Lat pulldowns are not to be missed from your training if you want to build a bigger back. As it says in the name, lat pulldowns target the latissimus dorsi muscles, one of the biggest muscles in the lower back that is responsible for various upper body movements such as shoulder adduction and extension. 

The movement is similar to a wide grip pull up, except you’re pulling the weight down towards your body as opposed to lifting your bodyweight off the ground. This makes it the perfect substitute for anyone that struggles with pull ups and wants to build strength in similar muscle groups.

How to Lat Pulldown

• Start by using the wide grip attachment on a Multi Gym or Functional Trainer and adjusting the seat pads so that your thighs comfortably rest between the seat and the pads when seated.

• Grasp the bar with a wide, overhand grip, hands just wider than shoulder-width apart.

• Sit tall, draw your shoulders away from your ears and slightly lean back.

• Breathe in, and as you exhale, pull the bar down towards your chest, stopping a few centimetres above your body. Whilst doing so, squeeze your shoulder blades together.

• At the bottom, pause briefly, feeling the contraction in your lats.

• Slowly control the ascent as you allow the bar to return to the starting position.

Should I Lean Forward or Backward During a Lat Pulldown?

During a lat pulldown, you should remain upright, only slightly leaning back to allow for full range of motion in the lats. Leaning too far back can cause you to overarch in the lower back. Similarly, leaning too far forward will not allow you to hit the appropriate range for the lat muscles.

Should You Touch Your Chest On a Lat Pulldown?

You don’t need to touch your chest to achieve full range during a lat pulldown. It all depends on how your body is built, some people might be able to touch their chest with ease whilst others won’t.

Should You Go All The Way Up On a Lat Pulldown?

If you’re aiming for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) then working to a full range of motion is essential. Going all of the way up during a lat pulldown will stretch the muscle fibres and work the muscles in the eccentric (muscle lengthening) phase of the movement.

How Long Should I Hold on a Lat Pulldown?

There is no specific timeframe that you should hold a lat pulldown for. However, the longer you hold at the bottom of the exercise the harder it is. This is because the muscles are under an increased time under tension, which stimulates muscle growth.

How Do I Activate My Lats?

To ensure full activation of the lats during a lat pulldown, focus on pulling your shoulder blades down and squeezing them as you pull the weight towards your chest. As you release the weight, make sure you control the bar for optimal muscle engagement.

What Muscles Do Lat Pulldowns Work?

A lat pulldown primarily targets the latissimus dorsi muscles. These are large muscles in the back that are responsible for several posterior chain movements, as well as shoulder extension and adduction. This exercise also engages the rhomboids, rear deltoids, and biceps as accessory muscles. This makes it an essential exercise to increase back strength and build muscle.

What Muscles Does a Close Grip Lat Pulldown Work?

By adjusting the grip you can target specific muscles during a lat pulldown. Choosing a close grip primarily targets the upper back muscles such as the rear deltoids and trapezius muscles. Then by opting for an underhand grip you’ll be targeting the bicep muscles even more.

What Are The Most Common Lat Pulldown Mistakes?

Lifting Too Heavy

As with any resistance exercise, lifting too heavy can often result in bad form which then reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, and potentially recruit the wrong muscles. There is also an increased risk of injury if you’re lifting too heavy, so don't start using 20kg Plates straight away.

Poor Posture

Executing the exercise with poor posture such as leaning too far back or rounding your shoulders can place excessive stress on your spine and potentially cause injury. 

Incomplete Range of Motion

If you fail to reach full range of motion during the exercise you will be limiting the activation of the lats, slowing muscle growth.

Pulling With Your Arms

This is one of the most common mistakes when performing a lat pulldown. It is easy to solely use your biceps instead of your lat muscles. To stop this from happening, make sure you draw your shoulder blades down and back.

Jerking or Swinging Movements

Using momentum to return the weight rather than controlled movements reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and increases the risk of injury. Keep the movement controlled throughout.

Excessive weight can cause you to swing throughout the movement, using momentum instead of your muscles to control the weight. If this is the case, reduce the weight and make sure to control each repetition.

Neglecting Scapular Retraction

Failure to retract your shoulder blades during a lat pulldown reduces exercise effectiveness. Ensure you draw your shoulder blades down to make full use of your back muscles.

Don’t let the common lat pulldown mistakes scare you. This is a simple back exercise that when performed properly will offer huge upper body gains.

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Tags: Equipment > Cable Machines ; Exercise Type > Strength