight and only partially extend their arms, it is difficult and they cannot master the move. One key factor to this may be the increase in the level of difficulty due to a lack of extension.
best variations for reverse grip pushdown:
Let’s discuss the best variations for reverse grip pushdown for the best pump.
alternate reverse grip pushdown:
The reverse grip pushdown can also be performed unilaterally. The alternating reverse grip pushdown assists you to correct imbalances that happen in the muscles between arms and enhance your mind-muscle connection.
overhead tricep pushdown:
After completing reverse grip pushdowns, feel free to switch up your positioning and do overhand pushdowns. The form stays the same except flip your grip so that you’re gripping with your palms facing down.
best alternatives for reverse grip push down:
Previously we know about the variation of reverse grip pushdown but sometimes we boar doing the same exercise. so now I am going to tell you the best alternatives of reverse grip pushdown that you must try.
Overhead tricep extension:
To do this exercise, stand up with your back straight. Keep your arms close to your head, and make sure that your elbows are touching each other. Let the weights lower until they’re next to your forearms. Hold them there for a second, then use your triceps to push them upwards.
Alternate tricep kickback:
Alternate Tricep KickbackPlace hands on the chest with palms facing each other, fingers pointing down. With elbows locked and back flat, push arms up overhead until they are parallel to the ground. Without leaning back or shifting the position of arms, lower arms in front of the body just below shoulder height Repeat but then bend the arm on top first before lowering (as if you’re going to slap something). Return at the same speed as the first kickback.
Skull crusher:
To do a skull crusher, you start with an overhand grip. The bar is placed just above your shoulder and the other hand should be positioned for support. Tighten your core muscles before attempting to do the movement and then lever the load up with both arms into the target position from below. Most people find it helpful to contract their glutes to focus on the target muscles even more.
how to do a workout to avoid injury?
If you’re considering starting an exercise program, consult your doctor first. While every exercise routine can have potential benefits, it may not be right for everyone. When you’re selecting a weight to start with, choose loads that are well within the limits of your physical abilities, but which still force you to work extra hard out of correct form.
To make continued progress and build muscle, plan your workout to include proper warm-ups, adequate rest, and a good meal. Your results will be based on how well you’re able to recover from exercise. Give yourself at least 24 hours of rest to recover before training the same muscles again.
Is reverse grip pushdown effective?
The tricep pushdown is a great exercise for strengthening your triceps. While it’s less popular, the reverse grip also helps build muscle in this area.
What does reverse grip pushdown hit?
This strengthening exercise, while primarily targeting the triceps muscles in the upper arms, also activates your back (latissimus dorsi), abdominal (rectus abdominis), side or ‘love handle’ and chest muscles (pectorals). These core muscles stabilize the body during the motion of the exercise.
Is underhand tricep pushdown better?
Having an underhand grip on the bar places more stress on the medial head of the triceps and less involvement on the bigger, more visible lateral head. so, an overhand grip is better for hitting the lateral head.
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