Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown
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.
How to program the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown
Sets and reps
As an isolation movement, the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown is best trained with moderate loads and higher reps: 2–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 60–90 seconds of rest. Chasing heavy weight on isolation work usually degrades form before it builds muscle — prioritize a full range of motion and a controlled negative. Program it after your compound lifts.
Progression
The Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown work?
The Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown primarily targets the Lats.
What equipment do I need for the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown?
You need Cable. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown should I do?
Do 2–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 60–90 seconds rest, focusing on a full range of motion and controlled tempo rather than maximum load.
