Straight Arm Lat Pulldown for Muscle Domination

The straight arm pulldown is a lat-dominant isolation exercise done using a cable machine. 

There are a variety of ways you can perform this exercise to change the muscle focus, which we’ll discuss later. If you’ve been struggling to find the right movement that works the lats, consider the straight-arm pulldown.

As we always do in our “how to” articles, we’ll provide the proper form for the straight arm lat pulldown. Before we get to form, let’s talk about: 

• The muscles worked during this exercise
• Some of the most common questions asked 
• Optional ways to perform the lat pulldown
• Tips to make the most out of your workout.

What Muscles Does Straight Arm Pulldown Work?

While straight-arm pulldowns predominantly work the latissimus dorsi muscle, there are other muscles at play:

• Teres major
• Posterior deltoid
• Chest
• Abdominals
• Upper back
• Triceps 

The muscles in the back will be the primary drivers in the cable straight arm pulldown with the rest stabilizing. This exercise is more about feeling the muscles under tension doing their job rather than lifting heavy weights.

Do Lat Pulldowns Work the Chest?

They sure do, but they aren’t the target, hence the name lat pulldowns. While you will get some pec activation doing lat pulldowns, the star to shine is the latissimus dorsi.

If you’re looking for chest activation, we’ve got a few ideas for you that will work much better:

• Best dips exercises & workouts
• Best upper chest exercises & workouts
• How to build Reg Park’s gladiator chest
• Best way to get a bigger chest
• Best upper body workouts

What is a Straight Arm Pulldown?

Pulldown, pushdown, pullover, what’s the difference? There’s a lot of difference between the three, actually.

The straight arm pulldown is sometimes confused with the straight arm pushdown. While the names are very similar, they are very different exercises. The straight arm pushdown works the lower traps rather than the back muscles.

The straight arm pullover is like a dumbbell pullover, which recruits the lats to a lesser degree. The range of motion is limited, just like with the straight arm pushdown. The chest and triceps will work more than the lats, which won’t give you the lat development you’re looking for.

What are the Benefits of the Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown?

There are a few benefits you can get from using straight arm pulldowns.

One of them is, compared to other pulldown exercises, you get a full range of motion. This puts the muscle under tension longer, creating more metabolic stress which results in bigger muscle gains.

Another benefit to the straight arm lat pulldown is that it provides more stability when performing deadlifts. As a lat dominant exercise, pulldowns will strengthen the muscle, which means more power when you deadlift. If you’ve reached a deadlift plateau, shelve them for a few weeks and focus on pulldowns instead.

If you struggle with feeling your lats working, straight-arm pulldowns will help you feel the burn. With proper form, the biceps and mid-back won’t dominate the exercise like in other pulldown exercises. The straight arm lat pulldown will allow you to focus on working the lats without the others getting in the way.

You’ll not only have a stronger back with thicker lats, you’ll also improve your posture with this move. As more and more people find themselves spending hours in a chair, their posture suffers as the back muscles weaken. Focusing on strengthening the back will naturally improve your posture and reduce back pain.

With limited overhead shoulder mobility, pullovers are not an option. The straight-arm pulldown is a great alternative to pullovers and help with overhead shoulder mobility. 

If you’re bodybuilding, another benefit just mentioned is the thickness you’ll add to your lats. If you want the coveted V-shaped back with the Christmas tree effect, straight-arm lat pulldowns can help. Check out this video featuring Golden Era legend Samir Bannout and Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen for more lat thickness exercises.

How Do You Do a Straight Bar Pulldown?

When it comes to the straight arm pulldown, there are several ways to do it. Most are done with a cable machine, but you could also use dumbbells or a resistance band at home.

We’ll go over the proper form for the cable straight arm pulldown. Then discuss the different variations and any tweaks in form.

Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldown: Proper Form

1. Set up a light weight on the cable machine with the straight bar attached at the top. 
2. Grab the bar (palms facing down) from the top pulley and take a few steps back. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you with a slight bend in your elbow to prevent it from locking.
3. Engage the lats and exhale as you pull the bar down, keeping your arms straight. 
4. Continue pulling down, using your lats to do the work, until your arms are down by your hips or thighs.
5. Maintaining straight arms, inhale as you bring the bar back up to the top to begin your next rep.

Complete 8 to 10 reps for two sets, taking up to 90 seconds if needed to rest between sets. Work your way up to 10 to 12 reps for three sets before you increase the weight.

Remember, you’re going for lat development and focusing on the lat activation. This exercise is not about pulling heavy weights, it’s all about form and working the muscles to build definition.

Now that you’ve got the form down for the cable straight-arm pulldown, let’s go over some other ways to perform this exercise.

Straight-Arm Pulldown Options

If you don’t have a cable machine or prefer an alternative to the straight bar, you have options. 

Rope Straight Arm Pulldown

One alternative for the straight arm pulldown is to use the cable machine but change out the bar for the rope. Doing this allows for a greater range of motion and better shoulder positioning. 

If you have the option to use two ropes, a wider grip will provide a greater contraction at the bottom.

Resistance Band Straight-Arm Pulldown

Another option is to use a resistance band wrapped around a rack or bar, if a machine isn’t available. The resistance band is a great at home alternative to do the straight arm pulldown.

You may have to experiment with the right tension level to find the one that activates the lats the best. If you don’t have enough height, you can also do the straight-arm lat pulldown kneeling on the ground.

Dumbbell Straight-Arm Pulldown

Dumbbells can also be used to perform the straight arm lat pulldown at home. 

Here are the steps to do the dumbbell straight arm lat pulldown:

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and bend over at the waist so your torso is parallel with the floor. 
• Hang your arms straight down and use your lats to pull the dumbbells back until your arms are in line with your torso.
• Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders and upper back. Engage your core to help keep your back from rounding.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Lat Pulldowns

There’s no point in doing an exercise if you aren’t doing it to its full potential. Get the most out of your straight-arm lat pulldowns by using these tips.

Know When to Use Them

The lat pulldown is a great option for someone with a low-back injury. This type of injury can be tough when you want a defined back, which eliminates rows and other pulldown exercises.

The movement is limited to the upper- and middle-back, so the low back won’t be stressed during the exercise.

You can also use lat pulldowns in the beginning of your back day to warm-up the lats. It will also improve shoulder and upper back mobility to help you get a greater range of motion.

As an isolation exercise, the straight arm pulldown can be done at the end of the workout, too. Doing it this way will give an exceptional pump and stimulate muscle growth.

Engage Your Torso

Keep your core tight while pulling the bar or rope down so you don’t arch your spine. Also make sure that your head and neck stay neutral and don’t move forward as you complete your reps.

Don’t let your biceps take over when performing lat pulldowns. If you feel it more in your biceps than your lats, change to a false grip (don’t wrap your thumb around the bar).

Avoid locking your shoulder blades. Instead, let them move with the pulldown. 

Also avoid locking your elbows, letting them stay softly bent throughout the movement. If you lock the elbows, the triceps will take over and you’ll get less lat activation.

If you’re having trouble feeling your lats engage, imagine that you’re holding something with your armpits. Squeeze the area to avoid dropping the imaginary object to get the lats to activate.

Work the Lats

The lats are the largest muscle in the back and look like wings. You can engage both the top and bottom or work them individually by changing your torso angle.

Keeping your torso upright while performing lat pulldowns will work the lower lats more. If you lean forward slightly, the upper lats and teres major will work harder.

Experiment with both angles and use both when completing your reps to fully engage the lats. Pay attention to how your muscles are activating so you can work them the way you want.

If you want an extra challenge, lean forward at the start of the pulldown. Once you’re halfway, straighten up and finish the move. 

You’ll have to slow down the tempo, taking two to three seconds to perform the pulldown. Once you do, you’ll be putting the most tension on the entire lat muscle.

Tips From The Coach

“The straight arm pulldown exercise is currently one of the most popular exercises performed in gyms all over the world. It’s a great exercise for isolating the lats without involving the biceps or other muscles. 

Because the straight arm pullover is an isolation exercise for the lats, it’s a great movement to use at the beginning of a back workout. By isolating the lats, you will pre-exhaust the muscle before doing your other back exercises. Then, when you move onto your second exercise, you will be able to use other muscles like the biceps and rear delts to force the lats into more growth. 

The straight arm pullover can also be used as a finishing off movement for your back workout. After performing exercises like lat pulldowns, barbell rows, dumbbell rows and deadlifts, your back will be pretty trashed. You can finish off the lats by using an isolation exercise like straight arm pulldowns to pump up the back. “

Final Thoughts

The straight arm lat pulldown is a versatile isolation exercise to build lat definition. With a few tweaks in stance and grip, you can change the muscle tension, making it an even better workout.

The lat pulldown can be included in your back or shoulder day, and is a great option for those with low-back issues. This movement must be felt with each stage, so a low weight is best at first until you find the right positioning.

Experimenting to find what works best to meet your lat goals is key. Don’t do all the work alone, let Classic Creatine help you build muscle size and strength. Our tasteless formula is filled with gut-healthy probiotics to ensure maximum absorption.

Which variation of the straight arm lat pulldown is your favorite? Do you prefer to do them at the beginning or end of your workout? We’d love to hear your take in the comments below.