Straight Arm Pulldown (Cable)
Also called Straight Arm Pulldown, Straight-Arm Pulldown, Straight Arm Lat Pulldown, Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
How to do it
Stand facing a high pulley and hold the bar with straight arms and a slight fixed elbow bend. Pull the bar in an arc toward your thighs by drawing your shoulders down and engaging your lats, then return slowly overhead to a controlled stretch. Keep your torso still and avoid turning it into a triceps pressdown.
Setup
Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and stand far enough back for tension with the arms raised. Hold the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, wrists straight, elbows softly bent and fixed, shoulders down, knees soft, and torso braced.
Where you should feel it
Along both lats as the bar arcs toward the thighs, with some long-head triceps assistance and the forearms and core holding position. The elbows should not actively bend or straighten.
When to use it
Use for bilateral lat hypertrophy, shoulder-extension control, and learning to engage the lats without elbow flexion. Controlled sets of 10-20 reps work well.