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💪 Strength Beginner

Lat Pulldown

A cable machine exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi for building a wider back.

Muscle Groups

Lats Biceps Rear Deltoids Rhomboids

Equipment Needed

Cable Machine Lat Pulldown Bar

The lat pulldown is a fundamental back exercise that mimics the pull-up movement pattern, making it an excellent choice for beginners or as a supplementary exercise for building back width.

How to Perform

  1. Setup: Sit at the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pad to secure your legs. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with palms facing away.

  2. Start Position: With arms fully extended overhead, lean back slightly (about 10-15 degrees) and puff your chest up.

  3. Pull: Drive your elbows down and back, pulling the bar toward your upper chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom.

  4. Lower: Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position with control, feeling the stretch in your lats.

  5. Repeat: Maintain tension throughout and repeat for desired reps.

Tips

  • Focus on pulling with your elbows, not your hands
  • Avoid leaning too far back or using momentum
  • Keep your chest up throughout the movement
  • Don’t let the weight stack touch between reps

Variations

  • Close-Grip Pulldown: Emphasizes lower lats and biceps
  • Reverse-Grip Pulldown: Underhand grip for more bicep involvement
  • Single-Arm Pulldown: Unilateral version for imbalance correction
  • Behind-Neck Pulldown: Not recommended due to shoulder stress

Common Mistakes

  • Using too much body momentum
  • Pulling the bar behind the neck
  • Not achieving full range of motion
  • Gripping too wide or too narrow