Side To Side Pushdowns

Why Is This Exercise So Effective?

This exercise gives a different angle of pull and is especially good for athletes using rowing or paddling movements. It forces the tricep muscles to react to varying angles of pull.

How To Do It

• This exercise is executed almost exactly like a regular pushdown only you will push down to the side of your body instead of directly in front.
  
  
• Your right arm will finish on the outside of your left hip.
  
  
• Come up then push down to the other side.
  
  
• You can lean in the opposite direction you are pushing.
  
  
• Alternate sides with each rep.

How to incorporate this exercise into your workouts:

This exercise can be done anywhere in your triceps routine.

Common Errors

1. Using momentum to push down

This usually occurs when you are lifting the weight too fast. You should slow down and concentrate on pushing and squeezing rather than pumping.

Tricks

1. Let the elbows drift up a bit

At the start of the rep, let your elbows come up a bit. When you do the pushdown, start by bringing the elbows back down then extending the arm. This small movement (bringing the elbow down) increases the involvement of the long head of the tricep.

Do not use this as an excuse to build up some momentum to do the rep!