Lat Pulldown

Muscles Lat Pulldown Works

Main muscleSit tall and pull the bar down toward your upper chest as your elbows travel down by your sides. The main muscle driving this movement is your lats. Your lats pull your elbows down and back to bring the bar toward you.

Supporting musclesYour biceps help bend your elbows. Your lower traps keep your shoulders from shrugging. Your mid traps help pull your shoulder blades back as the bar gets closer.

How it should feelAs you pull the bar down, you should feel the area under your armpits and along the outside of your back fold and squeeze. The closer the bar gets to your chest, the more it should feel like your back is doing the work, not your arms.

Signs you're offIf only your biceps burn or your shoulders shrug up, you are likely pulling with your arms and neck instead of your lats. If you lean way back, you are adding momentum instead of keeping the tension on your back.

Remember thisLead with your elbows, pull them down by your sides, and lift your chest slightly to meet the bar.

Muscles used

• Latslarge side-back muscles running from the armpits toward the waist
• Bicepsfront of the upper arms
• Lower trapslower area between the shoulder blades
• Mid trapsupper-middle area between the shoulder blades
• Rhomboidsmuscles between the shoulder blades close to the spine

Setting Up for Lat Pulldown

Setup orderAttach the bar → Sit down and lower the thigh pad snugly onto your thighs

• Bar attachment

  Set it like thisAttach the lat pulldown bar to the cable hook and make sure the latch is fully closed.

  How to checkGently pull the bar down. The hook should stay closed and the bar should not come off the cable.

• Thigh pad

  Set it like thisAfter sitting down, lower the thigh pad until it fits snugly on top of both thighs.

  How to checkThere should be almost no room for a finger between the pad and your thighs, and your thighs should not lift when you pull the bar down.

Watch out forAvoid starting with an unlocked bar hook or a loose thigh pad that lets your body lift as you pull.

Stance for Lat Pulldown

Foot widthPlace your thighs under the pad, and keep both feet flat on the floor.

Where your weight goesKeep your hips on the seat and press your feet into the floor.

Upper body positionSit under the handle so the bar can come down toward your upper chest.

Why it mattersIf your thighs are not secured under the pad, your body may lift up and your pulling force can be lost.

How to Grip for Lat Pulldown

Grip typeTurn your palms forward and hold the slightly angled parts on both sides of the long bar.

Grip widthHold the same position on both slightly angled parts of the bar.

How hard to gripPlace the bar in the middle of your palms and wrap your fingers around it. Keep the backs of your hands in line with your forearms.

The Key Point for Lat Pulldown

Slightly raise your chest, lower your elbows toward your sides, and pull the bar up to your upper chest.

Think of it like thisThe feeling of lowering the elbow to the side

Before the fixMy arms get tired first, and my shoulders rise towards my ears.

After the fixThe sides of the back are tightened downwards, and the shoulders are kept low.