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Straight Arm Pulldown
A high-tension isolation movement designed to build width and thickness in the lats without bicep interference.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Attach a long straight bar or a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station.
Grip the attachment with your palms facing down at shoulder-width apart and take two steps back to create tension on the cable.
Hinge slightly at the hips and maintain a soft bend in your knees while keeping your arms fully extended.
Pull the bar down in a wide arc toward your thighs by engaging your lats and keeping your elbows locked in a fixed, slightly bent position.
Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back as the bar reaches your legs, holding the contraction for one second.
Slowly return the bar to the starting position until your arms are parallel to the floor, maintaining constant tension on the muscles.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Bending the elbows excessively which turns the movement into a tricep extension.
- Using momentum or swinging the torso to move the weight.
- Resting at the top of the movement by letting the cable lose tension.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears during the eccentric phase.
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.