The pull-up is an exercise that requires some of the highest levels of muscle activation in the lats. The straight arm pulldown is an isolation exercise. b) Squeeze your lats hard at the bottom and contract your chest to bring the dumbbells to the starting position. So whenever you perform any kind of . At the end of the movement, pull the rope apart until your feel an upper back contraction. The muscle spans from your lower back to the middle of your spine and out to your shoulder, where it attaches. The straight arm lat pulldown is an vital workout for persons of all fitness levels. Begin by setting the straight or lat-bar attachment at the shoulder height. Grip and Torso Angle Do the straight-arm pulldown with a palms-down grip on the bar. Fully extend your arms. Instructions Stand at an adjustable cable machine and grab the lat pulldown bar with an overhand grip that's about shoulder-width apart. Hold this for a second at the top, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat for however many reps you want. Age: 30. The emphasis should be on feeling the entire range of motion, not the amount of weight you use on the exercise. Avoid resting the bar on your chest. As a result, it's a great movement for focusing on lat development. The cable straight arm pulldown (with rope) is an exercise that we highly recommend not just because it's an effective lat builder, but because it increases scapular strength and stability. Take 3 steps back before bending your torso forward 30 degrees and fully extending your arms (while maintaining a slight bend in the elbow). Performing the straight arm pulldown without a cable attachment is near impossible. Switch side after X amount of reps, and do the same with the other side. Do it after your workout. Keep your grip style the same (hands down; pronated), but vary the width-narrower or wider. A more upright torso will put more stress on the lower portion of the lats. Table of Contents show The straight arm lat pull down can be performed during your back workouts, upper body workouts, pull workouts, and full body workouts. - Hex bar deadlifts. Instructions Hold the dumbbell with an extended arm and row the weight upwards towards your ribs. How to do the Straight Arm Pulldown Start with your hands above your here. I use 2 different attachements, either the rope or this bar. Tighten your core drawing the belly button to the spine and draw the dumbbells back to the starting position. Here's how to perform it- Grasp a dumbbell in both hands and allow your arms to hang down on your body. Then lower dumbbells towards the floor until the arms are straight. Now, bend the forearm and bring the dumbbell to your shoulders. Start with arms extended and hanging perpendicular to the floor, then, keeping arms straight, pull both dumbbells back towards your hips by contracting your lats. The lats are large V-shaped muscles that, when trained properly, give your back a really nice look. (Biceps by your ears.) AnderGDA 3 yr. ago I tend to do pulldowns with a rope attachment, since they give a much better ROM than with a bar. . Step 2. What exercise works the latissimus dorsi back muscle )? 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. Brace your core. . Pull-Up (or Lat Pulldown): 4 sets x 6 reps; Seated Cable Row: 3 sets x 8 reps; Dumbbell Row: 3 sets x 12 reps; Straight Arm Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 20 reps; Together, these exercises will hit all fibers of your lat muscles thoroughly. It's a very similar movement pattern to the straight arm cable pulldown. The straight-arm pulldown trains the lats through a long range of motion, and is helpful for people who have trouble feeling their backs work on conventional pulldown exercises. Slowly return the bar to the starting position. The principle is the same whether you use a cable machine or a resistance band for this exercise. In the lat pulldown, the lats work harder if you use a wider grip. Seated Cable Rows. Keep the elbows pointing upward and don't let them sway outside your body. The straight arm lat pulldown can also be done in a standing position. You can do this exercise from home or in the gym. Athletes known for having a great back are swimmers. It is a compound exercise that is primarily used for the upper body. Push your palms down and towards your hips. Then lower your arms slowly. Control the weight downwards until your arms are straight above your head, or until your mobility no longer allows. I prefer the bar because I feel more activation in my lats, and you can also vary the grip width which also changes the feel of the exercise a bit. - TRX suspended rows. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Dumbbell Bent Over Rows Dumbbell Pullover . Pro Tip If you struggle to feel your lats, try to limit the top end range of motion. The posterior deltoid is on the back of the shoulder and helps pull your arm down and back during the movement. Grasp the ends of the band with an overhand grip. Can you do lat pulldown with dumbbells? For the straight-arm pulldown, begin by performing 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. How to do it: Sit on a bench with a pair of dumbbells in an overhand grip. Chest Supported Incline . Start the movement with your arms straight - but elbows not locked - and the weight above your chest. Straight-Arm Pull-Down Perfect Technique STARTING POSITION: Stand, facing the high pulley (cable machine) or stand behind the bench of a lat pulldown apparatus, with your legs shoulder-width apart and your spine in a neutral position. They are wing-shaped muscles. August 21, 2022 by Sandra Hearth. 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! This method lowers tension on your biceps and enhances the connection between your muscles and your mind. Remember that you are not rowing the dumbbell to the ground but until your arm is straight. - Resistance band lat pull-downs. Exhale and pull the bar down to your thighs. The Obvious Lat Pulldown Alternative. With straight arms, push the bar down in front of you by contracting your lats. Rep Power: 271. Keeping your shoulders back and down, pull the cable bar overheard with straight arms (chest activation) or arms with elbows faired slightly to the side (lat activation) until the bar is touching you're hips or legs (depending on anatomy) Bring the bar back to the starting position with control Useful resources . Attach a wide-grip bar or lat bar to one of the higher points on the cable machine. Let the palms face forward. Then lower your shoulders slightly. The straight-arm pulldown is a single-joint isolation movement that specifically targets your lats, and the flat bench is the cable equivalent of the dumbbell pullover. Really make a mind-muscle connection with using your lats to bring the dumbbell overhead rather than your chest. Stand at an adjustable cable machine and grab the lat pulldown bar with an overhand grip that's about shoulder-width apart. 3. Bent-over rows, done with a barbell, dumbbells, or a resistance band, are all good for your lats, but you should also take care not to round your back as doing so could cause injury. Dumbbell Pull-Over 2. Decline Dumbbell Curl. 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. Also, remember to give your arms a slight bend. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your head straight and lower back in a natural arch. straight-arm pulldown is a exercise machine exercise that primarily targets the lats. Not only does the straight arm lat pulldown target your lats, but also your triceps, teres minor and teres major muscles, and core. Instructions. Stand on your feet shoulder-width apart with dumbbells in both hands Bend over by hinging at the hip until the back is flat. Straight Arm Pulldown targets or activates your latissimus dorsi muscles commonly known as lats on the side of your back. Change your torso angle for variation. However, you might experience unnecessary . Flex your shoulder as far as you can safely, pause and bring the dumbbell back to the starting position. - Dumbbell rows. . Attach a rope to a cable stack and assume a standing position. 4. 5. Lean forward a bit and inhale deeply. Periodization Guidance: For those of you who are trying to strengthen your upper back with lat pulldown alternatives, you may want to try this exercise sitting down. Bring the weight up to the starting position or until your arms are fully straightened. Hang your arms straight down and use your lats to pull the dumbbells back until your arms are in line with your torso. The straight arm lat pull down mimics the movement of a dumbbell pullover. Bend your arms and bring the bar down behind your head. Execution Originally Posted by ricardogonz01. Although the straight-arm pulldown primarily activates the latissimus dorsi muscles on the sides of your back, it also works the posterior deltoids, triceps, . Pause, then return to the starting position. A common mistake with many trainers is bending their arms during the straight arm pulldown. - Barbell deadlifts. Obviously, the anatomy of the lats and the triceps is set in stone. Lat Pulldown Machine, Lat Bar Main muscles Back Secondary muscles Biceps. Do several sessions that consist of 10-15 reps, with short rest periods in the range of (30-45 minutes). A dumbbell row is one of the best exercises for improving lower lat thickness and should be included in each lower lat workout. The back workout mentioned earlier is available for free in our workout app . The most obvious alternative to lat pulldowns is a pull-up because it mimics the same motion. Cue 3: Before each repetition, you must twist and look over your hip before retracting your shoulder and setting off. When the bar touches your hips, pause and squeeze your lats for a 2 count. Grasp the bar in an overhand grip with your palms facing down and your arms extended (but not locked out). As both movements use your lats, rows are an acceptable lat pulldown alternative. Maintain this elbow position, flex the shoulder, reaching back over your head slowly to stretch the lats. Lie flat on the bench. This movement is a natural function of the lats, and you're largely missing it if you only do pulldowns and rows as part of . The bar, however, allows you to use the pullodown as an assitance lift to improve your ability to "pack" your lats during the deadlift. Sit at the front of a bench and bring your torso between your legs, hanging your arms down in front of you. Keep the elbow slightly flexed and initiate the movement by depressing the shoulder blades and extending the shoulders. Benefits of the Lat Pullover. You can do 15 to 20 reps Lat pulldown is the exercise where the weight is pulled down with the arms extended, in a straight line and parallel to the body. Doing so removes the tension from the back onto the triceps, which is not the target muscle. You can perform these rows with or without a bench and dumbbells with appropriate weight. Rope Straight Arm Pull Down Instructions. 1. Reach up and grasp a standard lat-pulldown bar or long straight bar with an overhand (pronated) grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms straight. Grasp the bar with an overhand (pronated, palms facing down) grip with the elbow slightly bent. To Build Muscle: Perform 2-4 sets of 10-20 repetitions . That's why this single-joint movement, sometimes known as swimmers, is on our list. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown Exercise for back and triceps Exercise execution guide Starting position Standing, facing the high pulley cable machine, with your knees slightly bent, your torso bending over, back straight and your chest bulged. The straight arm pulldown is one of the best moves to isolate the lats in their . Different from standing pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns work your lats without engaging the biceps, though your triceps and pectorals assist the movement. Stand with your feet under your shoulders. db lat workout 1) First, select a high pulley, or if adjustable, move the pulley up until it is approximately at head height. Straight Arm Pulldown Form: With your straight bar attached to the top pulley of your cable machine grip the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. While keeping your arms straight, squeeze your lat and exhale, pulling the bar down, towards your quads. Take a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang down next to your body. Our favorite straight arm pulldown alternative! Posts: 2,308. This isolation exercise can also support to improve your posture and develop a bigger back. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Dumbbell Bent-Over Row (Single Arm) . That how big is your back. Yes, lat pulldowns work the triceps muscle. Yates row; Single arm landmine row; Barbell rollout; Lat Pulldown alternatives with bands. The only straight-arm pulldown equipment that you really need is the following: cable machine. Exercise your biceps with this dumbbell exercise. The exercise involves standing up straight and pulling the bar down to hip level, while keeping your arms straight throughout the movement. READ SOMETHING ELSE. Lean on the dumbbell while engaging your lats by rotating your shoulders out. Start with the bar at shoulder level, arms extended and parallel to the floor. 2. Pause for a second. Squeeze your chest hard in this position. In order to effectively perform the straight arm pulldown, follow the 6 coaching points below. The straight arm pulldown is often used as a lat activation warm-up before a back workout or deadlift session. Straight arm lat pulldowns When doing a band straight arm pulldown, you start at shoulder level. Pulldowns hit the contraction half of the rom and pullovers hit the extension half. 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. Slowly lower the dumbbell back over your head keeping your arms straight. - Straight-arm pull-downs. The Straight Arm Pulldown is a variation on the famous Lateral pulldowns. The straight arm lat pulldown activates the latissimus dorsi muscles AKA 'the lats. Set and Reps: 3x 6-12 10. It is performed by bringing the arms from an upward to the downward direction, which helps in strengthening your lats and broadens your posterior deltoid muscle thereby giving you a perfect V-taper. Dumbbell straight arm pulldowns. This is another lat pulldown alternative with dumbbells. They also work the triceps, rhomboids, deltoids, and other upper arms muscles. Lift the weight 80-90% of the way, don't pause at the top, but DO go for . Dumbbell Rows. Isolation exercises like the straight-arm pulldown are typically performed with higher repetitions and an emphasis on time under tension. - Lat pull-down machine. 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. Dumbbell row to the hips is a fantastic exercise for building a strong . Pull the weight back up over your chest. c) Maintain tightness in your core and repeat! In this variation, the lats bring the bar down and move in an arc toward the rear of the body. Attach the rope to the pulley and grasp both ends of the rope firmly. a) Keeping your arms straight, squeeze your lats and slowly bring the dumbbells behind you until they are in line with your head. 1. Single-arm dumbbell rows, incline dumbbell rows, and free-standing dumbbell rows are some of the popular variations. Set up and perform the same way as the bar straight arm pulldown. The lat pullover - sometimes referred to as dumbbell pullovers or a straight arm pullover - is quite unique in that it targets both your back and chest muscles at the same time (more on that below). Supported dumbbell row; Lat Pulldown alternatives with barbell. Keep your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart. - Landmine rows. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. That's why pulldowns are compound exercises while pullovers are isolation exercises. 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). Just be sure to pull down and back with your elbows and shoulders, not push down with your arms. Place yourself on the front edge of your pulley device, with your feet spread shoulder-width . Dumbbell rows are also a good substitute for a rowing machine. Stand in front of a high pulley cable machine with your feet in a shoulder-width apart stance. Straight arm lat pulldown and lat pulldown work the lat muscles and posterior deltoid, triceps, and teres major muscle groups. . The palms are pointing forward. The teres major is a small muscle that spans from the bottom of your shoulder blade to the side of your arm and helps extend the shoulder and the triceps help bring your arms down aiding your lats. Bend the elbows slightly. The only substantial difference is that instead of pulling the handle down to you, you're pulling your body up to a handle. Engage your lat muscles and pull the band down. Grasp the dumbbell and raise it to your chest. The straight arm lat pulldown is 1 of the best workout routines to strengthen your lats. . The straight-arm pulldown cures ILS by taking the biceps and mid-back out of the movement, forcing the lats to do the work. Squeeze your lats together while maintaining . Next, lower the dumbbell behind your head while keeping your arms straight. The straight-arm pulldown is an isolation exercise that builds size and strength, focusing on the upper back and lat muscles. It can supply a wide variety of benefits . Creating Your Lat Workout A good choice would be one arm dumbbell rows and seated rows . In this way, you will not have to hold a hip-hinge (while standing) and . Now lift the single dumbbell straight over your chest holding it with both hands. Likewise, I don't advocate doing the pullover till you're "holding" the weight at the top. I love em' though, definitely a good . A tip is to reduce the weight slightly and focus on perfect form instead, and again, ensure the arms are fully extended. Difficulty is increased slightly by keeping the arms straight during the movement. And developing good muscular lats is very important because it is very helpful in the broadness of your back. Bending of the Arms. This isolation exercise targets your shoulders, arms, and upper back muscle groups. The Straight Arm Pulldown In Action This is a highly functional exercise as it requires you to use a large number of your muscles to stabilize your body. 6. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown. Its main goal is to work the Latissimus Dorsi muscles on the sides of your back. The single-arm dumbbell row addresses muscular imbalances in your left and right upper body. This makes it a pretty comprehensive upper body exercise that builds strength in several important areas. However, once you're ready to refine the mass built by pulldowns, pullovers have their value. The traditional dumbbell row targets your upper lats, but you can recruit your lower lats by lifting the dumbbell back towards your hip rather than straight up towards your shoulder. Your arms should remain straight, elbows locked. Grasp the rope with a neutral grip (palms facing) and lean forward slightly by hinging at the hips. Start by choosing a dumbbell that you will be holding directly over your face and position your back on a flat bench perpendicular to the bench and your feet firmly planted on the ground. Straight arm pulldown or straight arm lat pulldown is an effective isolation exercise that involves shoulder extension movement for training the lats. Return to the starting. Raise the bar above your chest until your arms are fully straightened. While maintaining the twist, bring the dumbbell back to the straight arm position, making sure not to lose your balance. Take a half-kneeling position (your "down' leg should correspond to the arm you're working) in front of a cable handle fixed higher than your head. The lat pulldown and straight-arm pulldown are both shoulder extension exercises, which primarily work the latissimus dorsi, which is the largest muscle in your upper body. If you exercise at home, dumbbells straight arm pulldown is the suitable variation for you.