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Underhand Cable Pulldowns

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

Underhand Cable Pulldowns: starting positionUnderhand Cable Pulldowns: finishing position
Main muscles
Lats
Also works
Biceps, Upper back and Shoulders
Equipment
Cable
Level
Beginner
Type
Compound
Movement
Pull

How to do the Underhand Cable Pulldowns

  1. Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
  2. Grab the pull-down bar with the palms facing your torso (a supinated grip). Make sure that the hands are placed closer than the shoulder width.
  3. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
  4. As you breathe out, pull the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the fully contracted position and keep the elbows close to your body. The upper torso should remain stationary as your bring the bar to you and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
  5. After a second on the contracted position, while breathing in, slowly bring the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
  6. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Sets and reps

Strength3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes
Muscle3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes
Endurance or fat loss2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 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 Underhand Cable Pulldowns

Questions

What muscles does the Underhand Cable Pulldowns work?

Mainly the lats, with the biceps, upper back and shoulders helping.

Is the Underhand Cable Pulldowns 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 Underhand Cable Pulldowns?

Good alternatives that train the lats: Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown, Kneeling High Pulley Row, Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row or One Arm Lat Pulldown.

How many sets and reps of the Underhand Cable Pulldowns should I do?

Strength: 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes. Muscle: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes. Endurance or fat loss: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds.

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