For triceps growth
For triceps growth, cross-body cable extension rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch.
Rope 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
Cross-Body Cable Extension. Arms across the body give the triceps a long range under steady cable tension, one side at a time.
Rope Pushdown. Simple and joint-friendly, but the long head never gets stretched.
For triceps growth, cross-body cable extension rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch. Rope 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.
Rope pushdown is easier: it’s easy to learn, while cross-body cable extension takes some practice.
Cross-body cable extension needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Rope pushdown needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.