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Last updated March 5, 2026
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Lats
Lat Pulldown - Straight Arm (Cable)
Stand in front of a high cable and pull the bar down to your thighs with straight arms, squeezing your lats throughout.
Quick facts
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Type
- Strength
- Injury Risk
- Low
- Hypertrophy
- High
- Calorie Burn
- Low-Medium
Muscle focus
Primary and secondary muscle groups targeted by this movement.
Primary
lats
Secondary
upper lats / teresrear shouldersdeep abs / coretriceps (long)
Equipment & setup
What you need and how to position yourself before starting.
Equipment
cable
Movement pattern
Bilateral
Posture
Standing
Tracking parameters
repsweight
Step-by-step instructions
Follow these cues to master proper technique and stay safe through every rep.
- Step 1Setup
- Attach a straight bar or lat bar to a high cable pulley.
- Stand about two feet from the machine, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, arms extended in front at shoulder height.
- Hinge forward slightly at the hips to create tension.
- Step 2Execution
- With arms nearly straight (slight elbow bend), pull the bar down in an arc toward your upper thighs.
- Drive the movement from your lats, not your arms.
- Squeeze your lats at the bottom and hold for a moment.
- Step 3Return
- Slowly allow the bar to rise back to shoulder height under control.
- Keep your arms straight throughout—avoid bending the elbows.
- Maintain tension on the cable; do not let the weight stack rest.