Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension: How To Do, Muscle Worked

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Do you dream of having sleeve-busting arms that turn heads wherever you go? The single arm cable tricep extension is the secret weapon for building an impressive tricep.

Many people focus solely on traditional tricep exercises, such as the pushdown, skull crusher but the single arm cable tricep extension offers a unique and highly effective way to target your tricep from a different angle.

If you’re not already doing one arm cable tricep extension, you’re missing out on some serious gains. The cable provides a unique training stimulus that many other pushdown variations don’t offer. This can help you build a bigger, stronger tricep.

We will explore the following in this blog:

Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension
Table of Contents

What Is Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension

A single arm cable tricep extension is a unilateral exercise that targets the tricep to build strength and hypertrophy through extension of the elbow.

Cable tricep extension is done from a seated or standing position (although there are other variations as well, which we’ll go over). This exercise helps to build strength and size in the triceps, and it can also help to improve range of motion in the elbow joint.

Aside from strength and functionality, tricep cable extensions will bring definition and firmness to the back of the arm to improve the aesthetics of the arm.

There are different ways to do an single arm tricep extension to build a bigger and stronger tricep.

  • One Arm Cable Overhead Extension
  • Single Arm Reverse Grip Extension
  • Rope One Arm Trice Extension
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Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension Muscles Worked

The One Arm cable tricep extension is an isolation exercise rather than a compound motion. This makes it a great exercise for targeting your triceps.

  • The primary muscle group worked by the single arm cable extension is your triceps.

How To Do One Arm Cable Tricep Extension

One Arm Cable Tricep Extension
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Attach a single-grip handle to a high pulley cable.
  3. Grab the handle with an overhand grip and bend your elbow.
  4. Position your elbow close to your body, maintaining a 90-degree angle at the start of the movement.
  5. Keeping your elbow tucked in at your side, slowly extend your arm until it is straight.
  6. Pause for a second at the top of the movement.
  7. Then slowly lower your arm back to the starting position.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Know More: 15 Best Triceps Cable Exercises For Building Bigger Arms

Tips For Doing Single Arm Cable Overhead Extension

It is crucial to know the mistakes made by athletes and weight lifters while performing tricep extensions. It will help you gain a better perspective on your form.

1. Avoid Elbow Flaring Out

During a downward push, people tend to flare their elbows outwards. This can put unnecessary stress on the shoulder as well as the chest muscles.

2. Avoid Excessive Elbow Movement

Many people let their elbows sway back and forward during the movement. While you can technically lift more weight using this momentum, you are actually using your lats to complete the exercise.

3. Don’t Use Too Much Weight

Adding more weights than required might not be a good idea.

Overdoing this exercise can strain your muscles, making them sore, and may cause injury.

4. Avoid Swinging The Weight

Focus on using controlled, deliberate movements to curl the bar.

A slow controlled descent will increase time under tension, leading to more effective sets, and less risk of injury.

5. Incomplete Range Of Motion

It is important to fully extend your elbows at the bottom. Feel the deep stretch at the top and the hard contraction at the bottom.

6. Rest And Recover

Incorporate proper rest, and nutrition into your exercise program.

Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Use Free Calculator To Know Your Muscle Building Calories Requirement

Set, Reps And Frequency For Single Arm Extension

The number of reps you should do depends on your goals, whether they are to increase strength or build muscle mass and endurance.

  • For muscle growth, it is best to do for around 6–12 reps per set.
  • For strength, around 3–8 reps per set are recommended.
  • To build Muscle Endurance, do 15-20+ reps per set.

Here are some general guidelines for the single arm cable tricep extension exercise, including sets, reps, and frequency, in order to enhance muscle mass

LevelSetsRepsFrequency
Beginner2-38-121-2 times per week
Intermediate3-48-122-3 times per week
Advanced4-58-152-3 times per week

Best Variations Of One Arm Cable Tricep Extension

To target the muscle in different ways, it’s a good idea to include different variations of the exercise, such as using different types of equipment, or changing the angle of the movement.

1. One Arm Cable Overhead Extensions

Overhead rope triceps extension are another great exercise for your tricep cable extension workout.

Overhead cable rope tricep extension variations are especially good at targeting the long head of the triceps. The denser your long head muscle is, the overall larger the triceps appear.

You can use this exercise to target each side of the triceps separately. This will balance the strength of each arm and will give you an asymmetrical look. This exercise can be done standing or seated.

One-arm Cable Overhead Extensions

How To Do One Arm Cable Overhead Extensions

  1. Attach a stirrup (handle) to a cable pulley that is a little lower than chest high.
  2. Grasp the stirrup with one hand and press it up, over your head.
  3. Turn away from the pulley, stagger your feet for balance.
  4. Your elbow should be raised high, the cable should be pulled taut.
  5. Keep your elbow close to your head, exhale as you raise the stirrup over your head by extending your elbow.
  6. Inhale as you flex your elbow to lower the stirrup towards the starting position until you feel a mild stretch in your triceps brachii.
  7. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
  8. Repeat the exercise with your opposite arm.

Tips

  • Keep your body and upper arm still. Only your forearm should move.
  • Keep your elbow close to your head.

2. One Arm Reverse-Grip Extension

When doing a cable tricep pushdown, there are plenty of single-arm exercises you can add to correct potential imbalances.

The cable one-arm reverse-grip tricep push-down is an isolation exercise that builds muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.

Push-downs are excellent regardless of the variation used, but the reverse grip may allow you to emphasize more of the medial tricep head.

Cable one-arm reverse-grip triceps push-down

How To Do One-Arm Reverse Grip Cable Extension

  1. Stand near the cable apparatus and grasp the single-grip attachment, with an underhand grip.
  2. Keep your elbows at your body’s sides and press the weight downward
  3. Slowly, allow the weight to rise until your forearms are parallel to the ground.
  4. Repeat steps 3-4 for as many sets as are desired.

3. Single Arm Rope Tricep Extension

The rope handle facilitates a neutral grip with the palms facing each other, resulting in greater comfort and less stress on the wrists and elbows.

The rope attachment lets you spread your hands apart at the bottom of the movement, giving you a wider range of motion than with traditional handle attachments. This makes the triceps stretch more and makes more muscle fibers work, which makes the tricep muscle work harder and grow bigger.

Single Arm Rope Tricep Extension

How To Do

  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Attach a rope attachment to a high pulley cable.
  3. Grab the rope with a neutral grip.
  4. Keep your elbow tucked in at your side, slowly extend your arm until it is straight.
  5. Pause at the top of the movement, and then slowly lower your arm back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of reps and switch to the other arm.
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Single Arm Cross Body Cable Tricep Extension

The cross-body movement in this exercise targets the lateral head of the triceps muscle more effectively than other single arm tricep extensions.

The cross-body motion allows for a greater stretch in the triceps at the bottom of the movement, which makes the muscle work harder and gives it more potential for growth.

Single Arm Cross Body Cable Tricep Extension

How To Do

  1. Stand next to the cable machine, with the pulley at shoulder height. Hold the handle attachment.
  2. Position your arm with the handle across your body and elbow bent at 90 degrees.
  3. Extend your forearm away from your body, reaching towards the opposite side of your torso.
  4. Pause and squeeze your triceps at full extension.
  5. Slowly return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  6. Perform desired repetitions on one arm before switching to the other.

Benefits of Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension

  • Builds strength and size in the triceps.
  • Can help to improve range of motion in the elbow joint.
  • It is a relatively low-impact exercise and a good option for people with joint pain.
  • It can be performed as part of a full-body workout or as a standalone exercise.
  • It challenges the tricep muscles in a different way to prevent plateauing.
  • Allows you to focus on one arm at a time, which can help to identify and correct any imbalances.
  • It Can help to improve your mind-muscle connection with the triceps.
  • It can be done with different variations, grips, and angles, so you can customize it and work on specific areas of the triceps for a well-rounded development.

Single Arm Cable Tricep Extension Alternative

  1. Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension
  2. Cable Tricep Kickback
  3. Barbell Skull Crusher
  4. Tricep Kickback
  5. Cable Overhead Tricep Extension
  6. Barbell Overhead Tricep Press
  7. Dumbbell Tricep Extension
  8. Cable Tricep Pushdown
  9. Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press
  10. Cable Rope Tricep Extension

Takeaway

Single arm cable tricep exercises are recommended for anyone who wants to build triceps muscles and gain strength.

Not only does it allow for targeted muscle development, but it also provides overall triceps and arm development. It is easy to do and does not require a lot of scientific information.

If done consistently, the results will speak by themselves.

Thanks for reading, enjoy!

References

Best Cable Tricep Exercises for Strong and Defined Arms

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