Single-Arm Supinated Lat Pulldown
The single-arm supinated lat pulldown is a one-arm vertical pull with the palm facing up that works the latissimus dorsi through a longer range with more biceps involvement, useful for correcting side-to-side differences.
BACK · PULL
How it is executed
- Attach a single handle to the high pulley and sit or kneel facing the machine.
- Grab the handle with one hand in a supinated (palm-up) grip and let your arm extend fully overhead so the lat stretches.
- Pull the handle down toward the front of your shoulder, driving your elbow down and back while keeping your torso stable.
- Squeeze your lat hard at the bottom, then control the handle back to full stretch.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching arms.
Common mistakes
- Twisting the torso to help the pull. Working one arm at a time makes rotating an easy cheat, and that extra range comes from the trunk rather than the lat. Keep the shoulders square and the chest forward.
- Pulling with the biceps only. A supinated grip invites you to bend the elbow too early. Start each rep by depressing the shoulder and driving the shoulder blade, then flex the arm.
- Letting the arm fly up and losing the stretch. Single-arm work allows more range at the top than a bar does, and that is the reason to do it unilaterally. Come up under control and let the shoulder stretch without shrugging.
Frequently asked questions
- Which muscles does the single-arm supinated lat pulldown work?
- The latissimus dorsi on the pulling side is the main muscle, with the teres major assisting the pull. The supinated grip puts the biceps in its strongest position, so it contributes more than with an overhand or neutral grip. The lower trapezius and rhomboids depress and lock the shoulder blade at the bottom, and the obliques on the opposite side work to keep the torso from rotating.
- Why do the lat pulldown with one arm?
- With one arm the shoulder can rise higher and the lat stretches more than with a bar, which limits the range because both hands move together. Each side also moves exactly its own load, so a strength difference between arms shows up right away in the rep count. Start with the weaker side and match its reps with the other.
- What does the supinated grip change versus the neutral grip on the single-arm pulldown?
- With the palm up the biceps works at its best angle and the elbow tends to drop close to the body, which favors the lower lat. With a neutral grip the biceps contributes less and the wrist sits more comfortably. The risk with the supinated grip is pulling with the arm alone: start each rep by dropping the shoulder and shoulder blade, and only then bend the elbow.
- How do you keep the torso from rotating on the single-arm pulldown?
- Anchor the free hand on the machine or on your thigh, keep the chest facing forward and think about driving the elbow toward the hip on the same side, not backward. A load that allows a one-second pause at the bottom with level shoulders is the right one. If the torso twists toward the pulley on the last reps, the extra range no longer comes from the lat: lower the weight.
Glossary and calculators
Effective setAn effective set is a working set taken close enough to failure to count toward training volume, in practice within the final three or four reps.Training tempoTempo is the prescribed speed of each phase of a rep, written as four numbers: eccentric, pause at the bottom, concentric and pause at the top.RIR ↔ %1RM conversionWhat percentage of 1RM does your RIR correspond to?
