Cable Pushdown (Straight Arm) V. 2

Setup

1. 01Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and stand facing the stack.
2. 02Step back and hinge slightly at the hips with a proud chest.
3. 03Grip the bar shoulder width with a pronated grip.
4. 04Set a small, fixed elbow bend with the bar at about eye level.

Execution

1. 01Brace and push the bar down in an arc toward the thighs.
2. 02Keep the arms rigid so the lats do the work.
3. 03Squeeze the lats hard as the bar touches the thighs.
4. 04Let the bar rise under control until the hands are near eye level and the lats are stretched.

Checkpoints

• -Elbow angle does not change during the rep.
• -Torso hinge stays fixed; the shoulders move, not the spine.
• -Shoulders stay down and away from the ears at the top.
• -The bar path is a smooth arc, not a straight shove.

Common mistakes

• -Bending and extending the elbows, turning it into a triceps pushdown.
• -Crunching the torso down to help move the stack.
• -Stopping the top range short of a real lat stretch.
• -Loading so heavy that the shoulders shrug up at the start.