Straight-Arm Pulldown
Also known as: straight arm lat pulldown, cable pullover
Rows and pulldowns always share their work with the biceps — the straight-arm pulldown does not. Keeping the elbows locked in a soft, fixed bend forces the lats to move the cable alone through a long sweeping arc, which makes it the closest thing to a lat isolation exercise. Use it to finish a back day, or before rows as a primer that teaches you what a working lat feels like.
How to do the straight-arm pulldown, step by step
- Set a cable pulley to its highest position with a straight bar or rope attachment.
- Grab the attachment, step back a stride, and hinge slightly forward at the hips.
- Start with your arms extended overhead, feeling a deep stretch in the lats.
- Keeping a soft, unchanging bend in the elbows, sweep the bar down in an arc to your thighs.
- Squeeze the lats hard for a second with the bar at your hips.
- Let the bar rise back overhead over two to three seconds, resisting the stretch the whole way.
Form cues that fix most reps
Picture your arms as long levers bolted to your ribs — all the motion comes from the shoulder.
Push the bar down through an arc, like pressing a giant beach ball underwater.
Keep the ribs down; if the lower back arches at the stretch, you have gone past your range.
Common mistakes (and the fix)
Straight-Arm Pulldown sets and reps
Match the rep range to your goal, not the other way around. These are the standard evidence-based ranges:
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 8–12 | 60–90 sec |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | 30–60 sec |
How our free programs prescribe it
Straight-Arm Pulldown FAQ
What muscles does the straight-arm pulldown work?
It isolates the lats through shoulder extension, with minor help from the teres major and long head of the triceps acting as stabilizers. Unlike rows and pulldowns, the biceps contribute almost nothing, so the lats cannot hide.
How many sets and reps should I use?
Do 3 sets of 12–15 reps with a one-second squeeze at the bottom. It is an isolation move — moderate weight, full stretch, and strict elbows beat heavy loads here.
When should it go in my workout?
Either first, as a light primer to wake the lats up before rows and pulldowns, or last, as a finisher taken close to failure. Both work; just do not let it replace your heavy compound pulling.
More upper back exercises
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