How to Do Single Arm Cable Tricep Extensions
A single arm cable tricep extension is a unilateral triceps exercise on a high pulley. Hold a D handle in one hand, pin your elbow to your side and push down until your arm is straight. It works all three heads of the triceps. Most lifters do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps per arm.
- 1Start. Pulley at the top, one D handle in one hand. Elbow pinned to your side and bent, free hand holding the frame.
- 2Lockout. Keep your upper arm still and push the handle down until your arm is straight, then let it rise under control.
Watch 3 video demonstrations
Find more video demonstrations in the Gravitus app
How to do a single arm cable tricep extension
- Set the pulley to the top notch and clip on a single D handle.
- Grab the handle overhand with one hand. Stand facing the stack or turned slightly side-on, close enough that the cable runs almost straight down, and hold the frame with your free hand.
- Pull the handle down until your elbow is at your side and your forearm is about level with the floor. This is the start.
- Keep your upper arm and torso still and push the handle down by straightening your elbow until your arm is straight.
- Let the handle rise over 2 seconds until your forearm is level again. Finish every rep on your weaker arm first, then match that number on the other side.
Where you stand changes the rep
The weight stack pulls with the same force all rep, but not with the same leverage. Your elbow feels it most where your forearm is at a right angle to the cable. With one handle you can stand wherever you like, so small changes in position move the hardest part of the rep. The curves are modelled on the same scale.
For the pushdown, take half a step back so the cable angles toward you and your arm still carries load at lockout. Control the top of every rep, where the stack pulls hardest. For more load in the stretch, switch to the overhead version, which grew the triceps more in a 12-week study (Maeo 2023).
How much weight should you use for single arm cable tricep extensions?
On Gravitus, the median man lifts 32.5 lb (15 kg) for 10 reps on the single arm cable tricep extension, and the median woman 22.5 lb (10 kg).
- Most lift
- 22.5 to 45 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 65 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 22.5 lb
- Most lift
- 17.5 to 30 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 37.5 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 17.5 lb
- Most lift
- 10 to 22.5 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 30 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 10 kg
- Most lift
- 8 to 14 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 17 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 8 kg
Muscles worked
One arm or two? What the research says
One arm at a time builds about the same muscle as two. A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 9 studies with 200 people that compared unilateral and bilateral training, and found no difference in muscle growth (Kassiano 2025). Strength followed the version trained: unilateral training raised one-limb strength more, and bilateral training raised two-limb strength more. Seven of the 9 studies trained legs, and none tested the triceps alone.
The best-known triceps growth study was run one arm at a time on a cable. In Maeo 2023, 21 adults trained one arm with cable extensions with the arm at the side, like this lift, and the other arm overhead, 5 sets of 10 twice a week for 12 weeks. The arm-at-side arm grew 13.9% in the whole triceps and 19.6% in the long head. The overhead arm grew 19.9% and 28.5%.
Three claims about this lift, two of them from our old guide:
- The cable gives constant tension. The stack pulls the same all rep, but its leverage changes, as the chart above shows. Standing close, the cable does almost nothing at lockout.
- Stop short of lockout to keep tension. Straighten your arm every rep. Lockout is where the triceps is shortest, and a half step back keeps load on it.
- One arm builds a better mind-muscle connection. No study we found has tested it. What one arm does give you is a weaker side that cannot hide behind the stronger one.
D handle, rope or cuff
No study we found has compared handles for one-arm extensions. Pick the one that lets you keep your elbow at your side and your wrist straight. For bar vs V-bar vs rope on two-arm pushdowns, see the tricep pushdown guide.
Single arm pushdown vs cross-body vs overhead
| Attribute | Single arm pushdown | Cross-body extension | Single arm overhead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulley | Top | Top or shoulder height, to your side | Top or hip height |
| Upper arm | At your side | Out to the side, across your chest | Beside your head |
| Long head stretch | Least | In between | Most |
| Weight | The most | Less | Less |
| Best for | Heavy sets, a weaker arm | Elbows that dislike pushdowns | Triceps growth |
All three train one arm at a time. For size, do the overhead version: in Maeo 2023 it grew the triceps 1.4 times more than the arm-at-side version. Keep the pushdown for heavier sets. No study we found has tested the cross-body extension. See the overhead cable extension guide.
Sets, reps and progression
Stop each set 0 to 2 reps short of failure. Sets taken close to failure build muscle across a wide range of reps (Schoenfeld 2021), so pick a range you can keep strict. The arm-at-side arm in Maeo 2023 did 5 sets of 10 twice a week. Do this lift after your presses, and add an overhead extension on another day or in the same session.
Start each set with your weaker arm and match its reps on the stronger arm. Go straight from one arm to the other: the working arm rests while the other side lifts.
Stack jumps of 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) are big for one arm. Add reps first: when every set reaches the top of your range, move up one pin and drop back to the bottom of the range.
Common mistakes
-
Turning toward the stackYour torso twists and your lats and shoulder push the handle. Hold the frame with your free hand and brace your abs.
-
Elbow drifting forwardThe rep turns into a press. Keep your elbow at your side for the whole set.
-
Standing right under the pulleyThe cable runs parallel to your forearm at lockout, so the bottom of the rep does nothing. Take half a step back.
-
Bending the wrist backKeep your wrist in line with your forearm, or switch to a rope end or a cuff.
-
Starting with the strong armThe strong side sets a rep count the weak side cannot match. Start with the weaker arm.
-
Letting the handle fly upLet it rise over 2 seconds until your forearm is level, without the plates touching.
Single arm cable tricep extension variations
Questions people ask
What does single arm cable tricep extension work?
All three heads of the triceps. Your forearm grips the handle, and your core stops your torso turning toward the stack.
Does single arm tricep extension work long head?
Yes. With your arm at your side, the long head produced the most force of the three heads (Kholinne 2018), and it grew 19.6% in 12 weeks in the arm-at-side arm of Maeo 2023. The overhead version stretches it more and grew it more.
Is single arm tricep extension better than two?
Not for size. A meta-analysis of 9 studies found the same muscle growth from one-limb and two-limb training (Kassiano 2025), though most of those studies trained legs. Use one arm to even out a weaker side, and two arms to load more total weight.
Single arm tricep extension vs cross body tricep extension?
The single arm pushdown keeps your upper arm at your side and takes more weight. The cross-body extension raises your arm out to the side and stretches the long head a little more. No study we found has compared them, so pick the one your elbow prefers.
Should I use a D handle or a rope for single arm tricep extension?
A D handle is the standard and the easiest to load. A rope end lets your hand finish beside your thigh with your palm facing in. Both train the same muscle, so pick the one that keeps your wrist straight.
Is single arm tricep extension push or pull?
Push. You straighten your elbow against the cable, so it goes on push day with your presses, usually near the end of the session.
How much weight should I use for single arm cable tricep extension?
For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 32.5 lb (15 kg) for men and 22.5 lb (10 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 45 lb (22.5 kg) and 30 lb (14 kg) or more.
Log every set and see your percentile on every lift, single arm cable tricep extension included.
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