One Arm Lat Pulldown

Also called single arm lat pulldown, one arm pulldown and unilateral lat pulldown.

Works

Lats, plus biceps and upper back

Equipment

Cable

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound, one side at a time

How to do it

Setup. Select an appropriate weight and adjust the knee pad to help keep you down. Grasp the handle with a pronated grip. This will be your starting position.

1. Pull the handle down, squeezing your elbow to your side as you flex the elbow.
2. Pause at the bottom of the motion, and then slowly return the handle to the starting position.
3. For multiple repetitions, avoid completely returning the weight to keep tension on the muscles being worked.

Cues

• Knee pad snug, chest up.
• Pull the elbow down to the side.
• Pause 1 second at the bottom.
• Let the lat stretch at the top.

Common mistakes

• Leaning sideways to pull.
• Letting the stack rest between reps.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Harder

Swap for