1 / 6Straight-Arm Pulldown
With straight arms, you pull a bar from a high cable down to your thighs. It trains the lats without the biceps taking over, which helps you feel the back working.
BackCore
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Cable
- Main muscle
- Back
- Also works
- Core
- Beginner sets
- 3 × 10–15
- Rest
- 60 seconds
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See the app · coming soonHow to do it
- 1Hold a bar on a high pulley with straight arms, shoulder-width apart.
- 2Hinge slightly forward with your back flat.
- 3Pull the bar down to your thighs, keeping your arms straight.
- 4Let it rise slowly.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows so it becomes a pushdown
- Using body weight by leaning down hard
- Letting the shoulders shrug up
Tips
- Hinge slightly forward with a flat back
- Keep the arms straight and sweep the bar down in an arc
- Squeeze the lats at the thighs, then let the bar rise slowly
Questions
What does the straight-arm pulldown work?
Mainly the lats, the large muscles that give the back its width.
Bar or rope?
Both work. A rope lets the hands come past the hips for a stronger squeeze.
More Back exercises
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