How to Do Underhand Cable Pulldowns

Cable workout machines like the underhand cable pulldown let you lift using a more natural range of motion than solid joint lifting machines can offer. The freedom of movement offered by pulling a bar attached to a cable helps you build functional strength in your lats and supporting shoulder and back muscle groups, but cable machines also introduce more opportunities for incorrect form compared with a machine where the lifting track is welded into place. Keeping your lower body firmly planted on the ground as you pull the bar straight up and down is key for maintaining proper pulldown form and avoiding injury.

Instructions

    • 1

      Insert the holding pin into the hole in the weight plate that corresponds with the amount you want to lift.

    • 2

      Adjust the cable pulldown machine's seat height so that your feet rest flat on the floor when you bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.

    • 3

      Stand over the seat and face the machine.

    • 4

      Reach up and grasp the bar using an underhanded grip. Your hands should be spread just under shoulder width apart, with your palms facing toward your body.

    • 5

      Sit down on the seat, bending your knees just over 90 degrees and planting your feet flat on the floor directly below the thighs. Maintain your grasp as you sit and keep your elbows extended to bring the bar to its starting position straight over your chest.

    • 6

      Bend your elbows and pull the bar straight down toward your chest, pulling equally with both sides of your body to keep the bar horizontal and keeping your elbows close to the body.

    • 7

      Exhale as you start to pull the bar downward.

    • 8

      Lean back at the waist as you pull down on the cable, bringing your torso to a 30-degree angle to the ground. Keep your feet and lower body firmly planted while you lean back with just your torso.

    • 9

      Squeeze your shoulder blades in toward your body as the bar nears your chest.

    • 10

      Pause for a moment with the bar in front of your chest, then steadily extend your arms straight over your head to raise the bar back to the starting position.

    • 11

      Continue raising and lowering the bar until you've performed the desired number of reps. Do lots of reps at a lighter weight to build lean, functional high-endurance muscle, or do fewer reps at a heavier weight to focus on improving your maximum lifting capacity.