13 Tricep Cable Exercises To Try On Arm Day

Kaylen Sumait, an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist, recommends this classic move as a good way to get started on the machine.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Face the machine.
• Your cable should be anchored high with a flexible handle, like a rope attachment.
• Slightly hinge at your hips and grab the attachment with both hands.
• Keep your elbows stationary next to your waist.
• Pull the cable attachment down to your hips, extending your arms.
• Maintain a slow pace: 3 seconds down, 3 seconds up.
• Do 2 sets of 15 reps.

For a slight variation, try kneeling. To choose the right weight for your tricep workouts, McLain recommends going with a setting that you can control throughout the full range of motion. If you stop using good form, it’s a sign the weight is too heavy.

• Use the rope attachment.
• Get into a tall kneeling position in front of the machine.
• Set up so your thighs are in line with your torso.
• Keep your glutes and abs engaged, shoulders back, and elbows tucked in at your sides.
• Hold the rope with both hands at waist height.
• Extend your hands down toward the floor.
• Hold for 1 to 2 seconds.
• Control the movement as you slowly raise your hands back up to the starting position, keeping your elbows in the whole time.
• Repeat for 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
• Take a 30-second break in between each set.

“These are great because they require more stabilizing through the core,” McLain says, and they will also help you avoid muscle imbalances that can crop up when you have a stronger or more dominant arm. As a bonus, this is also a functional exercise because it mimics moves you might do in everyday life.

• Attach a rope or handle to the cable.
• Position the cable at head height.
• Choose a weight that you can push down without leaning forward.
• Hold the rope in your right hand.
• Step forward with your left leg into a staggered stance.
• Press the handle down toward the floor until your elbow is completely straight.
• Slowly bend your elbow and allow the handle to come back up to the starting position while controlling the weight.
• For a challenge, vary the starting position by bringing the handle closer to the center of your body or out to the side on an angle before pushing down.
• Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per arm.

“The cable tricep kickback is a great exercise for targeting the tricep muscles and helping to improve your upper body strength,” says Wagener. “It also allows for a greater range of motion than other tricep exercises, which can help to increase muscle activation.”

• Set the attachment low.
• Attach a single-grip handle to the cable.
• Stand facing the cable machine.
• Grab the handle with your right hand and bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
• Position your left hand on your left thigh for support.
• Bend your right elbow so that your upper arm is parallel to the floor.
• From this position, extend your right arm to push the handle back until your arm is straight behind you.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Start with 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
• Repeat on each arm.
• Gradually increase to 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps as you get stronger.

If you’re feeling brave and bold at the gym, William Toro, a trainer and physiotherapist, recommends a set of skull crushers. While you’d normally do this move with dumbbells on a bench, you can switch things up and use a cable, too.

• Place a flat workout bench near the cable machine.
• Use the bar attachment.
• Adjust the weight on the cable machine to your desired resistance.
• Lie on the bench facing the ceiling with your head towards the machine.
• Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and position it above your forehead with your arms fully extended.
• Keep your elbows close to your head as you slowly lower the bar towards your forehead.
• Keep going until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle.
• Press the bar back up to the starting position.
• Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps.

Wagener says this move uses a cable to simulate a tricep dip — no bench required. Try it one hand at a time or use a bar attachment to work both arms at once.

• Attach a bar to the cable.
• Face away from the machine.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Grab the bar behind your back with an overhand grip.
• From this position, extend your arm and push the bar down until your arms are straight.
• Slowly return to start.
• Focus on using your triceps to extend your arm.
• Note: Avoid using momentum to complete each rep.
• Start with 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

McLain is also a fan of the cable crossover for working the triceps. It might take a moment to get used to, but allow yourself to figure it out and you’ll have it in no time.

• Attach handles to two cable columns next to one another.
• Position the pulley above head height and use a weight that allows you to perform the exercise without leaning your body.
• Stand between the columns and cross the cables in front of your body.
• Keep your elbows near your sides.
• Pull against the weight to straighten your elbows out to the side, making sure that the rest of your body remains stationary. (It should look like you’re making an “X” with your arms.)
• Bend your elbows to slowly return to the starting position.
• Do 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps.

TJ Mentus, an ACE-certified personal trainer, says this move isolates the extension of the triceps without any other muscles helping to move the weight. It’s a good one to try as you get more used to the machine.

• Use the rope attachment.
• Adjust the cable height so it’s level with your head.
• Grab the rope and turn your body so you’re facing away from the machine.
• Hold the attachment above your head with your arms straight.
• Step away from the machine to create tension in the cable.
• Drop your hands back behind your head and bend your elbows.
• Extend your elbows so your arms are straight.
• Think about squeezing your triceps with each rep.
• Keep your body still so only your arms are moving.
• Try a split stance with your legs if you need more balance.
• Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

To switch things up, you can also work your arms using the V bar attachment, aka the metal V-shaped handle.

• Attach the V bar to the cable column.
• Choose a weight that you can push down without leaning or forcing.
• Grip the bar overhand with both hands.
• Face the column.
• Stand tall with your shoulders stacked over your hips.
• Push the V bar down the center of your body towards the floor until your elbows are straight.
• Slowly bend the elbows to return the V bar to the starting position.
• Do 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps.

According to Ashley Parker Angel, a celebrity online fitness coach, this move is clean, controlled, and easy to progressively load.

• Stand facing the machine.
• Feet hip-width apart.
• Grab the bar at chest height.
• Keep your elbows locked in at your sides.
• Push the bar down.
• Return to start and repeat.
• Do 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Maria Vazquez, a NASM-certified personal trainer and head of training at MYWOWFIT, recommends this move to target your triceps in a unique way. “It’s a small move but super effective for isolating,” she tells Bustle. “Great for hitting those outer angles.”

• Attach a single handle to the machine.
• Position the cable high.
• Stand sideways next to the cable machine.
• Grab the handle with the opposite hand. Tone further from the machine.
• Extend your arm diagonally across your body, bringing it high to low.
• Do 4 sets of 12 reps per side.

To ensure you reach all the muscles in your arms, go for a tricep pushdown. Toro says you’ll really feel the burn.

• Stand facing the machine.
• Hold onto the bar attachment with an overhand grip.
• Pin your elbows into your sides.
• Keep your shoulders back.
• Pull the cable down until your arms are fully extended.
• Move the cable back to its original position.
• Your arms will be perpendicular to your body.
• Note: Don’t abruptly let go of the bar or else it’ll crash loudly back into place.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.

According to Eddie Baruta, the global head of personal training at Ultimate Performance, this move isolates each arm to improve mind-muscle connection and add variety to your standard pushdown.

• Use a single handle on a high pulley.
• Grab it with an underhand (supinated) grip.
• Keep your elbow tight to your side.
• Push down and squeeze the triceps, then return slowly.
• Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.