Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

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

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Back

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Also called Lat prayer

CableIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Upper back & lats

Also triceps

You need

Cable station

Also works on the lat pulldown

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Bottom
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Hinge slightly, arms nearly straight
  2. 2Sweep the bar from eye level to your thighs
  3. 3Feel the lats, not the triceps

Most common mistake

Bending the elbows into a triceps pushdown.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Ranked #2 for swimming
  • Easy on the joints and recovery
  • Carries straight over to swimming

Compare with

vs Seated Cable Rowvs Pull-Upvs Lat Pulldown
S
For swimming
#2 of 15
See the full list →
Research
85
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 85
TransferExcellent
Injury protectionGood
PracticalityExcellent

Close to the catch-and-pull motion of freestyle.

Research behind these criteria

  • Transfer: Seitz et al., 2014 · Markovic, 2007 · Blagrove et al., 2018 · Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014
  • Injury protection: Lauersen et al., 2014 · van Dyk et al., 2019 · Harøy et al., 2019 · Webster & Hewett, 2018
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SPull-UpBodyweight
  • AIncline Y-RaiseDumbbell
  • BBroad JumpBodyweight
  • ACable External RotationCable

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280