Single Arm Lat Pulldowns

Setting up the single arm pulldown

The single arm pulldown setup is slightly more involved than a bilateral pulldown because the trunk has to resist rotation under the unilateral load. The seat, knee pad and attachment all matter for getting a clean rep.

1. Seat and pad position

Adjust the knee pad so the thighs are pinned down without compressing the legs. Sit tall, hips back in the seat, feet flat on the floor. The cable should pull from directly above or slightly to the working side. Use a single D handle attachment for the most natural unilateral pull.

2. Grip selection

A neutral grip is the default for single arm pulldowns. Some lifters prefer a supinated grip to bias the lower lat and biceps further. Pronated grip is less common because the wrist position becomes awkward on a unilateral pull. The neutral D handle is the standard.

3. The setup pull

Before the rep starts, depress the working side shoulder blade. Pull it down and slightly back. The shoulder should sit away from the ear. This pre-tension protects the shoulder joint and loads the lat from rep one. The opposite hand can rest on the thigh or knee for stability.

4. The pull

Drive the elbow down toward the hip on the working side. The handle travels from full arm extension overhead to the front of the shoulder or upper chest. The torso can lean back slightly (10 to 15 degrees) at the bottom but excessive lean defeats the unilateral focus.

5. The descent

Let the cable pull the handle back to full overhead extension under control. The shoulder blade lifts slightly with the cable but does not roll forward. The opposite side stays neutral throughout. Reset shoulder depression before the next rep starts.

What single arm pulldowns train

The single arm pulldown trains vertical pulling unilaterally with a longer stroke than bilateral pulldowns allow. The trunk anti rotation demand adds significant core involvement compared to bilateral pulldowns.

Latissimus dorsi (full range)

Primary mover. The unilateral nature allows the lat to work through a longer range of motion than bilateral pulldowns because the arm can travel further down and back at the bottom. This extra range produces more hypertrophy stimulus per rep at matched effort. EMG comparisons show single arm pulldowns produce equivalent lat activation to bilateral pulldowns per side.

Lower trapezius

The lower trapezius works with the lat to depress the scapula. The unilateral nature emphasises this function because the working side has to depress without help from the opposite side. For lifters with weak lower trap function (common in desk workers) single arm pulldowns are one of the more productive exercises.

Obliques and core

The obliques work to resist trunk rotation toward the working side. This anti rotation demand adds significant core involvement compared to bilateral pulldowns. The core stimulus comes essentially for free with the back work, which is one of the time efficiencies of unilateral training.

Biceps and brachialis

The biceps and brachialis assist with elbow flexion. The neutral grip places the biceps in a moderately strong position. Single arm pulldowns produce more biceps activation than bilateral pulldowns per rep because of the longer range and the unilateral load.

Five errors on single arm pulldowns

The unilateral pulldown is forgiving compared to free standing exercises but several errors are common. Most relate to trunk control and shoulder position.

Excessive trunk rotation

Allowing the trunk to rotate toward the working side moves the load from the lat to momentum. A small rotation (under 10 degrees) is natural and acceptable. Beyond that the lift becomes a twist. Keep the hips and shoulders roughly square to the seat throughout the rep.

Leaning too far back

Some lifters lean 30 degrees or more to reach a heavier handle position. This turns the unilateral pulldown into a unilateral cable row. Keep the torso close to vertical (10 to 15 degrees lean maximum at the bottom). This preserves the vertical pull pattern.

Pulling with the arm first

If the elbow bends before the shoulder blade moves, the biceps take over. The pull starts at the scapula. Set the lat by depressing the working side shoulder before the elbow bends. The hand is a hook, not an engine.

Short range of motion

Stopping the descent before full overhead extension leaves out the lengthened lat position. The single arm pulldown specifically allows a longer stroke than bilateral pulldowns. Use it. Let the arm fully extend overhead between reps.

Neglecting the weaker side

Most lifters perform their dominant side first and match rep counts on the weaker side. This trains the imbalance further. Lead with the weaker side and match the dominant side to the weaker side performance for 4 to 8 weeks to correct imbalance.

Sets, reps and where single arm pulldowns fit

Single arm pulldowns work as a primary or secondary back exercise. They pair well with bilateral pulldowns and are the standard tool for addressing left to right lat strength imbalance.

Hypertrophy: 8 to 15 reps per side

The productive range. 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 15 reps per side at 60 to 75 percent of estimated max. Stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Drop sets work well on single arm pulldowns because the load returns to a tracked position on every rep.

Strength: 5 to 8 reps per side

Heavier single arm pulldowns build unilateral lat strength. 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps per side at 75 to 85 percent. Maintain strict trunk position throughout. Both sides should be trained at the same load if possible. NSCA Essentials supports this rep range for strength development.

Imbalance correction

For lifters with measurable left to right lat strength imbalance, prioritise the weaker side. Lead with the weaker side and match the rep count on the stronger side to the weaker side performance. 4 to 8 weeks of this approach typically resolves moderate imbalances.

Frequency

2 to 3 sessions per week is well tolerated. Single arm pulldowns recover quickly because the spinal loading is zero and the eccentric stress is moderate. They can be included in every back session as a secondary lift.

Pairing

Pair single arm pulldowns with bilateral pulldowns in the same session or use them as a standalone vertical pull when bilateral pulldowns are unavailable. They work well as supersets with rear delt work for upper back finishers.

More on back training

For the bilateral version, our cable lat pulldowns guide covers two handed pulldown work. Lat pulldown machine is the broader overview page. And Single arm cable rows cover the horizontal unilateral pull alternative.