Straight-Arm Pulldown
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Straight-Arm Pulldown
- You will start by grabbing the wide bar from the top pulley of a pulldown machine and using a wider than shoulder-width pronated (palms down) grip. Step backwards two feet or so.
- Bend your torso forward at the waist by around 30-degrees with your arms fully extended in front of you and a slight bend at the elbows. If your arms are not fully extended then you need to step a bit more backwards until they are. Once your arms are fully extended and your torso is slightly bent at the waist, tighten the lats and then you are ready to begin.
- While keeping the arms straight, pull the bar down by contracting the lats until your hands are next to the side of the thighs. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- While keeping the arms straight, go back to the starting position while breathing in.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Straight-Arm Pulldown
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
One Arm Lat Pulldown
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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2
Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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3
Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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4
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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5
One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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6
Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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7
Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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8
Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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9
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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10
Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do straight-arm pulldown work?
Straight-Arm Pulldown primarily works the upper back.
What equipment do I need for straight-arm pulldown?
Straight-Arm Pulldown uses cable machine.
Straight-Arm Pulldown: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Straight-Arm Pulldown is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of straight-arm pulldown?
One Arm Lat Pulldown, Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown, Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my straight-arm pulldown reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; straight-arm pulldown can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Straight-Arm Pulldown with AI
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