10 Best Cable Pulldown Alternatives for Home & Gym

The Cable Pulldown is done seated with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Cable Cross-over Lateral Pulldown, the Cable Incline Pushdown and the Cable Pulldown (Pro Lat Bar). A harder version, the Cable Wide Grip Rear Pulldown Behind Neck, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Cable PulldownWatch the Cable Pulldown

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Cable Pulldown

The steps for the Cable Pulldown itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Cable · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Adjust the cable pulldown machine so that the seat is at a comfortable height and the knee pad is secured.
  2. Sit on the seat with your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the cable bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lean back slightly and engage your core.
  5. Pull the cable bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  6. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Cable Pulldown Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable Pulldown on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Cable Cross-over Lateral PulldownPlay demonstration

    1. Cable Cross-over Lateral Pulldown

    98% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a wide grip.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Attach a cable handle to each side of a cable machine at shoulder height.
    2. Stand in the middle of the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and step back to create tension in the cables.
    4. Lean forward slightly from the hips, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
    5. Pull the handles down and across your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: lat pulldown, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Cable Pulldown
  6. Cable Underhand PulldownPlay demonstration

    6. Cable Underhand Pulldown

    96% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an underhand grip.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the cable machine so that the pulldown bar is at a height above your head.
    2. Sit down on the seat and grab the pulldown bar with an underhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Keep your back straight and lean back slightly.
    4. Pull the bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: lat pulldown, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Cable Pulldown
  7. Cable Lateral Pulldown (With Rope Attachment)Play demonstration

    7. Cable Lateral Pulldown (With Rope Attachment)

    95% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a rope handle.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Attach a rope attachment to the cable machine at a high position.
    2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Grasp the rope with an overhand grip, palms facing each other.
    4. Keep your back straight and lean slightly back.
    5. Pull the rope down towards your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement.
    7. Slowly release the tension and allow the rope to return to the starting position.
    8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: lat pulldown, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Pulldown
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Cable Pulldown

Cable Pulldown FAQ

What muscles does Cable Pulldown work?

Cable pulldown primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, with secondary emphasis on the teres major, posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and biceps. The exercise is a vertical pulling pattern that relies on scapular depression and elbow extension to load the lats.

Can I build muscle without doing Cable Pulldown?

Yes, you can build back muscle with other vertical pulls, heavy rows, and progressive overload if you maintain full range and lat-focused cues. Track load, use slow eccentrics, and ensure elbow-driven pulling or scapular depression on alternatives to reproduce the lat stimulus.

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