Demonstration
Watch the Form Demo
Technique
How to Do the Lat Pulldown
- Set the thigh pad snug and grip the bar overhand, slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Sit tall with your chest lifted and a very slight backward lean.
- Pull your shoulder blades down first, then drive the elbows down toward your ribs.
- Pull the bar to your upper chest.
- Squeeze the lats for a beat at the bottom.
- Let the bar rise under control until your arms are fully stretched overhead.
Anatomy
Muscles Worked
Do This
Form Cues
- Set the thigh pad snug so the hips stay down.
- Pull the bar to the upper chest by driving the elbows down.
- Let the arms straighten fully at the top of each rep.
- Think of pulling your elbows into your back pockets rather than pulling the bar with your hands.
Avoid This
Common Mistakes
- Leaning back so far that it becomes a row.
- Pulling the bar behind the neck.
- Cutting the top of the range short and never letting the lats stretch.
- Adding lean-back through the set to move heavier weight, which turns the pulldown into a bad row.
More to Explore
Variations & Related Exercises
Variations of this lift
Trains the same muscles
Assisted Chin-Up
Assisted Machine Pull-Up
Barbell Deadlift
Barbell Rack Pull
Barbell Shrug
Barbell Upright Row
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