

Keeping the arms straight prevents the mid-back and biceps from taking over the movement, so you can focus on the lat muscles you’re trying to work more directly. The straight-arm pulldown is ideal for lifters who can’t feel their lats working on traditional pulldown exercises. Muscles Worked in the Straight-Arm Pulldown In any case, it’s important to keep the elbows extended, as any bending will cause the triceps to get involved and reduce the involvement of the lats. You can also do this exercise as a single arm lat pulldown to further work the muscles involved. Another option is to use a band, which will increase tension in the end range of motion, helping you get a greater contraction at the bottom of the movement. If possible, use two rope attachments on the same cable so that you can use a wider grip and get an even greater contraction in the end position. As a result, you’ll get greater muscle activation. The straight-arm pulldown may also be done with a lat-bar or straight-bar attachment, but the rope allows for better shoulder positioning and a slightly greater range of motion. Step 6: Reverse the motion slowly to extend your arms again. Step 5: Slowly drive your arms down to your sides in an arcing motion with elbows locked out, so your hands end up in line with your hips, or just behind them.

You should feel a stretch on your lats (the muscles along the sides of your back). Step 4: Step back from the station a bit so that you feel tension on the cable and your arms are fully extended overhead. Bend your hips back until your torso is at a 30–45-degree angle. Your torso should feel like one tight, solid column. Step 3: Draw your ribs down, tuck your tailbone under, and brace your core muscles. Step 2: Draw your shoulder blades back together and down, as if you were trying to stuff them into your back pockets. Grasp an end in each hand and face the cable station. Step 1: Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. As a result, it’s a great movement for focusing on lat development. The straight-arm pulldown trains the latissimus dorsi through a long range of motion, and is helpful for people who have trouble feeling their backs work on conventional pulldown exercises. In this case, you perform the movement standing and keep your elbows locked out the entire time. The straight-arm pulldown exercise is a variation of the classic lat-pulldown.
