Home / Exercises / Cable Wide Pulldown
Cable Wide Pulldown animation

How to do the Cable Wide Pulldown

BackBack & LatsCableBeginner

The cable wide pulldown is one of the most effective tools for building a wide, powerful back because the cable keeps constant tension on your lats through every inch of the movement. Master this exercise and you lay the foundation for upper body strength that carries over to nearly everything you do.

Add this to my personalized plan →

Muscles worked

Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Sit tall at the cable station, lock your thighs under the pad, and grip the bar just outside shoulder width with palms facing away.
  2. Lean back slightly from the hips, chest up, and initiate the pull by driving your elbows down and back toward your hips.
  3. Pull the bar to upper chest level, squeezing your lats hard at the bottom of the rep for a full one-second contraction.
  4. Return the bar slowly and under control over two to three seconds, allowing your shoulder blades to rise and your lats to fully stretch at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Using momentum by rocking the torso back excessively, which shifts the load off the lats and onto the lower back. Keep your lean fixed and subtle throughout the set.
  • Pulling with the hands and biceps instead of the elbows, which reduces lat engagement. Focus on driving your elbows toward your back pockets rather than curling the bar down.
  • Cutting the range of motion short at the top, which eliminates the stretch that drives lat growth. Let the weight pull your shoulder blades fully upward before each rep.

Pro tip — Before you pull, think about depressing your shoulder blades downward away from your ears first. This pre-activates the lats and shuts the upper traps out of the movement so your target muscles do all the work from the very first inch of the rep.

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

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
Want this built into a full plan?2fit4u turns moves like this into your personalized weekly program — free to start.
Build my free plan →