09/03/2026
Cable overhead tricep extensions get butchered more than almost any other isolation movement I coach, and it’s not because people aren’t trying hard enough. It’s the opposite. They’re trying too hard, and that’s exactly what turns a triceps exercise into a shoulder exercise without anyone realizing it happened.
1️⃣ Rope on a low pulley, face away, split stance for a stable base.
2️⃣ Press to full lockout, elbows tucked forward by your ears, not flared out. Flared elbows = shoulders doing the work.
3️⃣ Lower slow and controlled behind your head until you feel a deep triceps stretch. Upper arms stay locked and only the elbows bend.
4️⃣ Press back to lockout and squeeze hard at the top.
5️⃣ Check yourself: no elbow flare, no arm swinging, no low back arch, no cutting the stretch short to move more weight.
This is a stretch-focused isolation exercise. Not a place to chase numbers. The second ego shows up, your shoulders and back take over and your triceps get left out of their own exercise.