Lat Pulldown (Cable)
A vertical pull you can load precisely. The most useful way to build towards pull ups.
- Lats
- Cable
- Weight and reps
What it works
Lats primarily, with the upper back, rear shoulders and biceps assisting. It trains the same pattern as a pull up with the advantage that you can pick any weight, which makes it far more useful for building volume or working up to bodyweight.
Setup
- Set the thigh pad so your legs are held down firmly. If your body lifts off the seat, the pad is too high.
- Stand up to take the bar with a grip a little wider than your shoulders, then sit down under it.
- Sit tall, chest up, with a small backward lean of perhaps 10 to 20 degrees. Hold that angle.
- Let your arms straighten fully and allow your shoulders to rise slightly at the top.
The movement
- Start by pulling your shoulder blades down, before your elbows bend.
- Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, driving your elbows down and slightly back.
- Bring the bar to just below your collarbone, or as close as you can get without leaning back further.
- Squeeze for a moment with your chest up and your shoulder blades down.
- Return under control, letting your arms straighten and your shoulders rise at the top. Do not let the weight stack slam down.
Common mistakes
- Pulling behind the neck: there is no benefit and it forces the shoulder into an awkward externally rotated position. Pull to the front, always.
- Leaning further back as it gets hard: if your lean grows through the set you are turning it into a row. Pick an angle and keep it.
- Pulling with the arms first: the shoulder blades move first. Otherwise it becomes a biceps exercise with a very heavy weight.
- Going too wide: an extremely wide grip shortens the range of motion and is harder on the shoulders. A little wider than shoulder width is plenty.
- Letting the weight drag you up: control the return. Half the value of the rep is on the way back.
Variations and alternatives
The pull up is the bodyweight version of the same pattern. The chin up uses an underhand grip and involves the biceps more. A close or neutral grip on the same machine changes the emphasis and is often more comfortable.
If a movement causes pain rather than ordinary training effort, stop and speak to a qualified professional. Programming context for this lift is in how training programs are built.