For triceps growth
For triceps growth, overhead cable extension rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch.
Both are good choices, and they train the triceps differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Bar Pushdown. Heavy and simple, but with the arms at your sides the long head never gets stretched.
Overhead Cable Extension. Overhead extensions grew the triceps about 1.4× more than the arm-at-side version in a 12-week study.
For triceps growth, overhead cable extension rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the triceps differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Bar pushdown needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Overhead cable extension needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.