PlanWorkouts

Exercise 0237 · REF DT14T9T

Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope) exercise animation

Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope)

Category
Back
Equipment
Cable
Target
Lats

A rope attachment on a straight-arm pulldown lets the hands separate at the bottom, adding a bit more lat contraction than a fixed bar allows. Like the standard version, the elbows stay nearly locked throughout, isolating the lats without biceps sneaking into the movement. It's a good pairing with heavier rowing or pulldown work specifically because it isolates a muscle those compound pulls only partially target.

How to Do the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope)

  1. Attach a rope to the cable machine at the highest setting.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the rope with both hands, palms facing down.
  4. Extend your arms fully in front of you, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  5. Engage your lats and slowly pull the rope down towards your thighs, keeping your arms straight.
  6. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

The Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope) primarily targets the Lats, with Biceps as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Forearms.

More Back Exercises

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Archer Pull Up Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Pull-Up Assisted Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Chin-Up Assisted Standing Chin-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Pull-Up Assisted Standing Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats

More Lats Exercises

Back Pec Stretch Back Pec Stretch Body Weight · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band · Lats Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band · Lats

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have cable? These target the same lats with different equipment.

Archer Pull Up Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell · Lats

FAQ

What muscles does the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope) work?
The Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope) primarily targets the lats, with the biceps and forearms assisting.
What equipment do I need for the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope)?
The Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope) is done with a cable.
What's a good alternative to the Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with Rope)?
If you don't have access to a cable, the Archer Pull Up targets the same lats using body weight instead.