best "handle/grip" for tricep pulldowns?

slateef

New Member
well just joined a gym and have started hst for the first time...

i'm using the pulldown maching for triceps

what is the best "handle attachment" or grip to use to isolate the tris?

there are several there and i'm not sure...there's a thick double rope with rubber balls at the ends, that splits apart as you lower.

there's a "upside down Y" shaped handle

there's a straight bar

which is better or is there any difference?
 
I like the ropes because you can either keep the heel side of your hand down all the way to the full contraction, or you can rotate your wrists and turn your palms down. I'm not sure that really develops the tricep in any different fashion (probably not) but it does feel a little different and helps alleviate boredom. When I use a V handle or even a straight bar I eventually get to feeling like my wrists are locked up and taking the pressure instead of the triceps. I like the freedom that the ropes allow.
 
I agree with the post above.

Straight bars put strain on my wrist (same for curls too), I would use the "upside down Y" because that way you can get good range of motion.

BTW, what's wrong with close grip bench press, why not use that?
 
You dont have bar that looks like a "w" with angle about 15 degrees. It`s better than straight bars because your wrists are not complety straight but allows you to put more weight than Y-bars
 
I saw a guy doing this, and imitated it: I use the rope attachment, and I face away from the pulley with the pulley positioned above my head and push outward, my body bent about 90 degrees. As I push outward, I start with palms facing each other, then gradually rotate my palms so that they face away from my body. (Ie, I pronate my forearms.) The first time I tried this it felt really "right".

Plus, when I do the exercise this way, I always seem to get more stretch than doing it any other way. Even well into an HST cycle, I will continue to get some soreness in my triceps the day after doing just 2-3 sets of these.

The other wrinkle I added was to combine a pullover movement with the exercise. When I let the plates go back down, I allow the weight to pull my back upwards so that it's arched, and I'm in a pullover starting position. As I come forward, I essentially do a pullover until my back returns to being 90 degrees to the floor, then finish the exercise using just the triceps. I feel like I'm doing a kind of combination pullover/pulldown.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (BoSox @ Jan. 22 2005,4:19)]it's redundant. Plus an extra heavy pressing movement doesn't help your joints.
Aren't press downs somewhat redundant too?

Somewhere vicious has written about using stretch point movements for isolation movements (i.e. overhead press/skull crushers for tris) or more sets of the compound exercises....

I hope I'm wrong, I love press downs!
 
Back
Top