Straight Arm Rope Pulldown
A standing straight-arm pulldown on a rope: the shoulders extend and the hands sweep from high toward the thighs.
How to do it
- Attach a rope to a high cable and stand facing the stack, feet about hip width.
- Take a neutral grip on the rope and hinge slightly at the hips, chest tall.
- Keep both elbows nearly straight, not locked hard and not bent into a row.
- Depress the shoulder blades and sweep the hands down toward the thighs.
- Stop when the lats are short, then raise the rope back to the high start under control.
- Keep the torso angle fixed; do not squat or curl as the rope moves.
Key technique cue
Keep the elbows nearly straight and fixed — pull with the shoulder, don't bend the arms.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending the elbows into a pulldown or row so the biceps take over.
- ✕ Arching the low back instead of keeping tone through the trunk.
- ✕ Letting the head jut forward as the rope comes down.
- ✕ Squatting or rocking the hips to move a load that should be a shoulder sweep.
Benefits
- ✓ Trains the lats through shoulder extension without a bench pullover.
- ✓ The rope lets the hands finish closer to the thighs than a stiff bar.
- ✓ A light load is the point: feel the sweep, not a max effort.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Straight Arm Rope Pulldown
- Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
About the exercise
The straight-arm rope pulldown is a standing lat pullover on a high cable. It targets the lats, with the abs, biceps, shoulders, and upper back helping. Neutral palms on the rope, a slight hip hinge, elbows nearly straight, then the shoulders extend so the rope travels toward the thighs. 'Light' in the name is a load cue, not a different movement. It is distinct from a bent-elbow pulldown.
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