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Exercise Comparison

Cable Incline Pushdown vs Pullups

Cable Incline Pushdown - starting position
Cable Incline Pushdown - ending position
Cable Incline Pushdown
beginner·Cable·isolation
Pullups - starting position
Pullups - ending position
Pullups
beginner·Bodyweight·compound

Side-by-Side

Cable Incline Pushdown
VS
Pullups
beginner
Level
beginner
Cable
Equipment
Bodyweight
isolation
Mechanic
compound
pull
Force
pull
Strength
Category
Strength
lats
Primary
lats
None
Secondary
bicepsmiddle back

Muscle Analysis

Shared

lats

Only in Pullups

bicepsmiddle back

Instructions

Cable Incline Pushdown

1

Lie on incline an bench facing away from a high pulley machine that has a straight bar attachment on it.

2

Grasp the straight bar attachment overhead with a pronated (overhand; palms down) shoulder width grip and extend your arms in front of you. The bar should be around 2 inches away from your upper thighs. This will be your starting position.

3

Keeping the upper arms stationary, lift your arms back in a semi circle until the bar is straight over your head. Breathe in during this portion of the movement.

4

Slowly go back to the starting position using your lats and hold the contraction once you reach the starting position. Breathe out during the execution of this movement.

5

Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Pullups

1

Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.

2

As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.

3

Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.

4

After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.

5

Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Verdict

Both exercises target the lats. Cable Incline Pushdown is a beginner exercise using cable, while Pullups is beginner and uses bodyweight. Choose Cable Incline Pushdown if you have access to cable, or Pullups if you prefer bodyweight. Pullups is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Cable Incline Pushdown isolates the target muscle for focused development.

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