Back / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

A cable isolation exercise for the lats.

At a glance

Primary

Lats

Equipment

Cable station

Movement pattern

Straight-arm pull (shoulder extension)

Level

Beginner

Type

Back, Isolation (single joint)

How to do it

1. Attach a rope to a high pulley and make your weight selection. Stand a couple feet back from the pulley with your feet staggered and take the rope with both hands. Lean forward from the hip, keeping your back straight, with your arms extended up in front of you. This will be your starting position.
2. Keeping your arms straight, extend the shoulder to pull the rope down to your thighs.
3. Pause at the bottom of the motion, squeezing your lats.
4. Return to the starting position without allowing the weight to fully rest on the stack.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Lowering the weight too far behind the head.

  Why it hurts: The shoulder is stretched overhead under a long lever, which can irritate the rotator cuff and the front of the shoulder.

  ✓ Instead: Stop when the arms are in line with the torso, or earlier if the shoulder pinches. Swimmers benefit from the pattern but not from forcing the stretch.

• ✗ Ribs flare and the back arches.

  Why it hurts: The lower back compensates for limited shoulder mobility.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the ribs down and the core braced; the range ends where the ribs start to lift.

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