3 Best Cable Exercises for Lats: Pulldowns and Pullovers
If you want to build wider, stronger lats using a cable machine or functional trainer, three exercises stand out: the lat pulldown, cable pullover, and straight-arm cable pulldown.
All three train the latissimus dorsi, but they do it in different ways.
The lat pulldown combines shoulder movement with significant elbow flexion. The cable pullover emphasizes a long sweeping motion through the shoulder. The straight-arm cable pulldown keeps the elbows relatively fixed and focuses heavily on driving the arms down with the lats.
Understanding those differences can help you choose the right exercise—or use all three together for a more complete cable back workout.
1. Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is one of the most popular back exercises performed on a cable machine.
It uses a vertical pulling motion that begins with the arms extended overhead. From there, you drive the elbows downward while pulling the attachment toward the upper chest.
Muscles Worked in the Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown primarily targets the:
▶ Latissimus dorsi
▶ Biceps
▶ Rhomboids
▶ Trapezius
▶ Rear deltoids
▶ Upper-back stabilizers
Because the elbows bend significantly during the exercise, the biceps contribute more than they do during straight-arm movements.
Why Lat Pulldowns Are So Effective
The overhead starting position allows the lats to lengthen before contracting as the elbows move downward.
Performed with control, the movement provides both a strong stretch and a powerful contraction.
A neutral-grip lat pulldown can also allow the wrists, elbows, and shoulders to follow a comfortable natural path.
Using the Andreoni Bar creates a unique neutral-grip variation because its open, cambered shape allows the bar to flow around the head and body instead of stopping against them.
This lets you maintain the pulling path while driving the elbows downward through the movement.
Learn more about the Lat Pulldown
2. Cable Pullover
The cable pullover, sometimes called a cable lat pullover, trains the lats through a long sweeping arc.
Unlike the lat pulldown, the elbows remain relatively fixed throughout the exercise. This reduces the amount of assistance coming from the biceps and makes it easier to concentrate on shoulder extension and the lats.
How the Cable Pullover Works
Start with the cable positioned high and the arms extended forward or overhead.
With a slight bend in the elbows, drive the arms downward in an arc toward the hips.
The goal is to think less about pulling with your hands and more about moving your upper arms using your lats.
At the top of the exercise, allow the lats to stretch under control.
At the bottom, concentrate on driving the arms down and creating a strong lat contraction.
Cable Pullovers with the Andreoni Bar
The Andreoni Bar allows a particularly interesting variation of the cable pullover.
Instead of relying entirely on your grip, you can rest your forearms directly against the bar.
This gives you a stable contact point and allows you to concentrate more on driving the movement with the lats rather than squeezing an attachment with your hands.
The open design of the bar also allows it to continue naturally around the body instead of having a straight attachment become the stopping point.
That can create a longer movement path and allow you to continue farther into the contraction.
This variation has become one of the favorite Andreoni Bar exercises among customers because of the combination of control, lat isolation, range of motion, and contraction.
Learn more about the Cable Pullover
3. Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown
The straight-arm cable pulldown, sometimes called a lat prayer, is another excellent exercise for isolating the lats.
Like the cable pullover, the elbows remain relatively fixed.
However, the body position and direction of the pull are usually different.
You typically stand farther away from the cable machine, hinge slightly forward, and begin with the arms reaching toward the high cable.
From there, drive the arms downward toward the thighs.
Why Straight-Arm Pulldowns Target the Lats
Keeping the elbows relatively straight limits the amount of work the biceps can contribute.
Instead, the movement focuses heavily on shoulder extension—one of the major functions of the lats.
This makes the straight-arm cable pulldown useful for lifters who have difficulty feeling their lats during rows and traditional pulldowns.
More Range of Motion with a Cambered Bar
The shape of the Andreoni Bar changes this exercise significantly.
With a conventional straight attachment, your body can eventually become the stopping point.
The cambered design allows the bar to move around the body, so you can continue driving the arms farther down and back.
That extra movement can create a much stronger contraction at the bottom while still allowing a long stretch at the beginning of the repetition.
Learn more about the Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown
Lat Pulldown vs Cable Pullover
The biggest difference between the lat pulldown and cable pullover is elbow movement.
During a lat pulldown, the elbows bend substantially. This means the biceps and other elbow flexors assist with the exercise.
During a cable pullover, the elbow angle stays relatively constant.
That makes the cable pullover more of a lat-isolation movement.
The lat pulldown is usually better suited to heavier resistance, while the cable pullover is often performed with more emphasis on control, stretch, and contraction.
Neither is necessarily better.
They simply challenge the lats differently.
Cable Pullover vs Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown
These two exercises are much more similar and their names are sometimes used interchangeably.
Both use relatively straight arms and both target the lats through shoulder extension.
The difference is usually the movement path and body position.
A cable pullover generally emphasizes a longer arc around the shoulder and can involve a more pronounced overhead stretch.
A straight-arm cable pulldown usually starts with you standing farther from the machine and pulling the attachment downward in front of the body.
Both can be excellent exercises for isolating the lats.
Which Cable Lat Exercise Should You Choose?
You don't necessarily need to choose one.
Each exercise offers something different.
The lat pulldown allows you to use more resistance and train the lats together with the biceps and upper back.
The cable pullover provides a long movement path and lets you concentrate on stretching and contracting the lats with less elbow movement.
The straight-arm cable pulldown is excellent for isolating the lats and developing control through shoulder extension.
For a complete cable back workout, using more than one of these movements can make sense.
Example Cable Lat Workout
A simple lat-focused cable workout could look like this:
Lat Pulldown
3 sets of 8–12 repetitions
Cable Pullover
3 sets of 10–15 repetitions
Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown
2–3 sets of 12–15 repetitions
The exact number of sets and repetitions should depend on your training experience, recovery, and total weekly back volume.
The important part is maintaining control and choosing resistance that allows you to use a full, comfortable range of motion.
Range of Motion Matters
One thing all three exercises have in common is that simply moving more weight does not necessarily make the exercise better.
The lats benefit from being trained through a controlled movement path that includes both a stretch and a strong contraction.
If adding weight forces you to shorten the exercise or use excessive momentum, you may be giving up part of what makes the movement effective.
Cable machines are especially useful here because they provide continuous resistance throughout the exercise.
Adjusting your distance from the cable, cable height, grip, and body position can also change the range of motion considerably.
Using the Andreoni Bar for Lat Training
The Andreoni Bar was designed to provide more freedom of movement than a conventional straight attachment.
Its open, cambered shape allows the bar and body to move around each other, rather than having the attachment prematurely stop when it reaches your torso.
That design creates different advantages depending on the exercise.
During a neutral-grip lat pulldown, it allows the bar to travel naturally around the head and upper body.
During a cable pullover, the forearms can rest against the bar for greater control and less dependence on grip.
During a straight-arm cable pulldown, the cambered shape allows the movement to continue farther through the bottom for a stronger lat contraction.
Final Thoughts
The lat pulldown, cable pullover, and straight-arm cable pulldown are three of the best cable exercises for training the lats.
Instead of thinking of them as competing exercises, think of them as three different ways to challenge the same muscle group.
Use the lat pulldown when you want a strong vertical pull that allows heavier resistance.
Use the cable pullover when you want a long, controlled arc with a strong stretch and contraction.
Use the straight-arm cable pulldown when you want to isolate the lats with minimal assistance from the biceps.
Combining these movements can give you a well-rounded approach to building stronger, wider lats using a cable machine or functional trainer.