Push Down - Arms Exercise
Pushdowns
are an isolation exercise for upper arms, in particular
the triceps, while using relatively few other
muscle groups. This is one of the most easy to
learn tricep exercises to tone arms. Triceps pushdowns
is an exercise to tighten upper arms.
For this exercise for arms,
it is best to use a cable machine with a
rope or a straight bar attached to an overhead
pulley.
To know the appropriate weight, choose
a weight that you can push 12-15 times without
compromising proper form.
Begin this combined
arms exercise by gripping the bar with your
hands facing away from you and are 6-12 inches
apart and about shoulder width apart with
the forearms at a 90 degree angle or less
to the upper.
Stand about a foot away from the cable machine.
While
keeping the upper arms tucked tightly in to your
sides and as stationary as possible and your back
straight, push the apparatus down until your arms
are completely extended.
Avoid the common mistake of using your upper body
weight or raising the shoulders to bring down the
bar.
Let the weight closer to the front of the body.
This way you maximize the involvement of the lateral
triceps head.
You keep the pectorals out of the
exercise, by maintaining a more erect posture.
Pause
for a while then slowly bring the weight back at
chin level to your starting point. Let up your upper
arms angle up again then repeat the process.
This
best arms exercise is sure to tone those flabby
arms.
Try to push the bar towards the ground by dropping
your shoulders, when you come to the bottom of the
pushdown.
This extra squeeze on the triceps increases
the contraction greatly. It is important that you
control the weight on the way up and bring the weight
back slowly.
You will have to use elastic force
from the back muscles to rebound the weight back
down if you do not control the weight as it comes
up.
This rebound reduces tricep activation.
You have
to slow on the way down to squeeze the triceps during
the movement or you will get very little out of
this combined arms exercise except perhaps a backache.
So make sure to do this arm exercise in a slow and
controlled manner.
