- You will start by grabbing the wide bar from the top pulley of a pulldown machine and using a wider than shoulder-width pronated (palms down) grip. Step backwards two feet or so.
- Bend your torso forward at the waist by around 30-degrees with your arms fully extended in front of you and a slight bend at the elbows. If your arms are not fully extended then you need to step a bit more backwards until they are. Once your arms are fully extended and your torso is slightly bent at the waist, tighten the lats and then you are ready to begin.
- While keeping the arms straight, pull the bar down by contracting the lats until your hands are next to the side of the thighs. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- While keeping the arms straight, go back to the starting position while breathing in.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Variations: Can also be performed with a shorter shoulder-width straight bar or with a rope attachment.
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Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Sep 8, 2011 1:21 PM: Great exercise! It really isolates the lats, particularly the lower lats. Good form and mind-muscle connection is key. flex hard it the bottom and go extra slow and controlled on the negative, gives a great burn.
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Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Mar 24, 2011 3:14 PM: Good Exercise!
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Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Mar 24, 2011 11:01 AM: This is a great way to isolate the lats. Pullups and rows just don't hit them hard enough.
of people found this review helpful
Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Feb 4, 2011 2:52 PM: it's a nice,easy and good exercise for beginners and pro's.
of people found this review helpful
Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Jun 21, 2010 9:53 AM: This is one of the few lat exercises that I really feel the next day. Proper form (no cheating!) makes a huge difference.
of people found this review helpful
Review: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Mar 20, 2010 9:15 PM: I feel burn in my lats after doing this exercise for a day at least, somehow I have not felt similar burn when doing other more popular lats exercises. I think this is a good exercise.
I agree with others that performing this exercise with light to moderate weight with slight forward lean...+See More
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Tip: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Jan 18, 2010 7:14 PM: racking this ex with open palms and only coming up 1/4 of the way after you are all the way down will change the way you stand and control the weight,
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Tip: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Jan 18, 2010 7:11 PM: This is a good one for controling,you flexing it also shows you what you really want to work at.
of people found this tip helpful
Tip: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Nov 25, 2009 4:58 AM: I have found that in using a light amout of weight and perfoming the exercise to the true form and focusing on the lat area, works will. Also try leaning forward a little bit, but do not sway your body just hold the position.
of people found this tip helpful
Tip: Straight-Arm Pulldown
Nov 8, 2009 8:49 AM: I don't like how this exercises is executed in this picture. To me, to target the area accurately, you should have your arms straight at all times. I find if I push my butt out a little it helps in the form when you are completeing the rep. I squeesze with the tricep at the end of the rep (when the...+See More