Written by Shane Mclean | ACE CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
There are many great exercises to add strength and muscle to the lats. Row variations, chin-ups, and pull-ups will all give you wings. However, an exercise that’s often neglected but fantastic for isolating the lats is the straight arm pulldown. Unlike most compound lat exercises, there is limited bicep action, which drives more activation to the lats.
To best develop the lats, you need well-rounded back training that includes horizontal pulls, vertical pulls, and horizontal-vertical pulls (i.e. the machine high pull). These are all great compound exercises that train two or more muscle groups. But, you are still missing pure shoulder extension based movements, which isolate the lats, such as the cable straight arm lat pulldown (FYI some people call it a straight arm lat pushdown or cable pullover).
The straight-arm lat pulldown is a pure shoulder extension exercise that a lot of lifters miss in their efforts to develop a wide back and posterior of steel.
This article will explain:
- What the straight arm pulldown exercise is
- The muscles the straight arm pulldown trains
- Benefits of adding straight arm pulldowns to your exercise program
- How to do it with correct form
- Common mistakes
- Variations and alternatives of the straight arm pulldown.
Ready to build some wings? Let’s go.
WHAT ARE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS?
The straight-arm pulldown is a lat pulldown variation with a couple of important differences. With this variation, you’re standing, and your elbows are locked out the entire time. Because you’re standing and not bending your elbows, you’ll take your lats through a larger range of motion for better muscle-building potential and you won't be using your biceps to assist the movement.
It’s a great exercise to hone in on your lats.The straight arm pulldown exercise is as close to an isolation exercise for the lats as there is.
The only downside with this lat pulldown variation is there's a low ceiling for load potential. This is really purely an accessory movement.
This exercise is performed on a cable machine or lat pulldown machine, and it can be done with various attachments to train the lats from various angles for greater muscle development. You can also do it from an upright standing position or a slightly leaned forward hip hinge position.
STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS MUSCLES WORKED:
Straight arm pulldown seems like an isolation exercise for your latissimus dorsi muscles (lats) but it’s not the only muscle group it works. There are also secondary muscles trained with this exercise which are:
- Latissimus dorsi: This is the fan-like large muscle located on your upper, middle, and lower back. The straight arm pulldown focuses on one of the two major functions of the lats, shoulder extension, and is a great lower lat exercise.
- Trapezius and rhomboids: Your main upper back muscle between the shoulder blades is involved because they elevate during the eccentric contraction and retract and depress during the concentric. Pulling your shoulder blades down and back works your lower and middle trapezius and rhomboids.
- Posterior deltoid: The rear delt muscle assists the lats with shoulder extension during the concentric contraction.
- Triceps: The long head of the triceps attached to the scapula helps keep the arm straight (along with the medial and lateral head) and assists the lats during shoulder extension.
- Anterior Core: The Rectus abdominis and obliques contract isometrically to keep your torso rigid and your spine neutral to better isolate the lats.
All that said, the straight arm pulldown is surely a lat dominant exercise and really as isolated as it's going to get for the lats. The other muscles that you'll really feel working during this exercise are your triceps and your abdominals.
BENEFITS OF STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS:
Besides building a great set of lats, there are a few important benefits of performing straight-arm lat pulldowns. And here they are:
- Missing Link: The straight arm pulldown is a pure shoulder extension movement that a lot of lifters neglect to do. Because there is no elbow flexion this is a great "isolation" move for better lat development.
- Better Mind-Muscle Connection: A lot of lifters cannot ‘feel’ their lats with the row or pulldown variations. With the straight arm pulldown, keeping your arms straight prevents your biceps from taking over so you can better ‘feel and focus’ on the lat muscle.
- Hypertrophy: Because you’re standing and not bending the elbows during shoulder extension, the lats go through a larger range of motion than standard pulldowns for better muscle growth potential.
- Better Big 3: The straight-arm pulldown trains the lats exactly in the same way they’re used when deadlifting - keeping the bar close to the body and keeping a neutral spine. Plus, engaged lats keep the spine neutral while squatting, stop the squat from becoming a good morning, and a better bar path while bench pressing.
- Biceps Get A Rest: A lot of lat exercises involve elbow flexion and after a few lat exercises you may exhaust your biceps and not your lats. Straight arm pulldowns better isolate your lats without your biceps. So even if your biceps are tired, you’ll still be able to train your lats.
HOW TO DO STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:
Like all exercises, you need to do it correctly to get the best possible results. With the straight arm lat pulldown, it is better to start light so you can master it and really feel your lats working.
- Set up your attachment of choice (i.e. straight bar, wide grip bar, or rope attachment) to a cable or lat pulldown machine and grip the attachment with an overhand (palms facing down) or neutral shoulder-width grip (palms facing in).
- Then step back from the machine and straighten your arms. Keep your chest up and pull your shoulders down and back for better shoulder positioning. Brace your anterior core.
- Hinge your butt back and lean forward to a 35 to a 45-degree angle, feeling a slight stretch in your lats with your arms up in the top position.
- Keeping straight arms, pull the bar down to your thighs focusing on pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Pause for a second.
- Then slowly bring it back up, keeping your elbows in place, and raise the bar until you feel a stretch in your lats.
- Repeat for reps.
COMMON MISTAKES WHEN DOING THE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWN:
There’s not much to the straight-arm pulldown, correct. You keep your arms straight and pull the bar down to your thighs. But there are a few things to look out for you to get the best out of this exercise.
Too Much Weight: Let’s get the obvious over with. Some lifter’s egos get in the way because of the reduced load in comparison to the lat pulldown and go too heavy. Don’t do that because you want to feel your lats and not your arms.
Bending The Elbows: Following on from above when the load is too heavy, lifters tend to bend their elbows during the straight arm lat pulldown. This takes the focus of the lats which is the point of this exercise. You want your arms fully extended, or they can be very slightly bent, but they must maintain that same bend throughout. What you want to avoid is elbow flexion and extension during reps. Keep your elbow pinned.
Bad Shoulder Positioning: Keep your shoulder blades down and back so that your shoulders are packed. This will allow you to focus on the lats.
Not Using A Full Range Of Motion: The main benefit of the straight arm pulldown is that it takes the lats through a bigger range of motion for better gains. And when you don’t fully stretch your lats at the end of the movement or pull it down to your thighs, you’re leaving gains on the table.
DRAWBACKS:
Straight arm pulldowns are an exercise with a ton of benefits but it’s not a great fit for everyone. This does cause some stress on the elbows. So, if you’re suffering from golf or tennis elbow or sore elbows in general let pain be your guide with this exercise.
Another drawback would be the load potential. You won't ever go super heavy with the straight arm lat pulldown, so to progressive overload, you need to use other methods like increasing reps and decreasing rest time, as well as incorporate training techniques such as drop sets. All that said, you still will be able to increase the load, there is just a somewhat low ceiling for what you'll be able to do with proper form.
Even though this exercise may seem strictly hypertrophy focused, it is also a common exercise included in strength training programs.
VARIATIONS OF CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:
The beauty of the straight arm pull in various attachments is used to train your back muscles from different angles and using various grips.
Here are a few straight arm pulldown variations for better variety and gains...
1) Single Arm Lat Pulldown:
Using a stirrup handle, rope, or even no attachment, you’ll be able to train unilaterally to strengthen the imbalance between sides for better muscle development. You’ll be able to use a neutral, overhand or under grip here with the underhand grip training the lower trapezius more.
How to:
- Set the pulley to the highest setting on the cable machine. Attach the handle or just hold onto the pulley right above the carabiner.
- With your preferred grip, pull the handle down to the outside of your thigh without bending your elbows, and then pause for a second at the bottom.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for desired reps.
- Then do the other side.
Bonus! Try to do a lateral straight arm pulldown:
2) Rope Straight Arm Pulldown:
The rope straight arm lat pulldown uses a rope attachment which allows a neutral grip. This helps to reduce the stress on your wrists, elbows, and shoulders if this is an issue for you. Being able to pull the rope apart at the end of the movement gives your upper back some love along with the lats.
You can do this with a hip hinge or neutral hips and upright stance.
How to:
- Attach a rope to a cable or lat pulldown machine.
- Grip the rope with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight.
- Set up and perform the same way as the bar straight arm pulldown.
- At the end of the movement, pull the rope apart until your feel an upper back contraction.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Alternatively, you can use a wide grip attachment and do wide grip straight arm pulldowns to target your lats differently.
3) Straight Arm Resistance Band Pulldown:
If you haven’t got access to a cable or lat pulldown machine, the resistance band pulldown is a great alternative. The band stresses your joint a little less, so you’ll be able to do more reps with this variation. The neutral grip is our strongest grip and is easier on the elbows and shoulders if you have any issues there.
How to:
- Attach a looped band up as high as you can.
- Grip the band with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight and shoulder-width apart.
- Set up and perform as you would for the straight arm lat pulldown.
If you don't have bands, you can buy them here from us.
ALTERNATIVES TO CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS:
If you haven’t access to a cable or lat pulldown machine, then performing these alternatives will reap all the benefits of the straight arm pullover and more.
1) Dumbbell Pullover:
The dumbbell pullover trains the lats, yes, but it also trains the chest too. When done with good form it takes your upper body through a large range of motion, like the straight arm pulldown giving you more muscle-building potential.
How to:
- Lying perpendicular on a bench and your upper back on the bench and holding a dumbbell in both hands above your chest.
- Extend your hips and engage your glutes to get your body in a straight line and back neutral.
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, let the dumbbell drift backward behind your head until your feel a stretch in your pecs and lats.
- Once the dumbbell is behind your head, pull the dumbbell back over your chest.
- Pause for a second and reset and repeat for reps.
2) Barbell Pullover:
This is performed with either a barbell or EZ curl bar. An EZ curl bar is a little easier on your elbows, but the barbell allows for more weight. The wider grip as compared to the dumbbell pullover allows some lifters to feel a better contraction and stretch in their lats.
How to:
- Place a loaded barbell on your thighs while sitting on the bench.
- Then lie down on the bench, press the barbell up above your chest and engage your glutes and abs.
- Take a slightly wider than shoulder-width overhand grip on the barbell.
- Bend your elbows slightly as you lower the barbell behind your head until you feel a stretch in your lats.
- Pull back to the starting position over your chest while keeping your elbows bent throughout the entire movement.
- Reset and repeat.
3) High Machine Row:
The machine high row does use the biceps, but the angle of this variation puts the lats through a large range of motion similar to the straight arm lat pulldown. Because your lower and upper body are in a fixed position, this stability allows you to drive more engagement where you need it most, the lats.
How to:
- Adjust the seat height, thigh pads, and chest pad to suit your body type.
- Stand up and grip the handles with an overhand grip. And then sit down with your legs underneath the thigh pad and chest up against the chest pad.
- Start the exercise by retracting your scapula and then drive your elbows down and back until the handles reach chest level.
- Slowly return to the starting position and reset and repeat.
Other Good Alternatives:
- Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
- Wide Grip Pull Ups
- Single Arm Dumbbell Row (to Hip)
ADDING STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS TO YOUR BACK WORKOUT
The straight arm lat pulldown is an exercise a lot of lifters miss when it comes to building a bigger back. It’s often overlooked because it is not as sexy nor do you use a lot of weight in comparison with other row variations or pulldown variations. Nevertheless, this exercise isolates the lats really well.
When used in combination with other effective, compound back exercises at the end of your workout, you’ll fully exhaust your lats for better gains.
Performing 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps of straight arm pulldowns at the end of your back day will help give you lat muscles that look like wings. And be sure to switch things up and do different variations from time to time - straight bar, wide bar, rope attachment, and even resistance band pulldowns.
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Shane Mclean
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