Straight Arm Pulldown: Proper Form, Muscles Worked, & Variations

There are plenty of great ways to build strength and muscle in your lats. Rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups can all help you earn that “wings” look. But one of the most overlooked lat builders is the straight arm pulldown, a simple cable move that lights up your lats with minimal biceps involvement.

If you want your back to look complete, you need a mix of horizontal pulls (rows), vertical pulls (pull-ups and pulldowns), and hybrid angles (like a machine high pull). Those are your big compound builders. But most lifters still miss one key pattern: pure shoulder extension, which is where the straight arm pulldown shines. It is also commonly called a straight arm lat pushdown or cable pullover.

The straight arm pulldown is not flashy. It is not a max-out lift. It is the kind of accessory move that quietly fills out your lats and makes your back look wider from every angle.

This article covers:

• What the straight arm pulldown is
• Muscles worked
• Benefits
• How to do it with correct form
• Common mistakes
• Variations and alternatives

Ready to build some wings? Let’s go.

Quick Answer

The straight arm pulldown is a lat-dominant shoulder extension exercise usually done on a cable machine. Keeping your arms straight reduces elbow flexion, which means your biceps are less likely to take over. Use it as an accessory movement to improve lat isolation, add volume, and finish your lats after heavier pulls.

Key Takeaways

WHAT ARE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS?

The straight arm pulldown is a lat pulldown variation with a couple of key differences: you are standing, and your elbows stay locked or nearly locked throughout the movement. Because you are not bending your elbows like a standard pulldown, you reduce biceps assistance and take your lats through a larger shoulder-extension range of motion.

It is one of the closest things to an isolation exercise for your lats, which is why it belongs in a well-rounded back plan.

The main downside of this lat pulldown variation is the load ceiling. You are not going to move huge weight with perfect form. It is best used as an accessory movement for hypertrophy and control.

This exercise is usually performed on a cable machine or lat pulldown machine, and it can be done with different attachments (bar, wide bar, rope, single handle) to hit the lats from slightly different angles. You can also do it from an upright stance or with a small hip hinge.

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS MUSCLES WORKED

The straight arm pulldown is lat-dominant, but it is not truly isolated. Several muscles contribute, mainly to stabilize your shoulder blades and keep your arm position consistent.

• Latissimus dorsi: The prime mover. Straight arm pulldowns hammer shoulder extension and are especially useful as a lower lat exercise.
• Trapezius and rhomboids: Your mid-back helps control the scapula. Depressing and slightly retracting your shoulder blades brings in the lower and middle traps and rhomboids.
• Posterior deltoid: The rear delt assists shoulder extension.
• Triceps: Mainly the long head helps keep the arm straight and contributes slightly to shoulder extension.
• Anterior core: Your rectus abdominis and obliques brace to prevent your ribs from flaring and your lower back from taking over.

Bottom line: this is a lat-first movement. The other muscles you will notice most are your triceps and abs, especially if you keep your torso steady and avoid swinging.

BENEFITS OF STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS

Besides building a wider-looking back, here are the practical benefits of adding straight arm pulldowns to your program:

• The missing link for lat isolation: Most back work includes elbow flexion. This is one of the few lat moves that is shoulder-extension dominant, making it a great “isolation-style” option.
• Better mind-muscle connection: If you struggle to feel your lats on rows and pulldowns, straight arm pulldowns can help because your biceps are less able to hijack the rep.
• Hypertrophy-friendly range of motion: With your arms staying straight, you can get a strong stretch at the top and a hard lat contraction at the bottom.
• Carryover to big lifts: Strong lats help keep the bar close during deadlifts and help stabilize the torso and upper back in squats and presses. Think of this as “lat positioning practice” with resistance.
• Train lats even when biceps are cooked: After heavy rows and pulldowns, your biceps can become the limiting factor. This keeps lat work going without turning into a curl session.

HOW TO DO STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS

Start lighter than you think. The goal is a clean shoulder-extension rep where you feel the lats working from top to bottom.

1. Attach your handle of choice (straight bar, wide bar, or rope) to the high pulley. Grip overhand (palms down) or neutral (palms in).
2. Step back until your arms are straight. Chest up, ribs down. Pull your shoulders down and back to “pack” them. Brace your core.
3. Hinge slightly at the hips so your torso leans forward about 35–45 degrees, then let your lats stretch at the top position.
4. Keeping your arms straight, pull the handle down toward your thighs by driving your shoulder blades down and back. Pause briefly at the bottom.
5. Return slowly to the top while keeping your elbows pinned and your torso stable. Get the stretch again without losing shoulder position.
6. Repeat for reps.

Form tip:

Think “elbows to pockets” even though your arms stay straight. If you focus on your hands, you are more likely to turn it into a triceps pressdown or a swingy half-rep.

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN DOING THE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWN

Too much weight: This is the fastest way to turn a lat exercise into an arm-and-lower-back exercise. Keep it controlled and feel the lats.

Bending the elbows: Slight elbow softness is fine, but it must stay the same throughout the set. If your elbows are bending and straightening each rep, you are curling the weight and feeding your biceps.

Bad shoulder positioning: If your shoulders shrug up toward your ears at the top, you will lose lat tension. Keep the shoulders “down” and the shoulder blades controlled.

Skipping range of motion: Do not cheat yourself out of the stretch at the top or the full pull to the thighs. That full shoulder-extension range is the whole point.

DRAWBACKS

Straight arm pulldowns can stress the elbows for some lifters. If you deal with golf elbow, tennis elbow, or nagging elbow pain, let pain be your guide. Using a rope attachment and slightly reducing range of motion can help, but do not push through sharp joint pain.

The other drawback is load potential. To progressive overload, you often need to use rep progressions, shorter rest periods, slower eccentrics, or drop sets. You can still add weight over time, but the ceiling is lower than your big compound pulls.

Even though this looks hypertrophy-focused, it is commonly included in strength training programs as accessory work for lat control and upper body positioning.

VARIATIONS OF CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS

The beauty of straight arm pulldowns is that small changes in handle and stance can change the feel without changing the movement pattern.

1) Single Arm Lat Pulldown

Single-arm straight arm pulldowns help you train one side at a time, clean up imbalances, and usually improve lat feel. You can use a handle, rope end, or even grab near the carabiner for a slightly different line of pull.

How to:

1. Set the pulley high and attach a single handle, or hold just above the carabiner.
2. Step back, brace, and keep your arm straight.
3. Pull down to the outside of your thigh, pause, then return slowly.
4. Repeat, then switch sides.

Bonus: Try a lateral straight arm pulldown by stepping slightly to the side so the cable angle pulls across your body. This can feel awesome for some lifters.

2) Rope Straight Arm Pulldown

The rope version allows a neutral grip and is often easier on wrists, elbows, and shoulders. It also gives you the option to slightly pull the rope apart at the bottom for an extra squeeze through the upper back.

How to:

1. Attach a rope to the high pulley.
2. Grip neutral and walk back until arms are straight.
3. Perform the movement like the bar version.
4. At the bottom, separate the rope slightly and squeeze.
5. Return slowly and repeat.

Alternatively, use a wide-grip attachment and do wide-grip straight arm pulldowns to change the lat emphasis.

3) Straight Arm Resistance Band Pulldown

If you do not have a cable station, bands are a strong substitute. They are often easier on the joints and great for higher reps.

How to:

1. Anchor a loop band as high as possible.
2. Grip neutral and step back until arms are straight.
3. Brace and perform the same shoulder-extension pull down to your thighs.

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ALTERNATIVES TO CABLE STRAIGHT ARM LAT PULLDOWNS

If you do not have access to a cable or lat pulldown machine, these alternatives will give you a similar shoulder-extension stimulus.

1) Dumbbell Pullover

Dumbbell pullovers train the lats and also hit the chest. With solid form and a controlled stretch, they can be an excellent substitute for straight arm pulldowns.

How to:

1. Lie perpendicular across a bench with upper back supported and hold a dumbbell above your chest.
2. Engage glutes and brace to keep your torso stable.
3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head with a slight elbow bend until you feel a stretch.
4. Pull the dumbbell back over your chest and reset.
5. Repeat.

2) Barbell Pullover

This can be done with a barbell or EZ curl bar. The EZ bar is often kinder on elbows, while the barbell may allow more load.

How to:

1. Sit with a loaded bar on your thighs, then lie back on the bench.
2. Press the bar above your chest and brace your core.
3. Grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
4. Lower behind your head with a slight elbow bend until you feel the stretch.
5. Pull back to start while maintaining the same elbow bend.
6. Repeat.

3) High Machine Row

The machine high row uses the biceps, but the angle can put the lats through a long range, similar to the straight arm pulldown. The stability makes it easier to focus on the lats.

How to:

1. Adjust the seat, thigh pads, and chest pad.
2. Grip the handles, sit down, and brace.
3. Start by setting your scapula, then drive elbows down and back.
4. Return under control 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 often overlooked because you will not use big weight and it does not look as exciting as heavy row variations or pulldown variations. But it is one of the cleanest ways to finish your lats and add targeted volume.

Use it after your heavier compound pulls to fully exhaust the lats.

Simple programming: Perform 2–4 sets of 8–15 reps at the end of back day. Rotate attachments over time (straight bar, wide bar, rope, single arm). If you want extra intensity without wrecking your form, use a slower eccentric or a drop set on the final set.

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