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How to Do Straight Arm Pull Down (Seated) — Form, Muscles & Tips

Learn how to do the Straight Arm Pull Down (Seated): step-by-step form, muscles worked, cable machine setup, and common mistakes. Free workout tracker included.

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How to perform this exercise

  1. Sit on a bench facing a high cable pulley machine with a straight bar or rope attachment set at the top.
  2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms extended in front of you at roughly shoulder height.
  3. Keep a slight bend in your elbows — do not lock them out and do not let them bend further during the movement.
  4. With a straight-arm position maintained, pull the bar down in an arc toward your thighs by driving your lats.
  5. Hold briefly at the bottom, squeezing your lats when the bar reaches your thighs.
  6. Slowly return the bar back up to the starting position in a controlled arc.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.