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Cable Rope High Pulley Overhead Tricep Extension

An overhead rope extension from the high pulley that trains the triceps long head at a long muscle length, a key driver of triceps size.

ArmsCableElbow extension
GoLightWeight mediacable-rope-high-pulley-overhead-tricep-extension

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Triceps

Secondary

AnconeusCoreShoulders

Equipment

Cable

Pattern

Elbow extension

Setup

  1. 01Set the pulley high and attach a rope.
  2. 02Grip the rope, turn to face away from the stack, and step into a staggered stance.
  3. 03Lean the torso forward 20 to 40 degrees and bring the upper arms alongside the head.
  4. 04Start with the elbows bent and the hands behind the head.

Execution

  1. 01Extend the elbows to drive the rope forward and up until the arms are straight.
  2. 02Pull the rope ends slightly apart at lockout.
  3. 03Keep the upper arms fixed next to the head.
  4. 04Bend the elbows to return to a deep stretch behind the head.

Checkpoints

  • -A real stretch is felt in the triceps at the start of each rep.
  • -Upper arms stay still; only the forearms travel.
  • -Torso lean and staggered stance stay stable against the pull of the cable.
  • -Ribs stay down rather than flaring at lockout.

Common mistakes

  • -Letting the elbows flare wide and turning it into a press.
  • -Bowing the torso up and down to move the weight.
  • -Cutting the stretch short behind the head.
  • -Standing too close to the stack so the cable drags on the head.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps as a primary triceps builder.
  • -Long-length work responds well to controlled 2 to 3 second eccentrics.
  • -Pair it with a pushdown so both stretched and shortened positions get trained.

Related exercises

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