Leaning back
Stay upright so the lats do the work.
Vertical pull · Plate-loaded machine
Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Pulldown
A plate-loaded pulldown with independent arms that arc from overhead down and slightly back. It builds the lats on a stable path and lets each side work alone. Good for heavy lat work or evening out a weaker side.
- Primary
- Back
- Secondary
- Biceps
- Starting rep range
- 8–12 reps
- Target effort
- 1.5 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 5 kg jumps
Muscles worked
The lats pull the upper arms down and back, while the biceps bend the elbows. The arc lets you pull the elbows behind the body for a strong lat contraction.
How to set up
- Adjust the seat and thigh pad so you are locked in.
- Load equal plates on each side.
- Reach up to grab the handles with a neutral or overhand grip.
- Brace your abs and keep your chest up.
How to do each rep
- Pull the handles down and slightly back, driving the elbows toward your hips.
- Pause briefly at the bottom.
- Return slowly until the arms are fully extended overhead.
- Train both arms together or one at a time.
Common hammer strength iso-lateral pulldown mistakes
Short range
Let the arms extend fully overhead at the top.
Uneven arms
Match the range and speed on both sides, or train one side at a time.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the hammer strength iso-lateral pulldown at 8–12 reps with about 1.5 reps in reserve. As a compound lift it usually belongs early in the session, when you are fresh.
Add reps until you reach the top of your range, then add 5-10 lb per side. If one side lags, do single-arm sets starting with the weaker side and match reps on the stronger side.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Pulldown alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Iso-lateral pulldown vs. cable lat pulldown?
The plate-loaded machine follows a fixed arc and loads each arm separately, which makes it easy to push hard. A cable pulldown lets you choose your own path. Both are effective lat builders.
Should I do the iso-lateral pulldown one arm at a time?
It is worth trying. One arm at a time lets you get a longer stretch and stronger contraction on each side and helps fix imbalances; both arms together lets you handle more total load.