Table of Contents show . Straighten the other arm. How To Perform it. Both eliminate the assistance of the . Lat Pulldown: Technique Tips. READ SOMETHING ELSE. Most back exercises contract the biceps muscles in some way shape or form. Straight Arm Cable Pushdowns Worked Muscles. Step 2: Draw your shoulder blades back together and down, as if you were trying to stuff them into your back pockets. Here are the steps for performing the straight arm pulldown (4): Hook up your rope attachment to the cable machine. During a straight-arm pulldown, the triceps work isometrically to hold the arms straight. Posts: 2,308. Additionally, as the name suggests, the exercise involves maintaining straight arms throughout the entirety of the . Execution: Stand facing a cable stack with a straight bar attached to the high pulley. How To Do The Cable Straight Arm Pulldown. The Exercise strengthens the posterior deltoids, triceps, rhomboids, and teres major muscles in your upper arms, in addition to the latissimus dorsi muscles on the sides of your back. In the straight-arm pulldown, a narrow grip works best. Straight Arm Pulldown Form: With your straight bar attached to the top pulley of your cable machine grip the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. The lat pulldown is a compound exercise designed to target many muscles of the back, most notably the latissimus dorsi (Figure 1). It aids the latissimus dorsi and teres major in extending the arm, making it an active participant during straight-arm pulldowns. Doing so removes the tension from the back onto the triceps, which is not the target muscle. Step 3: Keep your elbows slightly bent and extend your arms straight out in . Attach a wide grip handle to a cable stack and assume a standing position. I tend to do pulldowns with a rope attachment, since they give a much better ROM than with a bar. A lat pulldown will work the lats more because you can use more weight. Stand in front of the machine with feet about hip-width apart, and grab the bar with both hands using an overhand grip. Age: 30. The straight arm lat pulldown is an exercise that isolates the work to your lats and other muscles that pull your upper arm closer to your body. . Keep your arms straight and then draw your lats to pull the . The lat pulldown is a different form of workout from what you may be doing today, which may assist to spice up your present routine or break through plateaus. Grip the rope with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight. Like reverse-grip pulldowns, the straight-arm version targets the lower lats. The cable straight arm pulldown (with rope) is an exercise that we highly recommend not just because it's an effective lat builder, but because it increases scapular strength and stability. Squeeze your lats at the bottom of the movement, and squeeze your chest muscles at the top. At the shoulder, the long head of the triceps attaches to the scapula. And chin-ups, pull-ups, and pulldowns are more like arm exercises than lat exercises. Take 3 steps back before bending your torso forward 30 degrees and fully extending your arms (while maintaining a slight bend in the elbow). With slow control, reach your arms up until you reach full extension above your head. Attach a wide-grip bar or lat bar to one of the higher points on the cable machine. The Straight Arm lat pushdown is a back strengthening exercise. Hold a short bar above your head with an overhand grip, palms facing forwards. 5. Lat Pulldown Alternatives. Attach a straight bar handle to the highest notch on the cable machine. Squeeze your lats together while maintaining . Engage the core, keep the spine longs, and chest out. Rep Power: 271. Single Arm Dumbbell Row. Isolation exercises like the straight-arm pulldown are typically performed with higher repetitions and an emphasis on time under tension. In the lat pulldown, the lats work harder if you use a wider grip. At the end of the movement, pull the rope apart until your feel an upper back contraction. Originally Posted by ricardogonz01. . Lift the body up, bringing your chest closer to the bar. Finally, the last variation to include in your improved workout routine is the reverse close-grip lat pull-down. The straight arm pulldown is often used as a lat activation warm-up before a back workout or deadlift session. It helps to build up core muscles of the back and also improve your posture. 5. The straight arm pulldown is an excellent lat-isolating strength exercise which has been derived from the classic lat pulldown exercise. It is usually performed at a workstation. It offers complete isolation of lats as the arms are kept straight, and the biceps only help stabilize the weight. Keep both arms straight. The straight arm lat pulldown is an vital workout for persons of all fitness levels. In this video, we go over a few com. Bicep Strengthening. Begin by setting your straight bar or lat bar attachment to shoulder height. Pull down the band with both hands at the same time until it reaches your upper chest. However, exercises like the lat pushdown, straight-arm pull-down or dumbbell pull-over should be utilized as either the FIRST exercise on your back training day to pre-fatigue your back for better mind-muscle connection throughout your workout, as a finisher to push more overall volume into your workout, or if you're full body training it . Even though the grip might be similar to the V-bar lat pulldown, in this variation your arms start out to your sides at a wider angle. Whether you're new to the gym or an experienced lifter, the straight-arm pulldown is an excellent back exercise for targeting your lats. Lat Pullover Machine. The Straight Arm Pulldown. Specifically, pulldowns work the long head of the triceps brachii because, like the latissimus dorsi, the long head of the triceps performs shoulder extension (bringing your arm toward your body). Adjust the weight, so it's light enough for you to do at least ten smooth repetitions. Straight Arm Lat Pull Down Instructions. Narrow Grip Row Machine. In the straight-arm pulldown other muscles, like your triceps, will give out before your lats do. Muscles Worked By The Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Primary Muscle Groups: As you may have guessed, the straight arm lat pulldown primarily works your lats. Step back a few feet away and slightly bend your torso at the waist, fully extending your arms in front and then tightening your lats. Aside from these, it also uses the secondary muscles of your deltoids and abdominals along with your quads and glutes to maintain a stable position throughout the movement. Grab the wide handle from the top of the lat pulldown machine using a palms-down (pronated) grip with the hands placed wider than your shoulder width. >> Return to exercise directory. . Pause for a moment at the end of the movement and squeeze your lat muscles. Tips. Dumbbell Pullover. Lower to your chin or just below. That's too bad because this back isolation exercise helps give you a narrow looking waist while developing your back definition. Reach up and grasp a standard lat-pulldown bar or long straight bar with an overhand (pronated) grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms straight. The closer you position your hands on the bar, the more . 2. Do it after your workout. Continue reading below to learn the . Grasping the bar with a closed, pronated grip. Exercise Instructions: Stand behind a lat pulldown machine and grab the pulldown bar The Straight Arm Lat Pulldown While the name of the movement really gives away the focus point, it's worth detailing the importance of the proper execution of the straight arm pulldown. Likewise, unless you're lat dominant, rowing movements hit mostly the mid-back, not the lats. As mentioned earlier, isolation exercises can have a substantial impact on improving movement and form with compound exercises. The biceps are small muscles and fatigue much quicker than your back muscles . Set up and perform the same way as the bar straight arm pulldown. This exercise can help you to build a wider back. How to do a Single Arm Lat Pulldown. Straight-Arm Pulldown The Defining Difference: One of the few viable single-joint back exercises, straight-arm pulldowns isolate the lats by removing virtually all biceps involvement. This move is great for targeting your lower lats, and will also help to activate your biceps by mimicking the action of a chin-up. 3. For most people, nailing the lats is hard to do. Static stretching is the safest form of stretching in which the muscles are stretched to such an extent that they do not feel uncomfortable but should not cause pain. The lats are large V-shaped muscles that, when trained properly, give your back a really nice look. How To Do The Straight-Arm Pulldown. The Straight Arm Pulldown, AKA Lat Sweep, is one of the most underutilized back exercises. The straight arm lat pulldown is also performed while standing. This is crucial for being able to maintain a safe and string lifting posture when it comes to performing the multi-joint, compound lifts such as deadlifts, pull-ups, squats, and bench presses. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position . However, many individuals rely on momentum and sloppy form ultimately causing various technique issues including excessive range of motion, asymmetrical pulling . This workstation has adjustable resistance, mostly plates. Sit on the seat with legs bent and thighs under the thigh pads. Back Strengthening. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown. Step 2: Bend your torso slightly forward (around 30 degrees). Grab just outside your shoulders or a little wider. Think: "proud chest .". Reverse Close-Grip Lat Pull-Down. A tip is to reduce the weight slightly and focus on perfect form instead, and again, ensure the arms are fully extended. . Lean forward a bit and inhale deeply. Facing the machine, grab each handle on the rope attachment. Step 2 - Slightly arch your back and pull the bar straight down. Range of Motion: The ROM on the lat pulldown stops once the bar reaches your collarbone. Kneeling Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown. Yes, lat pulldowns work the triceps muscle. Focus on pulling your belly button in toward your spine to ensure your core muscles are fully engaged. Keep the elbow slightly flexed and initiate the movement by depressing the shoulder blades and . Performing the straight arm pulldown without a cable attachment is near impossible. Then . Keep your chest tall/bring your chest to the bar. Adjust the knee pad, so it's right against your thighs as you sit down. Pulldowns hit the contraction half of the rom and pullovers hit the extension half. 1. How to Do a Lat Pulldown (With Proper Form) Step 1 - Grasp the bar and take a seat. To Build Muscle: Perform 2-4 sets of 10-20 repetitions . The kneeling neutral grip lat pulldown is an awesome exercise to get a full stretch in the lats. Unlike the lat pulldown, the straight arm variation involves assuming a standing position rather than seated. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your head straight and lower back in a natural arch. Bending of the Arms. This variation reduces tension on your biceps and it can also improve your mind-muscle connection. Start with the bar at shoulder level, arms extended and parallel to the floor. The straight arm pulldown works the latissimus dorsi muscle, the wing-like muscle in your mid-back. The bar, however, allows you to use the pullodown as an assitance lift to improve your ability to "pack" your lats during the deadlift. Step 3 - Stretch back up and repeat. Build a Bigger, Wider Back. Pull the bar down by bringing your elbows in to your sides. The straight-arm cable pushdown may appear to be an arm workout, but it actually strengthens several other muscles throughout your body. The straight-arm pulldown is an isolation exercise that builds size and strength, focusing on the upper back and lat muscles. FREE FORM CHEAT SHEET: http://bit.ly/FreeFormGiftFAR too many people perform the Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown incorrectly. Return to a dead hang and perform the movement on the opposing side to complete one rep. Keep your elbows pointed straight down. Here are the pivotal keys to perfecting your form and technique to maximize the tension and muscular recruitment through the isolated lat group, but also to . The straight arm pulldown is a back workout that exclusively recruits the lats compared to rows or lat pulldowns, which involve the mid-back and biceps for moving the weight. Bend your elbows so that your hands are at eye level. Attach a rope to a cable or lat pulldown machine. Also, remember to give your arms a slight bend. Grab the bar with both hands with supinated grip, hands shoulder-width apart, feet in the air. The lat pulldown is versatile and can be done using a cable machine, resistance bands, or dumbbell. Instructions. Direct Focus on the Lats: Regular lat pulldowns are great for upper-body mass, but the lats' emphasis isn't supremethe biceps and middle back get far too involved. This exercise is a great way to build upper body strength. Grasp an end in each hand and face the cable station. Use the straight-arm pulldown to train stubborn lats. From a dead hang position, pull to one side so that one side of your chest touches, or gets close to, your pulling hand. Step 1: Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. Muscles Targeted: Straight arm pulldowns target the upper back, specifically your latissimus dorsi (lats), teres major and the trapezius. With your core engaged, shoulder blades pulled back, and a slight bend in the hips, you should find yourself at around a 45-degree angle. For a longer range of motion and better muscle contact, you could try to lean slightly forward and bend your knees. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Variations Straight arm lat pulldowns and variations thereof are highly effective for targeting the lats and core as well as the triceps, chest and shoulders. The Lat Sweep is similar in form and function to the dumbbell pullover exercise. Do several sessions that consist of 10-15 reps, with short rest periods in the range of (30-45 minutes). . So whenever you perform any kind of . 2. Stand in front of the pulley machine with your feet shoulder width apart. Also try using the 'V-grip' handle. Kneel facing the machine with your body upright. Make sure that you're feeling the activation of the lats as you bring the bar down completely and allow your shoulder blades to move naturally. Because it creates an intense lat stretch in the upper (starting) position, the straight arm lat pulldown can be beneficial to beginning exercises to improve shoulder and back mobility. Is the straight-arm lat pulldown good? The primary joint actions that occur during the lat pulldown are listed below however, it is important to note that accessory joint motions occur depending on how the individual performs the exercise. Originating in the lower-mid back, the latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the back. Whether you are no longer making progress, are at a gym without a lat pulldown, or are stuck training at home, there's alternatives for you. Straight arm cable pushdowns isolate the lats to give you that coveted V-shape. Single-arm lat pulldown: In a basic lat pulldown exercise, you can use both hands together to maximize power, however, when it comes to maximizing the squeeze, a single-arm lat pulldown is preferred. If you suffer from low-back issues, this exercise is a safe way to work the rest of your back muscles. While keeping your arms straight, squeeze your lat and exhale, pulling the bar down, towards your quads. The 13 best lat pulldown alternatives are: High Row Machine. This is certainly the case with the straight arm pulldown and the deadlift.