Cable straight arm pulldown

The cable straight-arm pulldown is a lat isolation exercise where you push a bar or rope down from shoulder height to your thighs while keeping your arms straight. With the elbows fixed, the biceps cannot help, so the lats do all the work, which makes it the clearest way to learn what a lat contraction feels like.

Targets: Latissimus Dorsi
Also works: Deltoid Posterior, Levator Scapulae, Pectoralis Major Sternal Head, Teres Major
Equipment: Cable
Level: Intermediate
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Set a high cable pulley and attach a straight bar or rope.
Stand facing the machine, feet hip width, and take the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
Hinge forward slightly from the hips and hold your arms straight with a slight bend in the elbows.
Sweep the bar down in an arc until it touches the front of your thighs.
Let the bar rise back up under control until your arms are about level with your head.

Form cues

Keep the elbow angle fixed; the arm moves as one lever from the shoulder.
Think of pushing the bar into your thighs with your armpits.
Keep the ribs down so the lower back does not arch as you finish.

Common mistakes

Bending the elbows to push the bar down, which turns it into a triceps pushdown. Keep the arms long.
Using the torso to swing the weight. Hold the slight hinge still for the whole set.
Going too heavy. This is an isolation exercise; a weight you can control for 12 to 15 reps works the lats far better.

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.