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Cable Pushdown (Straight Arm) II animation

How to do the Cable Pushdown (Straight Arm) II

BackBack & LatsCableBeginner

The straight-arm cable pushdown is one of the most direct ways to isolate your lats without biceps interference, making it a powerful tool for building that wide, V-tapered back. Master this movement and you will develop the mind-muscle connection that carries over to every major pulling exercise you do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Stand an arm's length from a high cable pulley, grip the bar or rope with a shoulder-width overhand grip, and hinge slightly forward at the hips with a soft bend in the knees.
  2. Lock your elbows straight and keep them fixed throughout the entire movement, ensuring your arms act as rigid levers.
  3. Drive the attachment down and back toward your thighs by contracting your lats, thinking of pulling your shoulder blades down and away from your ears.
  4. Pause for one full second at the bottom with your hands at your thighs, then return the cable slowly under control until your arms are nearly parallel to the floor.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows during the pull, which shifts load onto the triceps instead of the lats, so consciously lock your arms straight before you initiate every single rep.
  • Using momentum by rocking the torso forward and back, which removes tension from the lats, so fix your hips in place and let only your arms move.
  • Rushing the eccentric and letting the cable snap back up, which wastes half the muscle-building stimulus, so take a full two to three seconds to return to the start position.

Pro tip — Focus on driving your thumbs toward your outer thighs rather than simply pushing the bar down, this subtle internal rotation cue maximizes lat activation through the full range of motion.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Back exercises

Barbell Bent Over RowBarbell Bent Over RowBarbell Decline Bent Arm PulloverBarbell Decline Bent Arm PulloverBarbell Decline Wide Grip PulloverBarbell Decline Wide Grip PulloverBarbell Incline RowBarbell Incline RowBarbell ShrugBarbell ShrugBarbell Reverse Grip Bent Over RowBarbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
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