Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Alternate Lateral Pulldown: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The alternate lateral pulldown is a cable machine exercise targeting the latissimus dorsi, with secondary emphasis on the biceps and rhomboids. It involves pulling handles towards the chest in an alternating fashion, focusing on back strength and muscle engagement.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Traps , Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the alternate lateral pulldown
Front view: muscles worked by the alternate lateral pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: traps and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the alternate lateral pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: traps and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the alternate lateral pulldown

  1. Step 1: Sit on the cable machine with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Step 2: Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Lean back slightly and pull the handles towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the alternate lateral pulldown by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Alternate Lateral Pulldown alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

More lats exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.