- EquipmentCable
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Stand facing a high cable with a bar or rope attached. Grip it with straight arms, hinge slightly at the hips and step back.
First cueKeep the elbows nearly straight throughout.
How to do the Straight-Arm Pulldown
Set up. Stand facing a high cable with a bar or rope attached. Grip it with straight arms, hinge slightly at the hips and step back.
- Keeping your arms straight, pull the bar down in an arc toward your thighs.
- Squeeze your lats at the bottom.
- Let the bar rise back to about head height under control.
Form cues
- Keep the elbows nearly straight throughout.
- Keep the ribs down.
- Move only at the shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows so it becomes a pushdown.
- Rocking the torso to move the weight.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lats. The latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back, running from the lower spine and pelvis up under the arm to the upper arm bone. It pulls the arm down and back: pull-ups, pulldowns and the start of a deadlift.
On the way: Abs.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Side delts and Triceps, in the overhead press and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Straight-Arm Pulldown, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Cable Lateral Raise Superset partner: it trains the other side of the overhead press and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Seated Cable Row Same pull session: it trains the upper back.
- Face Pull Same pull session: it trains the rear delts.
- Cable Shrug Often left out: it trains the traps, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
5 movements, the Straight-Arm Pulldown first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Straight-Arm Pulldown 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise 3 × 12 to 20 reps
- Seated Cable Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Face Pull 3 × 12 to 20 reps
- Cable Shrug 3 × 10 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Dumbbell Pullover
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Machine High Row
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Lat Pulldown.
Other variations of the Lat Pulldown: Neutral-Grip Pulldown, Machine High Row and Single-Arm Lat Pulldown.
Its variations: Dumbbell Pullover.
Do before it: Shoulder Dislocate (shoulder range), Scapular Pull-Up (shoulder blades), Thoracic Rotation (upper back range) and Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Straight-Arm Pulldown is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Straight-Arm Pulldown?
Set up: Stand facing a high cable with a bar or rope attached. Grip it with straight arms, hinge slightly at the hips and step back. Steps: 1. Keeping your arms straight, pull the bar down in an arc toward your thighs. 2. Squeeze your lats at the bottom. 3. Let the bar rise back to about head height under control. Form cues: Keep the elbows nearly straight throughout. Keep the ribs down. Move only at the shoulders. Common mistakes: Bending the elbows so it becomes a pushdown. Rocking the torso to move the weight.
What muscles does the Straight-Arm Pulldown work?
It trains the lats as its main target and works the abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Straight-Arm Pulldown?
At home: Dumbbell Pullover. In a gym: Machine High Row. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Straight-Arm Pulldown with?
Good partners in the same workout are Cable Lateral Raise, Seated Cable Row, Face Pull and Cable Shrug.
How heavy should the Straight-Arm Pulldown be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.