For lat growth
For lat growth, straight-arm pulldown rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Pull-up gives 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
Pull-Up. Excellent stretch and pull, but you’re stuck with bodyweight until you can add load.
Straight-Arm Pulldown. Straight arms take the biceps out, so the lats work through a long overhead range.
For swimming, pull-up and straight-arm pulldown score the same on every criterion.
For lat growth, straight-arm pulldown rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Pull-up gives 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.
Straight-arm pulldown is easier: it’s easy to learn, while pull-up takes some practice.
Pull-up needs a pull-up bar, so a home gym covers it. Straight-arm pulldown needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Straight-arm pulldown: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for pull-up.