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The straight arm lat pulldown is an isolation exercise that heavily targets the latissimus dorsi. The Lats make up the bulk of your back.
It can be used to work around injuries or grip issues as it’s done with a V-bar or rope that you hold from above. This will make it easier on your wrists and forearms.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Muscles Worked
The lat pulldown primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, which gives you that V-taper look of a wide upper back.
It also heavily works the teres major and minor of your lats as well as the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles.
Additionally, your rhomboids are recruited to a degree along with your trapezius muscles, biceps and brachialis.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Benefits
The straight arm lat pulldown is beneficial to those who suffer from shoulder injuries such as impingements, bursitis and rotator cuff tears.
This movement doesn’t put any strain on the shoulders at all and because of that it can be used as a secondary developing movement in between shoulder workouts for those who’ve suffered an injury.
How to do Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
Grab either a V-bar, rope attachment or straight bar cable attachment. If using the cable, you typically grab it with an overhand grip whereas when using a V-bar you hold it in neutral (palms facing each other.)
With your hips pushed to the bench and feet placed firmly on the ground, pull the bar down until it touches your upper chest.
Make sure not to lean back as you do this to ensure that you get a good lat contraction at the top of movement.
While doing so, squeeze your shoulder blades together and don’t shrug or lean forward during pulling motion. Afterwards, return the bar back to starting position with your arms fully extended while breathing in.
Exercise Variations
You can place a bend at your elbow if you’d like, which is known as an EZ Bar Cable Pulldown. You can certainly use this variation of the movement.
Just be sure to keep your elbows tucked in close to your body throughout the movement.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown at Home
You don’t need access to a gym or any expensive equipment to do this movement, you can always use resistance bands!
Simply loop the resistance band around a stable pole and pull from above. If you have access to a pull-up bar, then you can simply use that as well.
How Many Reps and Sets?
The straight arm lat pulldown is typically done in 3 – 4 sets doing 10 to 15 reps for it to be effective in developing your lats.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown vs Lat Pulldown Machine
Using a straight bar or V-bar for this movement puts you in a more favorable position to fully develop your lats. This is very important when it comes to back training.
The majority of attention will go toward developing your biceps and not your lats, if you use an underhand grip on the lat pull down machine.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Alternatives
If you’re having problems with grip strength, then here are some alternatives to the straight arm lat pulldown exercise.
You can do the movement on a lat pulldown machine if your gym has one available; however, it won’t be as effective for overall back development as doing it on a V-bar or rope
Lat Pulldown Machine – This is not ideal, but if you have access to this at your local gym it doesn’t mean you can’t use it. Just don’t expect maximum results from using machines.
Banded Lat Pulldown – Attach a resistance band to an overhead or door anchor and pull down towards upper chest level.
The tension will help open up your shoulder girdle by putting it in a more maximally stretched position.
Pull-ups – Using an over, under grip doing pull-ups will work your lats as well as the straight arm lat pulldown. Plus, you’ll hit your biceps and forearms too, which is never a bad thing!
Barbell Row – Another great movement for back development that incorporates the biceps. Remember to keep your chest up and don’t lean forward at any time during the movement.
If you feel this happening, simply return to starting position and complete another rep while focusing on form.
Bent Over Barbell Row – Typically done using either a pronated (overhand) grip or supinated (underhand) grip.
Either way you do it, the movement should be done with your chest up and back flat. This will ensure optimal back development.
Neutral Grip Chin-Up – Another great variation of chin-up is the neutral grip version. This puts your shoulders in a more favorable position for developing both lower and upper lats equally.
Machine Shrug – Can be done using either an upright row machine or power rack pins. You place the bar at approximately shoulder height then pull up as high as possible before returning to starting position.
The key here is not to lean forward during the pulling motion, this will put extra stress on traps. Focus on squeezing your shoulders together tightly during the contraction phase of exercise to maximize the effect of the shrug.