Straight-Arm Pulldown

Lats, triceps, teres majorCable Machine

A standing cable isolation exercise for the lats and posterior shoulder line. It teaches proper back engagement without heavy elbow flexor involvement.

How to do it

1Stand facing a high pulley, grab the bar overhand at shoulder width, and step back.

2Hinge slightly forward at your hips and lock your elbows with a soft bend.

3Sweep the bar down toward your thighs in an arc, pulling with your lats.

4Squeeze at the bottom, then slowly return the bar above shoulder height while maintaining back tension.

Common mistakes

Bending your arms during the pull, turning it into a triceps pushdown.

Using momentum or bobbing your torso up and down to move the weight.

Arching your lower back heavily at the bottom of the rep.

Breathing

Exhale as you pull the bar down toward your hips, and inhale as you guide it back overhead.

Make it harder or easier

To lower difficulty, decrease the weight or shorten the range of motion. To make it harder, add a two-second hold at the bottom of each rep.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.