Straight-Arm Pulldown

Setup

1. 01Set a cable pulley to the highest position with a straight bar or rope.
2. 02Grip the bar at shoulder width and step back until the cable is taut.
3. 03Hinge slightly at the hips with a soft bend in the knees.
4. 04Start with arms extended overhead at roughly 45 degrees, elbows nearly straight.

Execution

1. 01Brace and pull the bar down in a wide arc using the lats, keeping the elbows fixed.
2. 02Drive the bar to the thighs while the chest stays proud.
3. 03Squeeze the lats hard for a beat at the bottom.
4. 04Let the bar rise under control until you feel a full stretch overhead.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows keep the same slight bend from start to finish.
• -The torso angle stays constant; no rocking to move the weight.
• -You feel the stretch in the lats at the top of every rep.
• -Shoulders stay down and away from the ears.

Common mistakes

• -Bending the elbows and turning it into a pressdown for the triceps.
• -Using body english and hip drive to swing the bar down.
• -Cutting the top range short and losing the lat stretch.
• -Loading so heavy that the shoulders roll forward.