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Lat Pulldown
Positions & Range of Motion
- Start
- seated with thighs secured under the pad, pronated grip slightly wider than shoulder width, arms fully extended overhead, torso leaning back 10–15° with chest lifted
- End
- bar pulled down to the upper chest/collarbone by driving the elbows down and back and depressing the shoulder blades, then controlled back to full overhead extension
- Range of Motion
- shoulder adduction/extension from full overhead flexion to the bar at the upper chest, with elbow flexion through full range
How to Perform
Sit at a cable pulldown station with thighs secured under the pad, grasp the bar with a pronated grip slightly wider than shoulder width, and lean back about 10-15 degrees with the chest lifted. Pull the bar down to the upper chest by driving the elbows down and back while depressing the shoulder blades, then control the bar back to full overhead arm extension without letting the shoulders shrug or the torso swing.
Opens a YouTube search for “Lat Pulldown”
Coaching Cues
- 1
Pull the bar to your collarbone, not your head to the bar.
(external-focus) - 2
Drive your elbows down toward your back pockets.
(internal-focus) - 3
Before you pull, slide your shoulder blades down away from your ears and keep them there.
(setup) - 4
Control the bar back up for a slow 2-3 count — don't let the weight stack yank your shoulders into a shrug.
(tempo)
Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data
General strengthening: 2-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions at a moderate-to-heavy load (roughly 60-80% 1RM), 2-3 sessions per week, consistent with ACSM resistance-training guidelines; hypertrophy-focused blocks may use 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps taken near volitional fatigue.
Surface EMG studies of the lat pulldown consistently show the latissimus dorsi as the dominant mover, with substantial contributions from teres major, biceps brachii, and the middle/lower trapezius. Grip-width comparisons generally find that a medium-to-wide pronated grip produces equal or slightly greater latissimus activation than very wide or supinated grips, while supinated (underhand) grips shift more work to the biceps brachii. Pulling the bar to the front of the chest produces similar lat activation to behind-the-neck variants with less anterior shoulder stress, so the front pulldown is the standard clinical recommendation. Excessive torso lean converts the movement toward a row and increases posterior deltoid and mid-trap contribution.
Muscles Involved (16)
Primary Movers
Secondary Movers
Stabilizers
Lengthened / Stretched
Synergists & Assistors
Easier Variations ↓
Tall-Kneeling Band Pulldown
Anchor a resistance band overhead and perform the same pulldown pattern from tall kneeling; lighter, scalable resistance and easier scapular control for patients not ready for machine loads.
Assisted Straight-Arm Scapular Depression
At the pulldown station with light weight, keep elbows straight and practice only the scapular depression component ('scap pulldowns') to groove lower-trap engagement before adding the full pull.
Harder Variations ↑
Pull-Up / Assisted Pull-Up
Progress to closed-chain vertical pulling with band or machine assistance, then bodyweight, which demands greater trunk stabilization and full body-mass loading.
Single-Arm Kneeling Pulldown
Perform the pulldown one arm at a time from half-kneeling at a cable column, adding an anti-rotation trunk demand and exposing side-to-side strength asymmetries.
Target Movements (6)
Why This Exercise Matters
Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:
Goals This Helps With
Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:
Research Notes
claude-researched 2026-07; muscle/movement links validated against the roster. Adversarial clinical verification pending — do not promote past needs_review without human review.