Cross-Body Cable Tricep Extension
A high-pulley triceps extension that drives the working arm across the body from the opposite shoulder to lockout.
How to do it
- Set a cable at a high pulley and hold the bare cable end in the working hand.
- Stand beside the stack and bring that hand to the opposite shoulder, elbow bent.
- Rest the free hand behind your back and brace the trunk so the torso stays still.
- Keep the working upper arm fixed and extend the elbow until the arm is straight.
- Pause at lockout, then bend the elbow under control back to the opposite shoulder.
- Finish the set, then switch arms.
Key technique cue
Don't let the elbow drift forward or the torso lean — only the forearm works.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the elbow drift forward, which turns an isolation into a shoulder press-down.
- ✕ Leaning the torso into the cable, which hides how little the triceps moved.
- ✕ Snapping the lockout, which dumps tension at the only part of the range that matters here.
- ✕ Using a D-handle instead of the bare cable end, which changes the grip and the line of pull.
Benefits
- ✓ Constant cable tension keeps the triceps loaded through the whole elbow range.
- ✓ The cross-body path shortens the long head at lockout, which a straight pushdown does less of.
- ✓ Training one arm at a time makes left-to-right differences obvious.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Cross-Body Cable Tricep Extension
- Cable Single Arm Rope Pushdown
- Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdown
About the exercise
The cross-body cable tricep extension is elbow extension against a high pulley, with the working hand starting near the opposite shoulder. Extending across the torso rather than straight down puts the long head in a shortened position at lockout, which is why the squeeze at the bottom is the point of the lift. The upper arm stays still; only the forearm travels. It uses the bare cable end with a rubber stopper, not a D-handle or rope.
Updated
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