The straight arm lat pulldown is a variation of the lat pulldown where the arms remain straight throughout the movement. This shifts the tension away from the biceps and isolates the back muscles ... The Straight Arm Pulldown , AKA Lat Sweep, is one of the most underutilized back exercises. That’s too bad because this back isolation exercise helps give you a narrow looking waist while developing your back definition. See how to do it and why it’s so awesome. The Straight-Arm Pulldown is an isolation exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi (lats), helping to develop width and definition in the upper back. This exercise is perfect for sculpting a V-shaped back and is an excellent accessory movement for improving your pull-up and row performance. The Perfect Straight Arm Pulldown 1) Grip: Use a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width for optimal lat engagement. 2) Grip: Opt for a thumbless grip, placing the bar closer to the base of your ...