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Lat Pulldown

Sit tall, lock your thighs under the pad and pull a wide bar down to your upper chest — the go-to machine for a wider back and building toward pull-ups.

🏋️

01

Exercise Type

A compound, upper-body vertical pull done on a cable machine. You pull the bar down from overhead to your chest, which mainly works the lats — the broad muscles down the sides of your back — with help from the middle back and biceps. Because the weight is adjustable, it suits every level.

Compound Upper-body pull Vertical pull Cable machine Strength & hypertrophy
Equipment
Lat pulldown machine, wide bar
Level
Beginner → Advanced
Rep range
8–12 reps × 3–4 sets
Tempo
1.5 s down · 1 s squeeze · 2 s up
▶

02

Starting Position

  • Adjust the thigh pad so your thighs fit snugly under it with your feet flat on the floor.
  • Stand, take an overhand grip on the bar about one and a half times shoulder-width, then sit down so the cable pulls your arms straight overhead.
  • Sit tall with your chest up and lean back very slightly — about 10° — keeping your shoulders down, away from your ears.
Arms straightChest upSlight lean backThighs under the padFeet flat
Side view — seated, arms straight overhead, thighs under the pad
● Arms straight — set↓ Pull to chest — breathe out■ Squeeze — brief hold↑ Let it rise — breathe in
One rep ≈ 5 s · red glow = lats working
↕

03

Movement

  • Start by pulling your shoulder blades down, then drive your elbows down and back to bring the bar to your upper chest.
  • Pause for a second with the bar at your chest and squeeze your back muscles.
  • Let the bar rise slowly until your arms are straight and you feel a stretch along your sides. Keep your torso still — no swinging backward to help the weight down.
Pull · 1.5 s
Squeeze · 1 s
Return · 2 s
■

04

End Position

  • At the bottom the bar touches or nearly touches your upper chest, just below your collarbones.
  • Your elbows point down and slightly back, tucked toward your sides, with your forearms close to vertical.
  • Your chest is up, shoulders pulled down and back, and your torso leans back only slightly — about 15°.
Bar to upper chestElbows down and backShoulders down & backTorso still, ~15° lean
Side view — bar at the upper chest, elbows down and back
shouldersgrip ≈ 1.5 × shoulder-widthforearmsverticaloverhand grip — palms face away
From the front, at the bottom of the pull
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05

Hand Position

  • Use an overhand grip (palms facing away) about one and a half times shoulder-width — usually where the bar starts to bend.
  • Wrap your thumbs around the bar, or rest them on top if that feels more natural, and keep your wrists straight.
  • Choose a width where your forearms are vertical when the bar reaches your chest. Too wide shortens the movement; too narrow shifts the work to the arms.
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06

Leg Position

  • Set the thigh pad so it presses down lightly on your thighs, just above the knees — it stops you lifting off the seat as you pull.
  • Bend your knees to about 90° and keep both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
  • Your legs stay still. Don’t push through your feet or rise off the seat to help the bar down.
feet flat, hip-widthpad snug on the thighsfront view

From the front

knees ≈ 90°Pad on the thighsFeet flat

Side view

≈ 10–15° leanChest up to the barShoulders down
✓ slight lean✕ swinging back
A slight lean back, chest up to the bar, shoulders down
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07

Chest Position

  • Sit tall with your chest lifted toward the bar, as if showing your chest to the ceiling.
  • Lean back only slightly, about 10–15°. A small lean gives the bar room to pass your face; a big lean or a backward swing turns it into a row.
  • Keep your shoulders down and back throughout. If they shrug up toward your ears, lighten the weight.
🌬

08

Breathing

↑

Breathe In

Breathe in as you let the bar rise back up, finishing the breath with your arms straight overhead before the next rep.

■

Hold

Hold briefly — about a second — with the bar at your chest while you squeeze your back. Keep your core lightly braced so your torso stays still.

↓

Breathe Out

Breathe out steadily as you pull the bar down to your chest.

Arms straightBar at chestArms straight
⏱

09

Between Sets

1

Let the bar rise all the way under control, then stand up while still holding it and guide it back to the stack — never let it slam.

2

Rest 60–90 seconds, or up to 2 minutes for heavy sets.

3

Roll your shoulders and shake out your grip. Check the thigh pad is still snug before you sit back down.

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10

Major Muscles Exercised

  • Back
    Back · side of the back

    Latissimus dorsi

    Side of the back — pulls the arms down toward the body

  • Back
    Back · upper back

    Rhomboids & trapezius

    Middle and lower back — pull the shoulder blades down and together

  • Front
    Front · upper arm

    Biceps brachii

    Front of the upper arm — bends the elbow as you pull

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11

Minor Muscles Exercised

  • Back
    Back · rear shoulder

    Rear deltoid

    Back of the shoulder — helps draw the arms back

  • Back
    Back · shoulder blade

    Rotator cuff

    Keeps the shoulder joint stable

  • Front
    Front · chest

    Pectoralis major

    Lower chest fibres help pull the arms down

  • Front
    Front · abdomen

    Core (abs, obliques)

    Keep the torso still on the seat

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12

Joints

JointAction during the pulldown
Shoulder (glenohumeral)Adduction and extension as the elbows travel down and back
Shoulder girdle (scapulothoracic)Shoulder blades move down and together as you pull, and up as you return
ElbowFlexion as you pull, extension as the bar rises
SpineHeld tall and still, with a slight lean back
Hip & kneeHeld still in the seated position
WristHeld straight and stable
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13

Closest Variation: Pull-up

The one difference

The bar stays fixed and you pull your own body up to it, instead of pulling a weighted bar down to you.

What that changes — compared with the lat pulldown

  • Load you can lift

    ↑

    You lift your whole bodyweight — more than most people use on the pulldown — and it can’t be reduced without assistance.

  • Balance & stability demand

    ↑

    Your body hangs freely, so your core has to stop you swinging.

  • Grip demand

    ↑

    Your hands hold your full bodyweight for the whole set.

  • Difficulty to learn

    ↑↑

    Many beginners can’t do a single strict pull-up yet.

About the same: main muscle emphasis, range of motion, joint & spine stress.

Role: Progression· Harder

Choose the pull-up if…

  • ✓You can already do 5 or more strict pull-ups
  • ✓You want bodyweight strength you can train anywhere
  • ✓You want your core and grip to work harder too

Stick with the lat pulldown if…

  • ✓You can’t do a pull-up yet — the pulldown builds up to it
  • ✓You want to set an exact weight or do higher reps
  • ✓You want to control the movement without swinging
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14

All Variations at a Glance

Each variation changes one thing about the lat pulldown. Read down a column to see what changes, how hard it is, and what that does — every effect is compared with the regular lat pulldown.

↑ more than the lat pulldown ↓ less = about the same

Scroll sideways to see all 6 variations →

Closest ↑ above Pull-up Close-Grip (V-Handle) Pulldown Underhand Pulldown Single-Arm Pulldown Straight-Arm Pulldown Behind-the-Neck Pulldown
What changes What moves: the bar comes down → your body goes up Grip: wide overhand → close, palms facing each other Grip: palms away → palms toward you, shoulder-width Arms: both on a bar → one at a time with a handle Elbows: bending → kept straight, standing Bar path: to the upper chest → behind the head
Role Progression· Harder Lateral· Similar difficulty Lateral· Similar difficulty Lateral· Similar difficulty Lateral· Similar difficulty Lateral· Similar difficulty
Load you can lift ↑ ↑ ↑ ↓ per arm ↓↓ ↓
Main muscle emphasis = ↑ lower lats, biceps ↑ biceps, lower lats ↑ lats, one side ↑ lats; biceps rest ↑ upper back
Range of motion = ↑ ↑ ↑ = ↓
Balance & stability demand ↑ = = ↑ ↑ =
Joint & spine stress = ↓ shoulders ↑ elbows, wrists = = ↑↑ shoulders, neck
Grip demand ↑ = = = = =
Difficulty to learn ↑↑ = = ↑ ↑ ↑
Equipment Pull-up bar Cable, V-handle Lat pulldown machine Cable, D-handle Cable, straight bar Lat pulldown machine

Arrows are estimates based on how each change alters the movement, not measured values.

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15

Alternates

Different exercises that train the back — useful when you have no machine, want variety or are working toward pull-ups. They are not versions of the lat pulldown itself.

Bent-over Dumbbell Row

A horizontal pull: hinged forward, rowing two dumbbells to your ribs.

Best for: Middle back, training at home

Dumbbells

View guide →

Seated Cable Row

Seated upright, pulling a handle toward your waist instead of down from overhead.

Best for: Middle back, steady tension

Cable row machine

Assisted Pull-up

A pull-up on a machine that lifts part of your bodyweight for you.

Best for: Building toward pull-ups

Assisted pull-up machine

Inverted Row

Hanging under a bar with your body straight, pulling your chest up to it.

Best for: Bodyweight back training

Bar or rings

Dumbbell Pullover

Lying across a bench, lowering one dumbbell behind your head and pulling it back over.

Best for: Lat stretch without a machine

Dumbbell, bench

Pick a weight you can pull to your chest without swinging. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the shoulders, elbows or neck.