Lat Pulldown

Muscles worked

Back

Primary muscle

Lats

Equipment

Cable

Movement pattern

Pull

Difficulty

Intermediate

What it is for

HypertrophyStrength

Also known as

Front pulldownPulldown to the chest

Watch the full tutorial

• Leaning the torso back to move more weight. Past a certain angle it stops being a pulldown and becomes a row with momentum. Lean back only slightly and keep that angle fixed for the whole set.
• Pulling with the arms and leaving the shoulder blades up. Without dropping the shoulders first, the biceps does the work and the lat barely takes part. Start every rep by driving the shoulders down and back, and only then bend the elbows.
• Pulling the bar down to the stomach. Once it reaches the upper chest, the extra range only drives the elbows back and loads the shoulder. Stop the pull at collarbone height.
• Letting go on the way up and letting the shoulders ride up to the ears. That loses the tension exactly where the lat is most stretched. Control the return to straight arms and let the shoulder blade rotate without shrugging.

Which muscles does the lat pulldown work?

The latissimus dorsi is the primary muscle: it is what pulls the elbow from overhead down to the side of the body. The biceps and brachialis flex the elbow in the second half of the pull, and the rhomboids and middle trapezius draw the shoulder blades together at the end. The teres major and rear deltoid assist. With a wide, pronated grip the biceps helps less than with an underhand grip.

Which grip should I use on the lat pulldown: wide, neutral or underhand?

The wide, pronated grip of this version splits the work between the lat and the upper back, and it is the reference for learning the pattern. The neutral grip is easier on the wrists and emphasises the lower lat; the underhand grip adds biceps and allows more load. The single-arm, single-arm underhand and kneeling versions change the stability more than the muscle; the behind-the-neck pulldown forces the shoulder and few coaches program it today.

Lat pulldown or pull-ups: which is better for the back?

They work the same muscles with the same pattern, and the difference is the load: in the pull-up it is body weight, which cannot be reduced, and in the pulldown it is chosen from the stack. For someone who cannot do pull-ups yet, the pulldown builds the strength with small steps; for someone who already can, the pulldown allows longer sets and more volume without hitting failure on every rep. Most programs use both.

How far should the bar come down and how much should I lean on the lat pulldown?

The bar comes down to the upper chest, at collarbone height, with the elbows pointing at the floor; continuing to the stomach only drives the elbows back and loads the shoulder. The torso leans back slightly, between 10 and 20 degrees, and that angle stays fixed: if the body rocks back on every rep, the exercise becomes a row with momentum. A usual range is 8 to 12 reps with a controlled return.