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Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

A beginner strength exercise for the lats, done with a cable.

Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown: starting positionRope Straight-Arm Pulldown: finishing position
Main muscles
Lats
Equipment
Cable
Level
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Movement
Pull

How to do the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

  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.

Sets and reps

Muscle3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds
Pump or finisher2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

Questions

What muscles does the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown work?

Mainly the lats.

Is the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown?

Good alternatives that train the lats: Cable Incline Pushdown, Straight-Arm Pulldown, Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown or Kneeling High Pulley Row.

How many sets and reps of the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown should I do?

Muscle: 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds. Pump or finisher: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45–60 seconds.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).