Arms · Isolation

Cross Body Cable Triceps Pushdown

A triceps exercise using a cable crossover station, pushing down with a cross-body angle for a unique contraction. The diagonal line of pull hits the lateral head from an angle straight pushdowns miss, and each arm works alone so imbalances have nowhere to hide. It works best as a second or third triceps movement, chasing contraction quality rather than load.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Intermediate Cable Isolation Push
cross-body-cable-triceps-pushdown-poster
  • Level Intermediate
  • Equipment Cable
  • Primary Muscles Triceps
  • Movement Isolation Push

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Cross Body Cable Triceps Pushdown

  1. Stand in the middle of a cable crossover with both pulleys set high.
  2. Grip the left cable's handle or ball stopper with your right hand, and mirror on the other side if working both arms.
  3. Start with your hand near the opposite shoulder, elbow bent and pinned to your side.
  4. Push down and across your body until the arm is fully straight beside your hip.
  5. Squeeze at lockout for a beat, then return under control.
  6. Complete the set on one arm before switching.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

arms
Primary muscles
Triceps

Do This

Form Cues

  • Stand in the middle of the crossover station and push down and across your body.
  • Keep the upper arm fixed against your side.
  • Squeeze at full extension for a beat before returning.
  • The path is a diagonal, shoulder to opposite hip. Follow the cable's line rather than fighting it.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the elbow drift away from the body.
  • Leaning your body weight into the handle rather than pushing with the triceps.
  • Using a weight that forces the shoulder to rotate to finish the rep.
  • Standing so close to the pulley that the cable goes slack at lockout, dropping the tension that makes this worth doing.

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Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles