Cable Straight Arm Pulldown
Skip the guesswork: Cable Straight Arm Pulldown leans on unbroken cable tension for strength you can feel outside the gym.
How to do Cable Straight Arm Pulldown
- Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable machine.
- Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down.
- Engage your lats and pull the bar down towards your thighs, keeping your arms straight throughout the movement.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly return the bar to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Straight Arm Pulldown Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.
Common Cable Straight Arm Pulldown Mistakes
Letting the stack touch down between reps
Stop just short of the stack so tension never resets.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Easier and Harder Than Cable Straight Arm Pulldown
Swap Cable Straight Arm Pulldown For
Cable Straight Arm Pulldown — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown?
Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable machine. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down. 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 Cable Straight Arm Pulldown work?
The Cable Straight Arm 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 Cable Straight Arm Pulldown should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic back patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown?
Try the Mixed Grip Chin-up, Weighted Close Grip Chin-up On Dip Cage or the Barbell Pullover To Press. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
