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cable one arm pulldown Strength Standards

Quick Answer cable one arm pulldown

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level cable one arm pulldown of 62 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 80 lbs (0.44x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

cable one arm pulldown demonstration
Competition-Derived

How strong is your cable one arm pulldown? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles lats
Equipment cable
Data Points 71 rows
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - Estimated from bench-press standards using a 0.28x ratio.. These values are derived from verified competition data for the base exercise. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your cable one arm pulldown?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You cable one arm pulldown?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 15 24 35 48 63
120 18 27 39 53 69
130 20 31 43 58 74
140 23 34 47 63 80
150 26 37 51 67 85
160 29 40 55 71 89
170 31 43 59 76 94
180 34 46 62 80 99
190 36 50 66 83 103
200 39 52 69 87 107
210 41 55 72 91 111
220 44 58 75 95 115
230 46 61 78 98 119
240 48 64 81 101 123
250 51 66 84 105 126
260 53 69 87 108 130
270 55 71 90 111 133
280 57 74 93 114 137
290 60 76 95 117 140
300 62 78 98 120 143
310 64 81 101 123 146

How Does Age Affect cable one arm pulldown Strength?

How cable one arm pulldown standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 25 37 52 69 89
20 28 42 59 80 102
25 29 43 61 81 104
30 29 43 61 81 104
35 29 43 61 81 104
40 29 43 61 81 104
45 27 41 58 77 99
50 26 38 54 73 93
55 24 36 50 67 86
60 22 32 46 61 78
65 20 29 41 55 71
70 18 26 37 50 64
75 16 24 33 45 57
80 14 21 30 40 51
85 13 19 27 36 46
90 11 17 24 32 41

What Do cable one arm pulldown Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the cable one arm pulldown, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the cable one arm pulldown with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your cable one arm pulldown shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the cable one arm pulldown with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your cable one arm pulldown strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your cable one arm pulldown

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your cable one arm pulldown to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable one arm pulldown 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track your E1RM progress →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the cable one arm pulldown at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the cable one arm pulldown.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the cable one arm pulldown through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform cable one arm pulldown

["Attach a single handle to a high pulley cable machine.","Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.","Grasp the handle with an overhand grip and extend your arm fully.","Keep your back straight and your core engaged.","Pull the handle down towards your side while keeping your elbow close to your body.","Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, squeezing your lat muscle.","Slowly release the handle back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.","Switch sides and repeat the exercise with the other arm."]

Read the complete cable one arm pulldown guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable one arm pulldown Standards Come From?

These cable one arm pulldown standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your cable one arm pulldown Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your cable one arm pulldown performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can cable one arm pulldown 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" cable one arm pulldown depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the cable one arm pulldown within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

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Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE