Cable Straight Arm Pulldowns

Anyone ever do this exercise for your lats?

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...mPulldown.html

What results did you have? Do these make the lats wider or thicker?

Ya I have done them before, theya re ok not a big fan of them. I tend to stick to the bread and butter of lats, weighted pull-ups, deads, bentrows. With the stiff arm pulldowns once you get up in the weight you start to hit triceps pretty hard.

Yes, IMO they are great and I do them frequently. They are just a warm-up and finishing exercise as it does neither for lats wider or thickness. It can also work your anterior (front) delt to some degree. Want to work you abs too?? Then I would suggest doing them adding some weight. Your torso is contracting as you pull down. If your goal is getting big lats then NO this is not the exercise. It is simular to db pullovers stretching the rib/lat cage. It is important to do good form and correct breathing to really take advantage of it uses. Many neglect this important exercise. I will make a bet if you do only this for your exercise when doing abs use high volume say 10 sets using moderate/heavy stack. Do not do any other ab exercises. Tell me if your abs are sore the next day, then you will see for yourself.

Agree w/ bluethunder about the abs. I use this exercise to work my abs more so than my lats.

So do you do them on:

a) ab and oblique day
b) lat day
c) chest/shoulder/tricep day

I'm thinking of doing them on ab and oblique day (along with legs).

I do them on back day which was today and I did them in addition to db pullovers. I also do them when I do abs but not everytime depends on when I did back last. I think they are best to do on lat day because your lats have been worked out & the stretching extra blood can help with some minor lactic acid. You may try ab & back same day then you can hit two muscle groups. Good luck

Great exercise. To really activate your lats you have to really stretch them at the top and push down with only your palms over the bar.