Compound — back

Lat Pulldown

Cable machine

The lat pulldown is an excellent substitute for pull-ups for beginners and a good supplement for advanced lifters. It isolates the lats and builds the sought-after V-taper.

The pulldown is the most scalable vertical pull there is: you can load it heavy, run it light for volume, and — unlike pull-ups — you can do it before you are strong enough to move your own bodyweight. It is the fastest route to the back width that makes a physique look trained.

Technique

1. 1Grip the bar just outside shoulder width with an overhand grip
2. 2Lean back slightly, chest up toward the bar
3. 3Pull down to your collarbone by driving your elbows down and back
4. 4Look up and keep your chest high throughout the movement
5. 5Extend fully at the top to stretch the lats completely

Common mistakes

• Leaning back until it becomes a row

  Fix: A slight lean is fine, 45° is not. Keep the torso close to upright so the lats work through a vertical path.

• Pulling the bar behind the neck

  Fix: It forces the shoulders into extreme external rotation for no extra benefit. Pull to the collarbone in front.

• Gripping so wide that range of motion collapses

  Fix: Just outside shoulder width gives the best combination of stretch and contraction. Extremely wide grips shorten the movement.

• Letting the weight yank you up between reps

  Fix: Control the way up. The lengthening phase is where much of the growth happens, and rushing it wastes half the rep.

Sets and reps

How to progress

Work in the 8–15 rep range and add weight only when you can hit the top of that range on every set with a controlled tempo. Once you can pull down roughly your bodyweight for reps, start substituting pull-ups for one of your sets — the pulldown is a means to that end.

Variations

• Neutral-grip pulldown

  Palms facing each other. Usually the most shoulder-friendly option and allows a strong contraction.

• Single-arm pulldown

  Greater range and a chance to fix a stronger-side dominance you cannot see with a bar.

• Straight-arm pulldown

  Elbows locked, so the lats work without the biceps contributing at all.

Frequently asked questions