How to do the Cable Pulldown
BackBack & LatsCableBeginner
The cable pulldown is one of the most effective tools for building a wide, strong back because it lets you load the lats through a full range of motion with constant tension. Master this movement and you lay the foundation for every pulling exercise in your training career.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms
Step-by-step
- Sit down, lock your thighs under the pad, and grip the bar just outside shoulder width with palms facing away
- Lean back slightly from the hips, chest tall, and pull your shoulder blades down and back before the bar moves an inch
- Drive your elbows straight down toward your hips until the bar meets your upper chest
- Control the bar back to full arm extension on every rep, feeling a stretch through your lats at the top
Common mistakes
- Pulling with momentum by rocking the torso — keep the lean fixed and initiate every rep with your shoulder blades, not your arms
- Letting the shoulders shrug up at the top of the rep — actively depress the scapulae before you pull to keep the lats engaged from the start
- Using a grip so wide it limits range of motion — a just-outside-shoulder-width grip allows full lat extension and a stronger contraction at the bottom
Pro tip — At the bottom of each rep, hold for one second and consciously try to pull your elbows further back behind your torso — this peak contraction recruits the lower lat fibers that most lifters never fully activate.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps
Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).
More Back exercises
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