10 Best Underhand Cable Pulldowns Alternatives for Any Gym

If you can’t do Underhand Cable Pulldowns, replace them with vertical pulls and heavy rows that reproduce the elbow-down, scapular-depressed pattern. Try chin-ups, neutral-grip pulldowns, single-arm dumbbell rows, close-grip seated rows, or bent-over barbell rows. Cue: retract your scapula, lead with the elbows, and pull them to your ribs.

Original Exercise: Underhand Cable Pulldowns

Underhand Cable Pulldowns
Primary Muscle
Lats
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Middle Back, Shoulders
How to Perform Underhand Cable Pulldowns
  1. Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
  2. Grab the pull-down bar with the palms facing your torso (a supinated grip). Make sure that the hands are placed closer than the shoulder width.
  3. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
  4. As you breathe out, pull the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the fully contracted position and keep the elbows close to your body. The upper torso should remain stationary as your bring the bar to you and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
  5. After a second on the contracted position, while breathing in, slowly bring the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
  6. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Compound

Best Underhand Cable Pulldowns Alternatives

Best Match
Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown

1. Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown

97.4% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
  2. Grab the bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
  3. As you have both arms extended in front of you - while holding the bar at the chosen grip width - bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
  4. As you breathe out, bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary (only the arms should move). The forearms should do no other work except for holding the bar; therefore do not try to pull the bar down using the forearms.
  5. After a second in the contracted position, while squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched. Inhale during this portion of the movement.
Cable Lateral Pulldown With V-bar

2. Cable Lateral Pulldown With V-bar

96% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on the cable pulldown machine and grab the v-bar attachment with an overhand grip.
  2. Adjust the knee pad so that your thighs are secured under it.
  3. Keep your back straight and lean back slightly.
  4. Pull the v-bar down towards your upper chest while keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Squeeze your back muscles at the bottom of the movement.
Cable Lat Pulldown Full Range Of Motion

3. Cable Lat Pulldown Full Range Of Motion

96% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on the lat pulldown machine with your knees positioned under the pads.
  2. Grasp the cable bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lean back slightly and keep your chest up, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back to the starting position.
Cable Wide Grip Rear Pulldown Behind Neck

4. Cable Wide Grip Rear Pulldown Behind Neck

95.4% Match
Lats Cable Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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 a wide overhand grip.
  3. Keep your back straight and your chest up as you lean back slightly.
  4. Pull the bar down towards your upper 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.
Cable Underhand Pulldown

5. Cable Underhand Pulldown

95% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Cable Incline Pushdown

6. Cable Incline Pushdown

91% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a straight bar to a high pulley cable machine.
  2. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lean forward slightly and keep your back straight.
  5. Pull the bar down towards your thighs by extending your elbows.
Cable Pulldown

7. Cable Pulldown

91% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Cable Pulldown (pro Lat Bar)

8. Cable Pulldown (pro Lat Bar)

91% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height so that your thighs are parallel to the ground and your feet are flat on the floor.
  2. Grasp the lat bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Sit down and lean back slightly, keeping your chest up and your back straight.
  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.
Cable Rear Pulldown

9. Cable Rear Pulldown

91% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the cable machine so that the pulley is at the highest position.
  2. Sit facing the machine with your feet flat on the ground and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the cable attachment with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
  5. Pull the cable attachment down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Cable Cross-over Lateral Pulldown

10. Cable Cross-over Lateral Pulldown

91% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.

Why You Might Need a Underhand Cable Pulldowns Alternative

People substitute Underhand Cable Pulldowns for several reasons: no cable station, persistent elbow or wrist pain from heavy supination, unwanted biceps takeover, or to break a plateau with new loading angles. Biomechanically, the underhand grip increases biceps contribution and can alter lat long-head tension. Alternatives let you preserve the vertical pulling pattern or switch to horizontal pulls to emphasize mid-back. Use options that limit forearm supination or change shoulder angle to reduce joint stress. Technique cue: set thoracic extension, depress the scapula before each rep, and drive the elbows down to maintain lat activation.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to the movement plane, equipment, and injury history. Choose vertical pulls (chin-ups, neutral-grip pulldowns) to preserve long-axis lat stretch and vertical elbow path; pick horizontal rows (seated cable row, single-arm DB row) to build thickness and control scapular retraction. Consider grip: neutral reduces biceps involvement, supinated increases it. Also prioritize progressive overload—use added weight, slow eccentrics, or paused reps. Technique cue: initiate each rep by depressing the scapula, then pull elbows toward the hips while keeping the wrist neutral to maximize lat recruitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Underhand Cable Pulldowns work?

Underhand Cable Pulldowns primarily target the latissimus dorsi while also loading the biceps brachii, teres major, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. To emphasize the lats, depress the scapula and drive the elbows down and back rather than pulling with the forearms.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Underhand Cable Pulldowns?

The best bodyweight alternative is the underhand (chin) pull-up, which preserves the vertical pulling path and strong lat activation. Use a close underhand grip, lead with your elbows, pull your chest to the bar, and squeeze the lats at the top; regress with negatives if you cannot complete full reps.

Can I build muscle without doing Underhand Cable Pulldowns?

Yes. You can build lat muscle with pull-ups, neutral-grip pulldowns, single-arm rows, and heavy horizontal rows using progressive overload and full-range reps. Focus on scapular depression, controlled eccentric tempo, and driving the elbow to the ribcage to ensure consistent lat recruitment.

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