For triceps growth
For triceps growth, overhead dumbbell extension rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch.
Bar pushdown is easier to progress.
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 Dumbbell Extension. Same overhead advantage, harder to load and to get into position.
For triceps growth, overhead dumbbell extension rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch. Bar pushdown is easier to progress. 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 dumbbell extension needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it.
Bar pushdown: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for overhead dumbbell extension.