Angled Pull
The angled pull sits between the horizontal row and the vertical pull — a pulling movement where the weight travels toward the body at a diagonal angle. It trains the lats and mid back simultaneously, making it a useful bridge between the two primary pulling patterns rather than a direct replacement for either.
The angle of the pull shifts the emphasis. Higher angled pulls — where the cable or machine is set above shoulder height and pulled downward and toward the body — load the lats more directly, similar to a vertical pull but with a different body position. Lower angled pulls — set below shoulder height and pulled upward toward the torso — shift more emphasis to the mid back and rhomboids, closer to a horizontal row. That variability makes this pattern a flexible tool for targeting different parts of the back within the same movement category.
Cable and machine variations are the primary tools here. The adjustability of a cable stack makes it particularly well suited to this pattern — small changes in the anchor point height meaningfully change where the stimulus lands.
Below are the angled pull variations in the library.
Reference Card
Movement Pattern: Angled pull Primary Muscles: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle trapezius Secondary Muscles: Posterior deltoid, biceps, teres major
Variations
- High cable row
- High machine row
- Low cable row
- Low machine row
Considerations
- Higher anchor points emphasize the lats — lower anchor points shift more load to the mid back
- This pattern complements rather than replaces horizontal rows and vertical pulls
- Cable variations are particularly well suited here due to the adjustability of the anchor point
Programming Notes
- Works well as a secondary pulling movement after a primary row or vertical pull
- Responds well to moderate to higher rep ranges (10–15)
- Useful for adding variety and targeting different portions of the back without adding entirely new movement patterns to a program