Make sure you feel a deep stretch at the top but don’t try to stretch too much and risk injury. You should try to stay as vertical as you can when doing this one. The closer grip will keep the arms more vertical which puts them in the best position when it comes to pulling with the lats only. The close grip pulldown is one that you should choose if you want to focus more on isolating the lats. There’s no need to lock out the elbows here. Also, keep a slight bend in the elbow throughout the entire movement. As a matter of fact, do that with every version offered here. This cue can help you activate the lats better. Make sure when you perform the pull, you pull your shoulder blades together first. The angled handle is easier on the wrists but if a straight bar is all you have, go ahead and use it. Make sure your grip is a little wider than shoulder width and you can maintain a solid grip of the handle. If you actually maintain the proper form and avoid the jerking motion, you can train the lats, rear delts, and all of the muscles in the middle of the upper back. Related: The Perfect Back Workout to Increase Your Wingspan Unfortunately, the other thought associated with the wide grip lat pulldown is the image of someone jerking the weight down and rocking their body for the sole purpose of moving the pinned weight on the stack. This is the one that everyone thinks of when it comes to the lat pulldown. You can also work it in as a finisher for when you want to really fatigue the lats, and yes, even utilize it as one of the main moves of your day.įind ways to plug them in to your plan because doing so will lead to gains in the back you might have missed out on otherwise.
While it might be “easier” than the bodyweight counterpart, it’s still a very effective movement that will help you warm up the back before serious training. As a matter of fact, there are seven versions here that you can try for yourself. What makes the lat pulldown a great choice is that there are several ways to work it into your routine. You shouldn’t simply overlook this classic machine movement, though. The lat pulldown is also sometimes frowned upon because it’s the movement that is substituted for pull ups by those who can’t do them. That’s because pull ups are considered the more effective version as well as the more “hardcore” movement. The lat pulldown is an exercise that can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to back training.