Lat Pulldown

Also known as: Pulldown

The scalable vertical pull, same movement pattern as a pull-up, with load you can dial to any level.

Primary: Latissimus dorsi
Secondary: Biceps brachii, Rhomboids, Middle trapezius
Equipment: Cable
Type: Compound
Level: Beginner

How to do it

Set up

Set the thigh pad snug so you are not lifted off the seat.
Grip the bar wider than shoulder-width, overhand.
Sit tall, then lean back roughly 15–20° and hold that angle.

Perform the rep

Depress your shoulder blades first, then pull.
Drive your elbows down toward your ribs, bringing the bar to your upper chest.
Squeeze at the bottom without letting your torso lean back further.
Return slowly to full extension, allowing the shoulder blades to rise at the top.

Common mistakes

Leaning back progressively through the set

Starting upright and finishing almost horizontal means you are turning a pulldown into a row to move more weight. Set your angle and hold it.
Pulling behind the neck

Behind-the-neck pulldowns force the shoulder into extreme external rotation for no additional benefit. Pull to the chest.
Not letting the shoulders rise at the top

Full lat lengthening requires the scapula to travel upward at the top of each rep. Cutting that out costs you the stretched portion of the range.

How to programme it

3–4sets

10–15reps

90 s–2 minrest

Ideal as the higher-rep vertical pull on a volume day, with pull-ups as the heavy version earlier in the week.

Variations

Close neutral-grip pulldown: more mid-back, shoulder-friendly
Underhand pulldown: more biceps and lower lat
Single-arm cable pulldown: fixes side-to-side imbalances

Frequently asked questions

How wide should my lat pulldown grip be?

Around 1.5 times shoulder-width. Excessively wide grips shorten the range of motion without adding lat activation, and stress the shoulder more.

Are lat pulldowns as good as pull ups?

Close, for hypertrophy. Pull-ups demand more stabilisation and core involvement, but pulldowns allow precise load selection and easier progressive overload, which matters more for building muscle than the stabilisation difference does.