Lat Pulldown Alternatives. Isolation exercises like the straight-arm pulldown are typically performed with higher repetitions and an emphasis on time under tension. Begin by setting your straight bar or lat bar attachment to shoulder height. . 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. Muscles Targeted: Straight arm pulldowns target the upper back, specifically your latissimus dorsi (lats), teres major and the trapezius. Do it after your workout. Stand in front of the pulley machine with your feet shoulder width apart. The lat pulldown is a compound exercise designed to target many muscles of the back, most notably the latissimus dorsi (Figure 1). 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. Age: 30. Also try using the 'V-grip' handle. Keep your chest tall/bring your chest to the bar. 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. The starting position should see a very slight arch in your back and arms, but keep it minimal. You guys have seen it, the straight arm pulldown, some people say it's great for back, others say it's a waste of energy and time, others use it as a finishing movement on back day! Table of Contents show . Grasping the bar with a closed, pronated grip. A common mistake with many trainers is bending their arms during the straight arm pulldown. The straight arm pulldown is an excellent lat-isolating strength exercise which has been derived from the classic lat pulldown exercise. It ticks all the boxes taking the lats through a full range of motion and drilling the feeling of keeping the barbell close when deadlifting. Single Arm Dumbbell Row. This is certainly the case with the straight arm pulldown and the deadlift. Straight arm cable pushdowns isolate the lats to give you that coveted V-shape. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your head straight and lower back in a natural arch. So whenever you perform any kind of . 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. Attach a straight bar handle to the highest notch on the cable machine. At the shoulder, the long head of the triceps attaches to the scapula. This completes one rep. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions. Step 1: Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. A lat pulldown will work the lats more because you can use more weight. 5. Keep your arms straight and then draw your lats to pull the . It helps to build up core muscles of the back and also improve your posture. The biceps are small muscles and fatigue much quicker than your back muscles . And chin-ups, pull-ups, and pulldowns are more like arm exercises than lat exercises. The Straight Arm lat pushdown is a back strengthening exercise. For the straight-arm pulldown, begin by performing 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. 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. 2. 2. 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. Most back exercises contract the biceps muscles in some way shape or form. This exercise can help you to build a wider back. 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). Grab just outside your shoulders or a little wider. Like reverse-grip pulldowns, the straight-arm version targets the lower lats. It is usually performed at a workstation. Kneeling Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown. Keep your elbows pointed straight down. 3. 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 . How to do a Single Arm Lat Pulldown. How To Do The Straight-Arm Pulldown. . Obviously, the anatomy of the lats and the triceps is set in stone. Lean forward a bit and inhale deeply. 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. Pull down the band with both hands at the same time until it reaches your upper chest. 4. Dumbbell Pullover. Doing so removes the tension from the back onto the triceps, which is not the target muscle. The straight arm lat pulldown is an vital workout for persons of all fitness levels. 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. That's too bad because this back isolation exercise helps give you a narrow looking waist while developing your back definition. The lats are large V-shaped muscles that, when trained properly, give your back a really nice look. At the end of the movement, pull the rope apart until your feel an upper back contraction. Narrow Grip Row Machine. Note: if the bar is entirely straight, use a grip that is wider than shoulder-width and spaced evenly on the bar. This ensures they are properly engaged. The Straight Arm Pulldown. Straight Arm Lat Pull Down Instructions. Originating in the lower-mid back, the latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the back. to "feel" and several lifters locate it difficult to really feel the lats contracting and relaxing through standard lat pulldown-form exercises. 5. Adjust the weight, so it's light enough for you to do at least ten smooth repetitions. Kneel facing the machine with your body upright. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position . Step 2: Draw your shoulder blades back together and down, as if you were trying to stuff them into your back pockets. 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. . 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. 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 . Back Strengthening. Text and graphics from the StrengthLog app. Do several sessions that consist of 10-15 reps, with short rest periods in the range of (30-45 minutes). Step 3 - Stretch back up and repeat. 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. Tips. Lat Pullover Machine. Facing the machine, grab each handle on the rope attachment. 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. Reach up and grasp a standard lat-pulldown bar or long straight bar with an overhand (pronated) grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms straight. Step 2 - Slightly arch your back and pull the bar straight down. With . Step 2: Bend your torso slightly forward (around 30 degrees). The lat pulldown is versatile and can be done using a cable machine, resistance bands, or dumbbell. This variation reduces tension on your biceps and it can also improve your mind-muscle connection. Lift the body up, bringing your chest closer to the bar. Instructions. Reverse Close-Grip Lat Pull-Down. The Straight Arm Pulldown, AKA Lat Sweep, is one of the most underutilized back exercises. Execution: Stand facing a cable stack with a straight bar attached to the high pulley. Continue reading below to learn the . 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. 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. The straight arm lat pulldown is also performed while standing. This workstation has adjustable resistance, mostly plates. Engage the core, keep the spine longs, and chest out. In this video, we go over a few com. During a straight-arm pulldown, the triceps work isometrically to hold the arms straight. How to do Straight-Arm Pulldown: Step 1: Stand in front of a high pulley cable machine with feet shoulder width apart and grasp the handle with hands wider than shoulder width apart and your palms downward. With your arm straight, bring your shoulders back . The straight arm pulldown is often used as a lat activation warm-up before a back workout or deadlift session. Originally Posted by ricardogonz01. 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. The Lat Sweep is similar in form and function to the dumbbell pullover exercise. Keep both arms straight. Straighten the other arm. Range of Motion: The ROM on the lat pulldown stops once the bar reaches your collarbone. From a dead hang position, pull to one side so that one side of your chest touches, or gets close to, your pulling hand. Grip the rope with a neutral grip and walk back until your arms are straight. Stand in front of the machine with feet about hip-width apart, and grab the bar with both hands using an overhand grip. Grab the bar with both hands with supinated grip, hands shoulder-width apart, feet in the air. Attach a wide-grip bar or lat bar to one of the higher points on the cable machine. Difficulty is increased slightly by keeping the arms straight during the movement. Adjust the knee pad, so it's right against your thighs as you sit down. The straight arm pulldown is an excellent lat-isolating strength exercise which has been derived from the classic lat pulldown exercise. 2. As mentioned earlier, isolation exercises can have a substantial impact on improving movement and form with compound exercises. Both eliminate the assistance of the . Sit on the seat with legs bent and thighs under the thigh pads. Take 3 steps back before bending your torso forward 30 degrees and fully extending your arms (while maintaining a slight bend in the elbow). The 13 best lat pulldown alternatives are: High Row Machine. I tend to do pulldowns with a rope attachment, since they give a much better ROM than with a bar. Bicep Strengthening.