Straight-Arm Pulldown

Technique

How to perform Straight-Arm Pulldown

1. Attach the wide pulldown bar to a high pulley and take a palms-down grip wider than your shoulders.
2. Step back until the cable is taut, soften your knees and hinge slightly forward while keeping your trunk steady.
3. Start with your arms reaching toward the pulley and a small, fixed bend in your elbows.
4. Move your upper arms down toward your sides, bringing the bar to your thighs without turning the movement into an elbow-extension pushdown.
5. Let the bar return along the same arc under control, allowing your shoulders to move while keeping the elbow angle and torso position steady.

Programming relevance

Muscles involved

Primary targets: Latissimus Dorsi.