The lat pulldown is one of the most effective machines in the gym – if you know how to use it properly. Good lat pulldown form turns it into one of the best exercises for a back workout. The key is setting up correctly, choosing a grip that suits you, and focusing on how you move.
What is the lat pulldown machine for?
The lat pulldown machine is designed to train vertical pulling strength. In simple terms, you’ll be using your back muscles, mostly the latissimus dorsi, to pull a weight from above your head down towards your body. It’s often one of the first back exercises beginners learn because it allows you to train a pull-up-style movement with control.
Lat pulldown muscles worked
What muscles does lat pulldown work? It won’t surprise you to know that the main target is the latissimus dorsi, or lats, the large muscles running down the sides of your back that help create width in the upper body.
But this cable machine isn’t purely a lat exercise. Done properly, it also works the teres major, rhomboids, trapezius, rear delts, and even the biceps and forearms to an extent.
Some people worry about feeling the lat pulldown in their arms, but the goal isn’t to eliminate the biceps. It’s to make sure your back is doing most of the work.
How to set up the lat pulldown machine properly
Don’t be one of the people who skip the set-up and sit straight down on the lat pulldown. Take 30 seconds to get set up and you’ll have a much better workout.
1. Adjust the seat and thigh pad
Adjust the seat height so your arms are stretched when you reach the bar. The thigh pad should sit snugly across your thighs to keep you on the seat throughout your reps.
2. Choose an appropriate weight
Most people go too heavy too soon. Pick a load that allows you to control both the eccentric, or upward phase, and the concentric, or pulling phase.
3. Sit tall
Before you touch the bar, sit upright with your chest proud and shoulders relaxed.
4. Grip the bar
Good lat pulldown form starts with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width on the bar.
Step-by-step lat pulldown form for beginners
If nobody has ever taught you how to do lat pulldown properly, here’s what you need to know.
Step 1
Grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder width. Let your arms extend and sit tall.
Step 2
Take a breath in and brace your core.
Step 3
Pull your shoulder blades down, keeping your shoulders away from your ears, before you bend your elbows.
Step 4
Pull down, bringing your elbows down and in towards your ribs. Think about moving your elbows rather than pulling with your hands.
Step 5
Bring the bar towards your upper chest and pause briefly.
Step 6
Control the return all the way back to the starting position.
Top tip
The eccentric phase, which is the lowering of the weight back to the start position, is just as important as the pull. Keep tension throughout this phase.
Wide grip vs close grip lat pulldowns
There’s more than one way to hold the lat pulldown bar, and most gyms will also offer more than one attachment to clip onto the cable. It’s good to understand why you might choose wide grip, close grip, or neutral grip for lat pulldowns so you can make the best grip choice for your goals.
Wide grip lat pulldown
This is the classic option, with a long bar and hands wider than shoulder width. A wide grip lat pulldown feels comfortable for most people and trains a large amount of upper back muscle.
Close grip lat pulldown
A close grip lat pulldown is done with a V-bar attachment, with the hands closer together and facing each other. Close grip allows a bigger range of motion and might allow you to move more weight. This grip tends to target the lower lats and rhomboids.
Neutral grip lat pulldown
A neutral grip lat pulldown also has the hands facing each other but uses a wider bar than the close grip version. If your gym offers a neutral grip attachment for the lat pulldown, give it a try. Some people find it comfortable, while others find the range of motion more restrictive.
The important thing is not to overthink it. Most people won’t see dramatically different results because of different attachments on the lat pulldown machine. Choose the grip that lets you train hard, control the movement, and feel your back working.
Should you lat pull to your chest or behind your neck?
Almost everyone should pull to the chest in lat pulldowns. The behind-the-neck lat pulldown is an old-school bodybuilding move that requires exceptional shoulder mobility, which most people don’t have.
Pulling the bar towards your upper chest generally keeps your torso and neck in a good position, and allows you to stay in control of the movement. There’s very little benefit to trying the behind-the-neck lat pulldown.
Common lat pulldown mistakes that stop you feeling your lats
If you’re wondering how to feel lat pulldown in your lats, chances are you’re making one of these common mistakes. The good news is they’re all easy to fix.
Using too much weight
If you need to swing backwards to get the bar down, or if you can’t pause at the chest, the weight is too heavy for proper lat pulldown form.
Leaning back too far
You can lean back on lat pulldown slightly. Just make sure you’re not turning your lat pulldowns into seated rows.
Shrugging your shoulders
Keep your shoulders away from your ears throughout your reps. This will help you switch your lats on and keep the movement controlled.
Cutting range of motion short
Bring the bar to your chest, and let the lats stretch at the top before starting the next rep.
How to programme lat pulldowns into a pull day
The lat pulldown is a vertical pull movement, and works best as one of your primary exercises on pull day. Put it early in your sessions, before isolation work.
- Pull-ups or lat pulldowns
- Chest-supported row
- Seated cable row
- Rear delt work
- Biceps
Most people will get good results from 3–4 working sets of lat pulldowns done with control and progressed over time.
Lat pulldown vs pull-up
The lat pulldown vs pull-ups debate isn’t really a valid discussion. They work almost the same muscles, but one uses machine weight and the other uses your bodyweight. And if you can’t do pull-ups, the question is redundant.
Lat pulldowns allow better control, easier progression through the weights, more predictable loading, and higher quality volume. Pull-ups require more relative strength and bodyweight control.
If you can do both, you could benefit from including them as a superset, switching between pull-ups and lat pulldowns, or doing pull-ups to failure before repping out on lighter lat pulldowns.
If you’re building towards your first pull-up, the lat pulldown is a great place to start, alongside banded and negative pull-ups.
Power for pull day workouts
The best lat pulldown sets focus on quality reps, with controlled movement and no ego lifting. If you keep your chest up, drive your elbows down, and feel your back doing the work, you’ll be ahead of most people using the machine.
And if you’d like some support for pull-day sessions, the Per4m Pre-Workout collection can be a great part of your pre-gym routine, helping you bring the energy and focus when you put your improved lat pulldown form to work.
