Back · Cable machine

Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with rope)

The cable straight arm pulldown with a rope is an isolation exercise designed to target the latissimus dorsi without relying on the biceps. It fits well as a pre-exhaustion movement before heavy pulling or as a burnout exercise at the end of a back workout.

Muscles: Back
Equipment: Cable machine
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Stand facing a cable machine with a rope attachment set at the highest position.
Grab the rope with both hands and step back slightly.
With arms extended and a slight bend in your elbows, pull the rope down in an arc motion towards your thighs.
Keep your core engaged and torso stable.
Return to the starting position with control.

Common mistakes

Bending the elbows excessively shifts the tension to the triceps instead of the latissimus dorsi.
Swinging the torso to drive the weight down relies on momentum rather than back strength.
Letting the shoulders roll forward at the bottom limits the contraction of the lats and strains the front of the shoulders.

Tips

Flaring the rope ends outward toward the sides of your thighs at the bottom enhances peak contraction.
Keep a slight, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the entire range of motion instead of pumping your arms.
Maintain a steady hinge at the hips with a braced core to allow a full stretch at the top without hyperextending your spine.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets to focus on controlled tension and muscle pump.

Muscles worked

Cable Straight Arm Pulldown (with rope): back

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Why use a rope instead of a straight bar for this exercise?

The rope provides freedom of movement to pull past the hips at the bottom, allowing a greater range of motion and a stronger contraction than a rigid bar.

What can replace this exercise if a cable machine is unavailable?

A dumbbell pullover on a flat bench or a straight-arm pull using a resistance band anchored high overhead provides a similar isolation pattern for the lats.

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