Back · Pulldown and pull-up
Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
The Single-Arm Lat Pulldown mainly trains your lats. Also working: biceps and obliques.
One cable
Stable
How to do it
- Half-kneeling: pulling-side knee on the floor, other foot planted in front
- Arm extended overhead, let your shoulder rise into the stretch
- Pull your elbow into your back pocket
- Extend slowly, torso stays upright
Coach’s tip
With one arm, half the stack is easily enough, and you notice right away which side is weaker. Start with the weaker side and let the strong side do only the same number of reps.
Setup
Pulley
Pulley at the top
Grip
One single handle
Load
One cable
You need
Single handles
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (pulldown and pull-up). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown work?
Mainly the lats. The biceps and obliques help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown?
Pulley: Pulley at the top. Grip: One single handle.
What can I do instead of the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown?
For the same movement: Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up and Kneeling Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Single-Arm Lat Pulldown in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.