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

There are two causes for this.

First, it entails bringing your arms in an arc from overhead to your sides in opposition to resistance, which trains your again in a manner that few different workouts can replicate.

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

In different phrases, the cable pullover is uniquely efficient in coaching the lats and a really 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, the right way to do it with correct type, one of the best cable pullover alternate 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 palms 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 individuals typically consult 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 favor 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, it’s important to cease every rep when the bar touches your thighs, though you may probably pull the burden just a few inches additional with out discomfort.

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

That mentioned, some weightlifters favor 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 making an attempt to coach, which might support muscle development in some situations.

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Cable Pullover: Advantages

The lats’ important features are shoulder adduction (pulling your higher arms to your sides), inside 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 again workouts, 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 on 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 completely stretched place and thru an extended vary of movement than most different again workouts. That is important as a result of analysis reveals 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 in another way from most workouts, making it ultimate for rounding out your again growth.

Cable Pullover: Muscle mass 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 primary muscle tissues labored by the cable pullover look in your physique:



Cable Pullover: Type

The easiest way to learn to do the cable pullover is to separate the train into three components: arrange, pullover, prolong.


1. Arrange

Set the pulley to the best place on a cable machine and fix the rope deal with. Maintain one finish of the rope in every hand, and step away from the pulley till you’re 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 bit.

2. Pullover

Preserve a small bend in your elbows and pull the rope in an arc towards your toes. Proceed pulling till your palms are by your thighs or a 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, just below your armpit. 

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

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



The Finest Cable Pullover Alternate options

1. Kneeling Cable Pullover


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

2. Dumbbell Pullover


The dumbbell pullover is an efficient different to the cable pullover for those who don’t have entry to a cable machine (for those who prepare at residence or whereas touring, 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


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