How to do Straight Arm Pulldowns:
- Attach a rope handle to the high pulley of a cable station. Grasp an end in each hand and face the cable station.
- Draw your shoulder blades back together and down, as if you were trying to stuff them into your back pockets.
- Draw your ribs down, tuck your tailbone under, and brace your core. Your torso should feel like one tight, solid column. Bend your hips back until your torso is at a 30–45-degree angle.
- Step back from the station a bit so that you feel tension on the cable and your arms are fully extended overhead. You should feel a stretch on your lats (the muscles along the sides of your back). Set your feet at shoulder width.
- Slowly drive your arms down to your sides in an arcing motion with elbows locked out, so your hands end up in line with your hips, or just behind them.
- Reverse the motion slowly to extend your arms again.
Doing the straight arm pulldown is a great exercise if you are trying to build a bigger back. This exercise targets your lats along with other muscles, making it a great exercise to incorporate into your weekly routine.
