Straight Arm Pulldown

Straight arm pulldown variation:
I like to use a rope when doing this exercise rather than a straight bar. I find because I have to focus on keeping the rope handles spread as well as my lats contracted I get a greater pump and it forces me to control each rep at the bottom for max contraction. I also see a lot of people doing this exercise where the hands come up past the shoulders. Not saying anyone is wrong. Just saying the way I was taught was to not allow the hands to cross the shoulders because then you can no longer keep your shoulder girdle pressed down and lats spread. Once the hands pass the shoulders the traps lift and tension on the target area is reduced. This is not a strength movement. Using the rope forces removal of ego, using a lighter weight and focusing on quality controlled reps.