Straight-Arm Pulldown

The straight-arm pulldown is a cable or band exercise that targets your lats. You keep your arms nearly straight and pull the bar or band down toward your thighs, which trains your back and teaches you to start the pull from your lats rather than your arms.

Set up facing a high cable pulley or an anchored band. Take an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Step back until your arms can fully extend in front of you. Hinge forward slightly at the hips, bend your knees a little, and brace your core so your torso stays steady.

Start with your arms long in front of you. Pull the bar or band down in a wide arc toward your upper thighs, like a swim pull. Keep your elbows nearly straight but not locked. Squeeze your lats at the bottom, then slowly return to the start under control. Your torso should not rock.

Breathe out as you pull down and breathe in as you return to the start. To make it easier, use less resistance or shorten the range of motion. To make it harder, pause briefly at the bottom or slow down the return.

Fault: Bending the elbows too much and turning the movement into a triceps pushdown. Fix: Keep your arms long and focus on sweeping the bar or band down with your lats, not pressing with your arms.

Fault: Leaning back or swinging your torso to pull the weight down. Fix: Hinge slightly at the hips, brace your core, and keep your torso fixed so only your arms move.

Fault: Shrugging your shoulders or losing lat tension at the top. Fix: Let your shoulder blades settle downward before each rep, and feel your lats stretch and then pull on every repetition.