Cable Pulldown

The cable pulldown is a vertical pulling exercise that draws a bar down to the upper chest from an overhead cable. It trains the lats, teres major and biceps through the same movement pattern as a pull-up, with the advantage that the load can be set below bodyweight and increased in small steps.

Targets: Latissimus Dorsi
Also works: Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Posterior, Infraspinatus
Equipment: Cable
Level: Intermediate
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Set the thigh pad so your legs are held down firmly, and take a grip on the bar somewhat wider than shoulder width.
Sit down with your arms extended overhead and let your shoulder blades rise with the weight.
Lean your torso back very slightly and set your chest up.
Pull the bar down towards your upper chest by driving your elbows down and back.
Let the bar rise back to full extension under control, allowing the shoulder blades to travel up again at the top.

Form cues

Think about pulling your elbows into your back pockets, not about pulling the bar down.
Start each rep from a full stretch with the shoulder blades elevated — that range is where the lats do the most work.
Keep the torso still; the lean is a position, not part of the rep.

Common mistakes

Pulling the bar behind the neck. It offers nothing a front pulldown does not and forces the shoulder into an extreme externally rotated position under load.
Leaning back progressively through the set until it becomes a seated row.
Stopping short of full extension at the top, which cuts out the stretched position and most of the reason to do the exercise.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your latissimus dorsi is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More back movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.