The reverse grip tricep extension is a cable isolation exercise performed at a high pulley with a supinated, palms-up grip, pressing a straight bar down to full elbow extension to train thetriceps. Reverse means underhand here: the palms face the ceiling, the opposite of the overhand grip on a standard pushdown. Turning the hands over pulls the elbows in against the ribs, keeps the wrists from bending back, and puts a bias on the medial head. The trade-off is a lighter load, because the finger flexors hold the bar. Lifters program it as a late arm accessory.
What Muscles Does the Reverse Grip Tricep Extension Work?
- Primary: Triceps brachii (medial and lateral heads)
- Secondary: Triceps brachii long head, anconeus
- Tertiary: Finger and wrist flexors (grip), latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis
How Do You Set Up for the Reverse Grip Tricep Extension?
Set the pulley above head height and attach a straight bar. Stand facing the stack with your feet hip width apart, knees soft, and a slight forward lean from the hips. Take the bar in an underhand grip, palms facing up and hands shoulder width apart, and pull it down until your elbows are bent past ninety degrees and pinned to your sides. Brace the trunk and pull the shoulders down before the first rep.
How Do You Perform the Reverse Grip Tricep Extension?
- Pin both elbows to your ribs with the forearms just above parallel to the floor and the palms up.
- Press the bar down by straightening the elbows only, the upper arms staying still.
- Lock the arms out fully when the bar rests against the front of your thighs and the elbows are straight.
- Squeeze the triceps for one count with the wrists straight and the palms still facing forward.
- Let the bar rise under control over two counts until the elbows are bent past ninety degrees again.
- Stop before the stack settles so the triceps stay loaded, then begin the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Palms to the ceiling: keep the hands supinated through the whole rep; if the knuckles start rolling forward the grip has drifted back to overhand.
- Hook, do not crush: let the fingers act as hooks around the bar so the forearms do not tire before the triceps.
- Feel the elbows tuck tighter as the hands turn over, and keep them there at lockout.
- Keep the shoulders down and back as the bar reaches the thighs.
- Think of the wrists as straight rods from elbow to knuckle on every rep.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the stack as heavy as an overhand pushdown: the fingers open and the bar rolls out of the hands before the triceps are near failure, so use lighter weight than your normal pushdown.
- Letting the wrists curl up at the bottom: the forearm flexors take the load and the lockout is lost, so keep the wrists straight to the thighs.
- Leaning the torso onto the bar: the body weight presses the stack down and the triceps only finish, so keep the forward lean fixed.
- Flaring the elbows out as the bar rises: the movement becomes a press and the shoulder takes load meant for the elbow, so keep the elbows brushing the ribs.
- Cutting the rep short of lockout: the last degrees of extension, where the medial head works hardest, are skipped, so straighten the arms fully.
What Are the Best Reverse Grip Tricep Extension Variations?
- Triceps pushdown: the standard overhand version, letting you load heavier because the grip is not the limit.
- Single-arm reverse grip pushdown: one hand on a D-handle, the free hand bracing so the trunk stays square.
- EZ bar reverse grip pushdown: the angled grips take some strain off the wrists while keeping the palms up.
- Kneeling reverse grip pushdown: kneeling removes any leg drive and forces the triceps to start each rep.
- Reverse grip dumbbell kickback: the same supinated extension with a dumbbell, bent over, tension peaking at the top.
How Do You Progress the Reverse Grip Tricep Extension?
- Add one plate on the stack once you complete all sets at 15 reps without the fingers opening.
- Build from 10 reps up to 15 before adding the next plate.
- Add a fourth set before the next weight increase.
- Hold the lockout for two counts and lower over three when the next plate is too heavy to grip.
How Should You Program the Reverse Grip Tricep Extension?
Place the reverse grip tricep extension at the end of a push or arm session, after presses and any overhand pushdowns. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Pair it with an overhead cable extension so the long head gets stretched work while this movement covers the lockout.