How to do the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown
BackBack & LatsCableBeginner
The cable straight arm pulldown is one of the most direct ways to train your lats through a full range of motion, teaching your brain and body to truly feel the muscle work. Master this movement and you build the pulling strength and mind-muscle connection that carries over to every row and pull-up you will ever do.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms
Step-by-step
- Stand facing the cable stack, grip the bar or rope at shoulder height with arms nearly straight, and hinge slightly forward at the hips.
- Keep a soft, fixed elbow as you drive the bar down toward your thighs by thinking about pulling your shoulder blades down and your elbows toward your hips.
- Squeeze your lats hard at the bottom position when the bar touches or nears your thighs, holding for a brief count.
- Return the bar slowly under control back to the start, letting your arms rise to shoulder height and feeling the lat stretch before the next rep.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows during the pull, which shifts the work to your biceps and triceps instead of your lats. Keep a locked, soft elbow angle throughout the entire movement.
- Standing upright instead of hinging forward, which shortens the range of motion and reduces lat engagement. Maintain a slight forward lean from the hips for the whole set.
- Rushing through the eccentric phase and letting the cable yank the arms back up, which wastes the most growth-producing part of the rep. Take at least two seconds to return to the start position.
Pro tip — Focus on driving your thumbs toward your outer thighs rather than just pulling the bar down. This external cue naturally externally rotates the shoulder slightly, locks in proper mechanics, and produces a noticeably stronger lat contraction at the bottom.
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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