Intermediate

Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Working one arm at a time lets the shoulder blade travel further, so you get a bigger stretch at the top and a fuller contraction at the bottom than a two-handed bar allows. It also exposes and evens out side-to-side strength differences and adds a light anti-rotation demand through the trunk. Use it to bring up a weaker side or to feel the lat working in isolation.

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

How to do it

  1. 1

    Attach a single handle to the high pulley and sit or kneel facing the machine.

  2. 2

    Grip the handle with one hand, arm fully extended, and set the shoulder down.

  3. 3

    Brace the core to resist twisting, then pull the elbow down toward your hip.

  4. 4

    Draw the handle to the side of your chest, squeezing the lat at the bottom.

  5. 5

    Let the arm rise slowly overhead to a complete stretch of the lat.

  6. 6

    Exhale on the pull and inhale on the return, finishing all reps before switching sides.

Tips

  • Let the shoulder blade rise fully at the top to earn the extra range this variation offers.
  • Keep your torso square to the machine so the obliques stop you from rotating.
  • Match the reps and control on your weaker side to your stronger side.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The free hand grabs the seat or the frame and starts pulling, so the machine braces your trunk for you and the anti-twist work this variation offers disappears; rest that hand on your thigh.
  • Side-bending away from the cable shortens the distance the handle has to travel and hides how much range you actually have; the torso stays upright while the arm and the shoulder blade do the moving.
  • Sitting off to one side of the pulley leaves the cable pulling across your body at an angle, and the shoulder gets loaded in a line it did not choose; line the working shoulder up under the pulley.
  • At the bottom the shoulder stays high because the arm did all the work; the blade has to travel down toward the back pocket, and that is what separates this from a one-arm curl.
  • The second arm is trained straight after the first with no rest, so it works tired and the gap you set out to close gets wider; start with the weaker side and take a breather before you switch.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the single-arm lat pulldown should I do per side?
Three sets of 10 to 12 per side, starting with the weaker arm and giving the stronger one the same number, not more. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sides so the second arm is not working on the first arm's fatigue. Because one arm is moving the stack, the load sits well under half of your two-handed pulldown; pick it by whether the shoulder blade can still rise fully at the top. Add weight only when the weaker side finishes 12 with that full range intact.
What can I do instead of the single-arm lat pulldown without a cable machine?
A band over a high anchor pulled with one hand is the direct swap and keeps the same sideways pull for the trunk to resist. A single handle on the high bar of an assisted pull-up machine works if the attachment allows it. Where neither exists, a one-arm dumbbell pullover on a bench trains the lat through overhead range, and a single-arm inverted row on a bar or a strap covers the pulling side of it from underneath.
What is the single-arm lat pulldown good for, and when is it not worth the time?
Working one side at a time lets the shoulder blade travel further than a fixed bar allows, which means a bigger stretch and a fuller squeeze, and it exposes a weaker side that a two-handed bar would hide. The trunk also has to stop you rotating. It suits anyone with a noticeable imbalance or anyone chasing the feel of the lat working. It is not worth the time when you want maximum load or you are short of time, since every set costs twice as long, and it is a poor heavy strength movement because the trunk gives out before the lat does.

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