Intermediate

Cross-Cable Lat Pulldown

Standing between two high pulleys and pulling both handles down and across lets each lat work through its own path and finish with the elbows tight to the ribs. The independent cables punish side-to-side imbalances and let you resolve the movement further behind the body than a fixed bar. It is a strong standing alternative when a seated pulldown station is taken.

Equipment
Cables
Body part
Back, Lats
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Latissimus Dorsi
Browse by movement
Vertical Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi
Secondary
Biceps Brachii Long Head, Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Lower
Tertiary
Brachioradialis, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set a handle on each of two facing high pulleys and stand centered between them.

  2. 2

    Grab one handle in each hand with arms overhead and a soft hinge in the hips.

  3. 3

    Brace your abs and keep your chest lifted.

  4. 4

    Pull both handles down and slightly across until your elbows drive past your ribs.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the lats at the bottom, then let the arms rise back overhead under control.

  6. 6

    Keep your torso still and avoid swinging to move the weight.

Tips

  • Lead with the elbows, driving them down and back into your sides.
  • Match the pull on both sides so the stronger arm does not take over.
  • Keep the ribs down so the lats, not the lower back, finish the rep.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Standing off-center gives one cable a longer line than the other, and the near side quietly takes more of the pull; line your sternum up with the midpoint between the two pulleys.
  • There is no thigh pad here, so the stacks come up through you; letting the torso fall forward as the handles come down means you are lowering your bodyweight instead of pulling the weight.
  • The soft hinge deepens into a bent-over position as the set gets hard, and the movement turns into a standing straight-arm pulldown with the elbows locked.
  • Handles set at chest height or lower turn this into a fly; both pulleys have to sit above your reach for the pull to come from overhead.
  • Feet planted side by side leave nothing to resist the forward drag of two cables; a split stance or a wider base keeps you still enough to pull hard.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the cross-cable lat pulldown should I do?
Three sets of 10 to 12 works well, with the load per side well under half of what you would use on a seated pulldown, because nothing holds you down but your own feet. Run it as a second pulling movement rather than the first. Add weight only when both sides finish the set at the same speed; if the stronger arm is pulling its stack a beat faster by rep eight, the weight is making the decisions.
What can I do instead of the cross-cable lat pulldown if my gym has one cable tower?
Do it one arm at a time from a single high pulley, alternating sides, which keeps the standing position and the long finish. Two bands anchored high and wide reproduce the crossing path at home. If you want the same standing feel with less setup, a straight-arm pulldown from a single high pulley or a kneeling band pulldown covers the overhead direction, though the elbows stay straighter.
What is the cross-cable lat pulldown good for, and when should I use a seated pulldown instead?
Two independent cables let each side follow its own path and finish with the elbow past the ribs, which is further than a fixed bar allows, and any side-to-side difference shows up immediately. Standing also puts the trunk to work. Use a seated pulldown instead when you want to load heavily, because with no thigh pad the stacks will lift you before your lats give out, and when the tower's pulleys are fixed too close together for a comfortable path. This is an accessory, not a strength lift.

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