Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Single-Arm Cable Pulldown

Also called Kneeling one-arm pulldown

CableCompoundEasy to learnOne side at a time
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Upper back & lats

Also biceps

You need

Cable station

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
Thigh pad
1Start
Thigh pad
2Bottom
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Kneel or sit facing the pulley
  2. 2Reach high to stretch the lat
  3. 3Pull your elbow down to your hip

Most common mistake

Rotating the torso instead of moving the arm.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for climbing
  • Loads the muscle while it’s stretched
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Machine High Rowvs Neutral-Grip Pulldownvs Weighted Pull-Up
S
For back
#8 of 40
See the full list →
Research
86
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 86
Target tensionStrong
Loaded stretchExcellent
ProgressionStrong
Low costExcellent

One side at a time lets the lat reach further overhead, with a cable that keeps it loaded throughout.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SMachine RowMachine
  • SAssisted Pull-UpMachine
  • SPlate-Loaded PulldownMachine
  • SLat PulldownCable

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