For lat growth
For lat growth, plate-loaded pulldown rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch.
Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Plate-Loaded Pulldown. A plate-loaded pulldown on a fixed path: full overhead stretch and easy to load in small steps.
Single-Arm Cable Row. One arm at a time lets the shoulder blade reach further forward for a bigger stretch, under steady cable tension.
For lat growth, plate-loaded pulldown rates higher on our research criteria: more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Plate-loaded pulldown needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Single-arm cable row needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.