How many reps of the cable lateral drag should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side at a weight light enough to keep the elbow angle fixed for every rep. Add weight only once the path stays clean and angled toward the hip on every rep, not just the first few.

What can I use instead of a cable machine for the cable lateral drag?

Anchor a resistance band high on a door or pole and pull it down and across toward your hip the same way. A dumbbell straight-arm pullover on a bench trains the lat in a similar lengthened position if you have no cable or band anchor at all.

What does the cable lateral drag train and when should you pick a different pull instead?

It isolates the lat through shoulder extension without the biceps helping, which makes it a useful teaching drill for anyone who cannot feel their back working on rows or pulldowns. Choose a bent-elbow pull instead when your goal is building maximum back size or strength, since taking the biceps and elbow flexion out of the equation also caps how much load you can move.

Intermediate

Cable Lateral Drag

With a nearly straight arm, you drag the handle from high and away down toward your hip, driving pure shoulder extension and adduction through the lat. Removing the elbow bend takes the biceps out of the equation, so the lat does the work and you learn to feel it fire. It is a great teaching drill and a strong accessory for anyone chasing pulling strength and a connected back.

Equipment: Cables
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi
Browse by movement: Vertical Pull

How to do it

1
Set a high pulley and hold the handle in one hand with a soft, nearly straight elbow.
2
Stand side-on or slightly angled to the stack, brace your trunk, and let the arm reach up toward the pulley.
3
Keeping the arm long, drive the handle down and across toward the outside of your hip.
4
Feel the lat pull the arm down as your shoulder blade settles down and back.
5
Return the handle up under control without letting the shoulder shrug, then repeat.
6
Finish the set and switch sides.

Tips

Keep the elbow angle fixed so the lat, not the biceps, moves the load.
Think about pulling the shoulder blade down toward the opposite hip.
Avoid twisting the torso; let the arm and lat do the traveling.

Variations

Common mistakes

The shoulder hikes up toward the ear at the top of the reach, so the rep starts from a shrugged position instead of a long, packed lat.
Letting go of tension at the bottom and letting the handle drift back up freely skips the slow return that is half of what makes this drill work.
The path drifts straight down the body instead of angling across toward the hip, which turns a lat-dominant pull into a plain shoulder extension.
Cranking the weight up until the elbow has to bend to move it puts the biceps back into a drill that is designed to take them out.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the cable lateral drag should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side at a weight light enough to keep the elbow angle fixed for every rep. Add weight only once the path stays clean and angled toward the hip on every rep, not just the first few.
What can I use instead of a cable machine for the cable lateral drag?: Anchor a resistance band high on a door or pole and pull it down and across toward your hip the same way. A dumbbell straight-arm pullover on a bench trains the lat in a similar lengthened position if you have no cable or band anchor at all.
What does the cable lateral drag train and when should you pick a different pull instead?: It isolates the lat through shoulder extension without the biceps helping, which makes it a useful teaching drill for anyone who cannot feel their back working on rows or pulldowns. Choose a bent-elbow pull instead when your goal is building maximum back size or strength, since taking the biceps and elbow flexion out of the equation also caps how much load you can move.

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