Exercise guide

How to do straight-arm pulldown

Lats — isolated

Straight-arm pulldown starting position — correct set-up before the first rep
Start
Straight-arm pulldown finished position — the end of one repetition
End of rep

Step by step

  1. Set a straight bar or rope high on the cable. Stand back from the stack with a slight hinge at the hips.
  2. Grip at shoulder width with arms almost straight, elbows locked at a soft bend.
  3. Push the bar down in an arc to your thighs, squeezing the lats hard at the bottom.
  4. Let the arms rise for 2 seconds until they're overhead and the lats are fully stretched.

The cue that matters

CueThe one lat movement with zero biceps involvement — feel it, don't load it.
AvoidBending the elbows, which turns it into a pushdown for the triceps.

Where this sits in the split

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