Lat Pulldown
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
- 2Grab the 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 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.
- 3As 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.
- 4As you breathe out, bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the bar; therefore do not try to pull down the bar using the forearms.
- 5After a second at the contracted position squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched. Inhale during this portion of the movement.
- 6Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
About Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown reproduces the pull-up movement with an adjustable load, which makes it accessible at every level. Seated, thighs secured, you pull the bar toward the upper chest by driving the elbows down and back, chest open and a slight lean of the torso. It is the reference exercise for building back width, mainly targeting the lats. Avoid leaning too far back or pulling with momentum: the movement should come from the elbows and shoulder blades, not the lower back. It is also the best way to strengthen the back before achieving pull-ups.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleBuilds back width by targeting the latissimus dorsi
- check_circleAdjustable load, ideal for beginners before pull-ups
- check_circleAlso recruits the biceps and mid-back synergistically
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbPull the bar to the upper chest, not behind the neck
- lightbulbStart the movement by depressing the shoulder blades
- lightbulbKeep a slight backward torso lean without swinging
- lightbulbControl the return for a full lat stretch
warningCommon mistakes
- warningPulling the bar behind the neck, risky for the shoulders
- warningUsing torso momentum to move the weight
- warningPulling only with the biceps without engaging the back
- warningCutting the range short and limiting the top stretch
helpFrequently asked questions
Wide or narrow grip for the lat pulldown?expand_more
A wide grip emphasizes back width, while a narrow grip shifts more focus to thickness and the biceps.
Should I pull the bar behind my head?expand_more
No, pulling to the front chest is safer for the shoulders and just as effective for the lats.
Lat pulldown or pull-ups?expand_more
Pull-ups (bodyweight) are more complete and demand more bracing, but already require strength. The lat pulldown lets you dial in the load and progress: use it to build the strength that leads to pull-ups, then keep it for volume.
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