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Kneeling Cable Pullover

The Kneeling Cable Pullover is a strength exercise on a cable machine for your lats. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: lats (upper) 30%, lats (lower) 26% and triceps (long head) 12%.

Level: BeginnerEquipment: CableSingle-joint (isolation)

How to do it

  1. Set a pulley at the top of the station and clip on a rope.
  2. Hold one rope end in each hand and kneel about an arm's length back from the stack.
  3. Hinge forward from the hips until your torso is about 45 degrees, arms stretched up toward the pulley.
  4. Pull the rope down in an arc with nearly straight arms until your hands pass your hips.
  5. Let the rope rise slowly back to the start, feeling the lats stretch.

Tips

  • Kneeling takes the legs out, so keep the hips still and let only the arms move.
  • Spread the rope ends slightly at the bottom to finish the squeeze.

Common mistakes

  • Sitting back on the heels to pull with body weight.
  • Bending the elbows into a triceps pushdown.
  • Rounding the upper back at the top of the rep.

Muscles worked by the Kneeling Cable Pullover

  • Lats (upper) Primary30%
  • Lats (lower) Primary26%
  • Triceps (long head) Secondary12%
  • Rear delts Secondary8%
  • Lower chest Minor6%
  • Lower traps Minor6%
  • Upper abs Stabilizer4%
  • Rhomboids Stabilizer4%
  • Rotator cuff Stabilizer4%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

With the elbows locked, shoulder extension isolates the lats and the long head of the triceps; lying pullovers bring the sternal pec in strongly.

Kneeling Cable Pullover alternatives

Same equipment

Different equipment

Make it harder

Similar exercises

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Kneeling Cable Pullover work?

Mainly the lats (upper) and lats (lower). The triceps (long head) and rear delts assist.

Is the Kneeling Cable Pullover good for beginners?

Yes. The Kneeling Cable Pullover is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Kneeling Cable Pullover?

For example the Band Straight Arm Pulldown, Machine Lat Pullover and Cable Lat Pullover. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the Kneeling Cable Pullover harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Lat Prayer and Barbell Pull Over.

Sources

  • Marchetti and Uchida 2011, J Appl Biomech 27(4):380-384 (pullover, pec and lats)

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