Exercise Comparison
Cable Incline Pushdown vs Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up




Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
Instructions
Cable Incline Pushdown
Lie on incline an bench facing away from a high pulley machine that has a straight bar attachment on it.
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.
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.
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.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up
Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar, bring your torso forward and head so that there is an imaginary line from the pull-up bar to the back of your neck. This is your starting position.
Pull your torso up until the bar is near the back of your neck. To do this, draw the shoulders and upper arms down and back while slightly leaning your head forward. 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.
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.
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 Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is intermediate and uses bodyweight. Choose Cable Incline Pushdown if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up for a greater challenge. Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Cable Incline Pushdown isolates the target muscle for focused development.