Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
What Is the Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown?
Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back, especially the latissimus dorsi, and also engages the teres major, biceps, rear deltoid and lower trapezius. It is a beginner-level movement performed in a half-kneeling stance at a cable column, with the pulley set above head height and one arm drawing a single handle down to the side of the chest.
Working one arm at a time lets each side of the back do its own work, so a weaker side cannot hide behind a stronger one the way it can on a two-handed bar. The cable keeps tension on the lat through the whole range, and the long overhead reach at the top of each rep takes the muscle into a full stretch before the pull begins.
The arm path is the same as the seated Cable Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, but kneeling removes the bench and the thigh pad of a Machine Lat Pulldown. Nothing pins the hips down, so the trunk, obliques and glutes have to hold the body square while the cable tries to rotate the torso and lift you toward the pulley. The half-kneeling position also places the hip of the kneeling leg in extension, which gives the front of that hip a mild stretch. Most people use a little less weight here than they would seated, and the work spreads from the back into a light full-body bracing effort.
The exercise suits beginners learning to feel the lats work, lifters who want to even out side-to-side differences, and anyone training with a cable column but no dedicated pulldown station. Thinking about driving the elbow down toward the hip, rather than pulling with the hand, helps keep the lat doing the work. If balancing on one knee makes the pull hard to control, build up with the seated single-arm version or the two-handed Cable Lat Pulldown (Wide Grip) first.
Muscles Worked
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Primary
- Teres Major
- High
- Biceps Brachii
- Medium
- Brachialis
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Medium
- Lower Trapezius
- Medium
- Gluteus Maximus
- Minimal
Instructions
- Attach a single D-handle to the high pulley of a cable column and select a light weight.
- Kneel facing the column, a little back from it, in a half-kneeling stance: the knee on your working-arm side on the floor under your hip with the shin flat behind you, and the other foot planted forward with the knee bent about 90 degrees.
- Reach up and grab the handle with your working hand, palm facing forward and the arm fully extended up and slightly forward.
- Rest your free hand on your front knee. Kneel tall with your ribs down, your hips square to the machine and the glute of the kneeling leg lightly squeezed.
- Start the pull by drawing your shoulder blade down, away from your ear.
- Drive your elbow down and slightly back toward your side, letting your palm turn inward, until your hand is beside your upper chest and your elbow is by your ribs.
- Pause briefly without twisting your torso or leaning back.
- Return the handle under control until your arm is fully extended again, stopping before your shoulder rides up toward your ear.
- Complete all reps, then switch your arm and leg position and repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Twisting the torso
Rotating the chest away from the machine to finish the pull turns the rep into a body swing and takes work off the lat.
Shrugging toward the ear
Letting the shoulder ride up during the pull shifts work to the upper trapezius and crowds the front of the shoulder.
Pulling with the hand
Curling the handle down instead of driving the elbow toward your side turns the movement into a biceps exercise.
Leaning back or arching
Sitting the hips back or flaring the ribs to move more weight changes the vertical pull into a row and loads the lower back.
Cutting the top short
Stopping before the arm is extended overhead skips the stretched part of the lat's range.
Letting the weight snap back
Releasing the handle quickly on the return pulls the shoulder up out of position and wastes the lowering half of the rep.
Injuries
Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is modest, the cable guides the path, and only one arm works at a time, so most problems come from letting the shoulder shrug or the torso twist to finish a rep that is too heavy.
The front and top of the shoulder take the strain when the shoulder rides up toward the ear or the elbow is pulled far behind the body at the bottom. Gripping hard and curling the handle down loads the elbow flexors more than the back, and leaning back or arching the lower back to move more weight shifts stress onto the spine. The kneeling knee carries part of your body weight on the floor for the whole set, so put a folded mat or pad under it.
Draw the shoulder blade down before the elbow bends, stop when the elbow reaches your side, and keep your ribs down and hips square to the machine. If the kneeling stance is the limiting factor, switch to the seated Cable Single-Arm Lat Pulldown or a Machine Lat Pulldown. To progress, add load gradually, slow the return, or move on to bodyweight pulling with the Assisted Pull-Up and then the Pull-Up.
Stop if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder at the top of the reach, pain or tingling that runs down the arm, or knee pain from kneeling that a pad does not solve.
Other Names for the Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
The Cable Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown is also known as:
- Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Which knee should be on the floor?
As pictured, the knee on the working-arm side is down and the opposite foot is planted forward, with the free hand braced on the front knee. Many coaches set it up the other way, with the pulling-side foot forward, and both work as long as the hips stay square and the torso does not twist, so pick the one that feels more stable and keep it consistent.
- Q: How is this different from the seated single-arm lat pulldown?
The arm moves the same way as in the Cable Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, but kneeling removes the bench, so your hips and trunk have to hold you steady against the cable. Expect to use a little less weight, and choose the seated version when you want to load the back as heavily as possible.
- Q: Do I need a lat pulldown machine for this exercise?
No. Any cable column or functional trainer with a pulley that adjusts above head height works, which makes this a practical vertical pull in gyms without a dedicated pulldown station.
- Q: How many sets and reps should I do?
2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps per arm suits most goals, usually after heavier two-handed pulls such as the Pull-Up or Cable Lat Pulldown (Wide Grip). Start with your weaker side and match its reps on the stronger side.
- Q: Will this exercise help me get my first pull-up?
It builds the lat and arm strength a pull-up relies on and trains each side on its own, but it never loads your full body weight. Pair it with Assisted Pull-Up work so you also practice the full movement.