The cable pullover is a lat train that’s surged in reputation not too long ago.

There are two causes for this.

First, it includes bringing your arms in an arc from overhead to your sides towards resistance, which trains your again in a manner that few different workout routines can replicate.

Second, not like different again workout routines, it trains your lats by their full vary of movement and in a totally stretched place, which promotes muscle development.

In different phrases, the cable pullover is uniquely efficient in coaching the lats and a perfect train for again growth.

On this article, you’ll be taught what the cable pullover is, its advantages, which muscle tissues it really works, how one can do it with correct kind, the most effective cable pullover options, and extra.

What Is a Cable Pullover?

The cable pullover (additionally known as the “cable lat pullover” or “lat prayer”) is a lat isolation train carried out utilizing a cable machine.

To carry out the cable pullover, grip a deal with hooked up to a excessive cable pulley, take just a few steps backward till your arms are stretched overhead and your higher physique is leaning ahead, then pull the deal with in an arc towards your toes till your fingers contact your thighs.

You need to use a number of totally different handles to carry out the cable pullover, together with the rope deal with, straight bar, and EZ bar. This is the reason folks usually discuss with the cable pullover because the “cable rope pullover,” “straight bar cable pullover,” and so forth.

Whereas every deal with has advantages, the cable rope pullover is the commonest variation (and the one we’ll concentrate on within the article).

Cable Rope Pullover vs. Straight-Bar Cable Pullover

Most individuals desire the cable rope pullover over the straight-bar cable pullover as a result of the rope permits a better vary of movement in comparison with the bar.

When performing the cable pullover with a bar, you must cease every rep when the bar touches your thighs, regardless that you might probably pull the burden just a few inches additional with out discomfort.

In distinction, the rope deal with permits your fingers to move your thighs and lengthen behind your physique. That is important as a result of coaching your muscle tissues by an extended range of motion typically results in extra muscle development than coaching by a shorter vary of movement.

That stated, some weightlifters desire the straight bar to the rope deal with as a result of its rigidity will increase the steadiness of the train, permitting you to focus much less on the way you’re performing the train, and extra on the muscle tissues you’re attempting to coach, which may aid muscle development in some situations.

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Cable Pullover: Advantages

The lats’ most important features are shoulder adduction (pulling your higher arms to your sides), inner rotation (rotating your higher arms so your biceps contact your torso), and shoulder extension (bringing your arms in an arc from overhead, previous your sides till they’re behind you).

Whereas most back workout routines, together with the barbell, dumbbell, and cable row, prepare shoulder extension to a small diploma, they emphasize scapular retraction (squeezing your shoulder blades collectively). 

This implies they’re more practical for coaching your upper-back muscle tissues—your traps, rhomboids, and rear delts—however not nearly as good to your lats.

Nevertheless, the cable pullover is exclusive in that it minimizes scapular retraction and emphasizes shoulder extension, making it more practical for coaching your lats. 

Furthermore, it trains your lats in a totally stretched place and thru an extended vary of movement than most different again workout routines. That is important as a result of research exhibits that coaching your muscle tissues at lengthy lengths and thru a full vary of movement boosts muscle development.

In different phrases, the cable pullover works your lats otherwise from most workout routines, making it perfect for rounding out your again growth.

Cable Pullover: Muscle tissues Labored

The primary muscle tissues labored by the cable pullover train are the . . .

It additionally trains your pecs to a lesser diploma, too.

Right here’s how the principle muscle tissues labored by the cable pullover look in your physique:



cable lat pullover



Cable Pullover: Type

One of the best ways to learn to do the cable pullover is to separate the train into three elements: arrange, pullover, lengthen.


pullover machine


1. Arrange

Set the pulley to the best place on a cable machine and connect the rope deal with. Maintain one finish of the rope in every hand, and step away from the pulley till you are feeling rigidity within the cable.

Lean ahead till your physique makes a 45-degree angle with the ground and your arms are almost straight, reaching overhead. Then, set your toes shoulder-width aside and bend your knees a little bit.

2. Pullover

Hold a small bend in your elbows and pull the rope in an arc towards your toes. Proceed pulling till your fingers are by your thighs or a little bit previous them.

3. Lengthen

Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place. This can be a mirror picture of what you probably did throughout the pullover.

As you attain the highest of the rep, it is best to really feel a stretch in your lats, slightly below your armpit. 

Don’t let the burden jerk your arms again to the beginning or lengthen your arm too slowly. Your complete “extension” ought to be managed however solely final a second.

Right here’s the way it ought to look while you put all of it collectively:



kneeling straight arm cable pullover



The Greatest Cable Pullover Options

1. Kneeling Cable Pullover


kneeling cable pullover


The kneeling cable pullover (typically known as the “kneeling straight-arm cable pullover”) is sort of equivalent to the common standing cable pullover. The one distinction is that you just’re kneeling, not standing throughout the train, which some folks discover presents higher help.

2. Dumbbell Pullover


lat cable pullover


The dumbbell pullover is an efficient various to the cable pullover when you don’t have entry to a cable machine (when you prepare at home or whereas traveling, for instance). Keep in mind, nonetheless, the cable pullover has a considerably longer vary of movement than the dumbbell variation, which probably makes it superior for coaching your lats.

3. Machine Pullover


cable pullover exercise


A draw back to the cable pullover is that controlling the train can get tough when the weights turn into heavy. The pullover machine is a useful workaround on this state of affairs, because it offers additional stability and makes lifting heavy weights by a full vary of movement safer and extra sensible.