Alternate Lateral Pulldown
Alternate Lateral Pulldown is built for your first months of training, using unbroken cable tension to deliver muscle you built on purpose.
How to do Alternate Lateral Pulldown
- Sit on the cable machine with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lean back slightly and pull the handles towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Alternate Lateral Pulldown Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.
Common Alternate Lateral Pulldown Mistakes
Standing too near the tower so the first inch is slack
Take a step back until the cable is loaded before you begin.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Easier and Harder Than Alternate Lateral Pulldown
Swap Alternate Lateral Pulldown For
Alternate Lateral Pulldown — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Alternate Lateral Pulldown?
Sit on the cable machine with your back straight and feet flat on the ground. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lean back slightly and pull the handles towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Use a cable machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Alternate Lateral Pulldown work?
The Alternate Lateral Pulldown primarily targets the lats. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with a cable machine.
How many sets and reps of the Alternate Lateral Pulldown should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Alternate Lateral Pulldown good for beginners?
Yes. The Alternate Lateral Pulldown is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Alternate Lateral Pulldown?
Try the One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Wide Grip Pull-up or the Lever Front Pulldown. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
