Lat Pulldown: Muscle Worked, Variations, Benefits

Do you want a strong back with a V-shaped shape that gives you strength and stability? Look no further than the Lat Pulldown exercise.

Why is the Lat Pulldown so important? It is a compound exercise that targets back upper muscles including the latissimus dorsi, Rhomboids as well as the biceps and rear shoulders.

In this beginner’s guide to the Lat pulldown, we’ll go over the

• What is Lat Pulldown
• Lat Pulldown Hand And Grip Position
• Muscle WorkeD During It
• How To Do Lat Pulldown
• Common Mistakes To Be Avoided
• Benefits Of Lat Pulldown
• Lat Pulldown Variations
• FAQs

What is Lat Pulldown

The Lat pull down is a popular gym exercise designed to target and strengthen the muscles in the upper back, particularly the latissimus dorsi. The exercise also engages other muscles including the biceps, trapezius, and shoulders to some extent.

The exercise is easy to learn and very effective at building back strength.  The Lat Pulldown is commonly performed on a cable machine that has a wide, horizontal bar attached to a pulley system. It is done by pulling a bar down toward the chest while sitting on a machine.

The lat pulldown can be performed with different variations. With simple adjustments to your grip, posture, or the type of bar you use, you can turn this classic exercise into a multi-faceted tool for back development.

Here are some popular Lat pulldown variations to keep your workout fresh and challenging.

• Wide-grip lat pulldown
• Close-grip lat pulldown
• Reverse-grip (supination) lat pulldown
• Neutral-grip lat pulldown
• Straight-arm lat pulldown
• Single-arm lat pulldown… Many More

Lat Pulldown Hand And Grip Position

When doing the lat pulldown exercise, the hand and grip position are important. A wide grip with an overhand is the standard position to do it. However, there are other positions and grips possible, and each variation targets different muscles in the back. 

We will talk about how to do the lat pulldown exercise with different hand and grip positions and how they affect the muscle’s activation.

Lat Pulldown Grip Position

Here are the three most common grip positions for lat pulldowns:

1. Overhand Grip

The overhand grip is the most popular hand placement for lat pulldown. When you hold the bar, your hands are positioned so that your palms are facing away from you

During lat pulldown, using an overhand grip strongly targets the lats while also engaging the biceps as a secondary muscle group.

This grip allows you to pull the greatest load and is ideal for building back size.

2. Underhand Grip (Reverse Grip)

An underhand grip places your hands in a supinated position with the palms facing back towards you. This places more emphasis on the lower lats and middle traps, rhomboids of the upper back, while also engaging the biceps.

The underhand grip is great for developing a well-rounded lat. It provides more lat contraction at the bottom of the movement.

3. Neutral Grip

With a neutral grip, your palms face each other. This grip hits the lats similarly to the overhand variation but spreads the tension more evenly across the biceps as well.

The neutral grip can be easier on the wrists while decreasing stress on the elbow joints.

Lat Pulldown Grip Width

The width of your grip on the lat pulldown bar impacts which muscles are targeted and the range of motion of the exercise. Choosing the right size grip width helps stretch the lats to their full potential and makes them work harder.

1. Narrow Grip

A narrow grip puts more focus on the lats and middle and lower traps. It also provides a good range of motion for the biceps. Use a grip that is closer than shoulder-width.

2. Wide Grip

A wide grip enhances the emphasis on the rhomboids and rear deltoids. A grip that is significantly wider than shoulder-width. This will naturally force you into an overhand grip, causing your elbows to flare out.

Know More: 20 Best Cable Back Exercises For Wider And Strong Back

Lats Pulldown Muscle Worked

The Lat Pulldown primarily targets the muscles of the upper back, specifically the latissimus dorsi. However, the exercise also engages a variety of other secondary and stabilizing muscles to a some extent.

1. Primary Muscles Worked During Lat Pulldown

• Latissimus Dorsi: The large, flat muscles that cover the middle and lower back. The lats help the shoulder joint move up and down, so they are worked a lot when doing a lat pulldown.

2. Lat Pulldown Secondary Muscles Worked

• Rhomboids: Located between the scapulae, the rhomboids aid in adduction and retraction of the scapulae. They assist the lats during pulldown.
• Trapezius: The trapezius supports scapular retraction and elevation. The mid and lower traps are engaged during pulldown.
• Posterior Deltoid: It is also known as the rear deltoid muscle, which is located on the backside of the shoulders. It also works when you do lat pulldown.
• Levator Scapulae: This muscle helps in elevating the scapula and is engaged when you pull down the bar.
• Teres Major: This muscle is located near the lats and aids in shoulder adduction and medial rotation.
• Infraspinatus and Teres Minor: These are part of the rotator cuff muscles and are engaged for shoulder stabilization.

3. Stabilizing Muscles Worked Pulldown

• Biceps Brachii: Your biceps work as a stabilizer and are involved in the elbow flexion part of the exercise.
• Brachialis: Located underneath the biceps, this muscle also aids in elbow flexion.
• Brachioradialis: This is a muscle of the forearm that assists in flexing the elbow.
• Serratus Anterior: This muscle helps with the movement and stability of the scapula, supporting it during the downward pull.
• Core Muscles: While not targeted, your core muscles engage to stabilize your torso during the exercise.

How To Do Lat Pulldown

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to perform the Lat Pulldown with proper form.

1. Adjust the thigh pads and choose a weight on the lat pulldown machine that works for you.
2. Sit down and place your legs under the pads to secure your knees.
3. Grip the bar using a wide overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder width. Arms should be fully extended overhead.
4. Keep your back straight while sitting up straight and slightly lean back.
5. Pull the bar downwards towards your upper chest. To perform this action, focus on using your lats, not your biceps.
6. Your elbows should be pointing downwards and a bit to the rear as you pull the bar.
7. Pull the bar down until it almost touches your upper chest. Don’t swing the torso.
8. Focus on squeezing your lats at the bottom of the movement for maximum muscle engagement.
9. Release the bar back to the starting position with your arms fully extended and feel the stretch in your lats.
10. Repeat for the desired number of reps without letting the shoulders or arms take over.

Common Mistakes To Be Avoided During Pulldown

Even though lat pulldown exercise is very popular, many people make common mistakes when they do it.Here are some of the things you should avoid:

1. Leaning Too Far Back

Excessively leaning back can disengage the latissimus dorsi and put unnecessary strain on your lower back. Maintain an upright posture, leaning slightly back, just enough to prevent the bar from hitting your face.

2. Using Momentum

Using body momentum to jerk the weight down makes the exercise less effective and increases the risk of getting hurt. Use a controlled, steady movement, both while pulling the bar down and releasing it back up.

3. Partial Range of Motion

Not pulling the bar down low enough or not doing the top portion of the exercise can limit the effectiveness of the exercise.

Make sure you fully extend your arms at the starting position and pull the bar down at the upper chest level. Additionally, focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement.

4. Incorrect Grip

Gripping the bar too wide or too narrow can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise and potentially cause strain on your wrists and shoulders.

Use a grip that’s wider than your shoulders, but still comfortable. Keep your palms facing away from you.

5. Elbow Flare Out

Flaring the elbows too far out or dragging them too far back can reduce lat engagement and put stress on the shoulders.

You should keep your elbows pointing downward and to the rear during the movement.

6. Neglecting Scapular Movement

Failing to retract the shoulder blades means you’re not fully engaging the back muscles. Before pulling the bar, slightly retract your shoulder blades to engage the upper back.

7. Pulling the Bar Behind the Neck

This can put extra stress on the shoulder joints and make the exercise less effective at targeting the lats. Pull the bar down in front of you, towards your upper chest.

(Note: Some people can perform behind-the-neck pulldowns without issues, but it’s generally not recommended for most due to the risk of shoulder strain.)

8. Using Too Much Weight

Lifting too heavy a weight can compromise your form and increase the risk of injury. Make sure you choose a weight that will allow you to complete the desired number of reps with good form.

Benefits Of Lat Pulldown

The lat pulldown is a gym staple for building a muscular, V-shaped upper back. It offers many benefits, including build strength and mass. There are several good reasons why lat pulldowns are a good exercise to include in your back workout regime.

1. Builds a Stronger back

The lat pulldown exercise is highly effective for developing a strong, muscular back. Building strength in the lats not only provides the pulling power required in daily life and sports, but also promotes a stable, upright posture.

2. Improves Posture

Proper posture is vital for health and aesthetic appeal. Maintaining good posture prevents injury and wear-and-tear damage to the vertebrae and spine over time.

The lat pulldown exercise enhances posture by training the muscles involved in scapular depression and retraction. As you perform lat pulldowns, scapular depressors and retractors like the lower trapezius and rhomboids are activated. This strengthens the ability to hold the shoulders down and back for better posture.

3. Builds Muscle Mass

Many bodybuilders want a wide, V-shaped back. This aesthetic look is achieved by increasing the size and thickness of the latissimus dorsi, the largest back muscle. Regular lat pulldown exercises can help the lats grow bigger and stronger.

4. Prevents back pain

The back contains a complex arrangement of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the vulnerable spine. Back pain is commonly caused by weak spinal extensors or an unstable lower back. Strengthening the lats through lat pulldowns helps stabilize the lower back and may reduce back pain.

5. Is a versatile exercise

Lat pulldown can be done with a variety of grips, which allows you to target different muscle groups.

The wide grip lat pulldown targets the lats more, while the narrow grip lat pulldown targets the biceps more.

The reverse grip lat pulldown targets the biceps and forearms more than other variations. The neutral grip lat pulldown targets the middle back muscles.

6. Beginner Friendly Exercise

The lat pulldown is an ideal beginner exercise due to its simple movement pattern and ease of learning. Unlike technical lifts that require careful technique, the pulldown uses a natural pulling motion. After just a few practice sets, most trainees can coordinate the motion of drawing the bar down to the torso.

Also, you can change the weight to fit your ability level. New lifters can quickly self-correct and master proper pulldown form with a little practice.

7. Improves Grip Strength

Lat pulldowns are a great exercise for improving grip strength. The pulling exercise requires you to hold on to the wide bar while you control moderate to heavy loads. This keeps the hands and forearms busy throughout the set to build strong gripping power.

Lat Pulldown Variations

The lat pulldown exercise is a versatile exercise that can be performed in many different ways to target various muscles in the back. There are several popular lat pulldown variations that can be used to add variety to your workout routine.

Other variations include the close-grip, reverse-grip, and neutral grip pulldown, as well as different grip widths.

1. Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

The wide grip lat pulldown uses a grip wider than shoulder-width to target the lats, especially the wider outer fibers.

How To Do

1. Sit down on the lat pulldown machine.
2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Lean back slightly so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
4. Pull the bar down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
5. Pause for a second at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back to the starting position.

2. Close Grip Lat Pulldown

The Close Grip Lat Pulldown is a variation of the traditional Lat Pulldown exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) but places more emphasis on the middle and lower portions of the trapezius, as well as the biceps.

It’s performed using a narrow or close-grip handle attachment.

How To Do

1. Use a grip just inside shoulder-width with palms facing away.
2. Initiate the movement by depressing the shoulder blades downwards.
3. Pull the bar straight down to your upper chest.
4. Squeeze your lats hard at the bottom contracted position.
5. Slowly return the bar back to the starting position with control.
6. Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides throughout the movement.

3. Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

The Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown, is performed with an underhand grip (palms facing towards you). The reverse grip places greater emphasis on the lower lats compared to other variations.

The underhand grip results in higher bicep activation due to the natural biomechanics of the movement.

How To Do

• Grasp the bar with a reverse grip with an underhand, knuckles-up grip.
• Pull the bar down until it’s approximately level with the chin.
• Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement.
• Slowly return the bar back to starting position with control.
• Repeat the exercise for the desired number of reps

4. Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

The single-arm lat pulldown isolates one side of the back at a time by using a single grip handle attachment.

The exercise is a unilateral exercise that can help correct muscle imbalances. The single-arm version permits a greater range of motion, which can lead to improved muscle activation.

How to Do

1. Attach a single handle grip to the lat pulldown machine.
2. Grab the handle in one hand using an overhand grip.
3. Pull the handle down towards your side until it touches the upper chest.
4. Squeeze the working lat hard and pause briefly.
5. Slowly return the handle back to the starting position with control.
6. Complete all reps for one side before switching.

5. V-Bar Lat Pulldown

It will primarily target the back, you will also notice a fair amount of bicep and middle back activation.

The back is a muscle group that requires a fair amount of variation. So, experiment with several different angles and hand positions to maximize your back muscle growth.

How To Do

1. Attach a V handle to the high pulley of a lat-pulldown station.
2. Grab the handles with your palms facing each other.
3. Keep your upper back straight, pull the V handle down and bring it up to the chest.
4. As you pull down, squeeze your shoulder blades together and feel back muscles contracting.
5. Now release the bar with controlled motion and stretch your lats as much as possible.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

6. Behind-the-Neck Lat Pulldown

The Behind-the-Neck Lat Pulldown is a variation of the standard Lat Pulldown exercise, where the bar is pulled down behind the head rather than in front of the chest.

Though this variation can offer some unique benefits, it’s important to note that it may not be suitable for everyone due to the range of motion it demands from the shoulder joint.

This variation places a different emphasis on the upper portion of the lats compared to the standard pulldown.

(Note: This variation is not recommended for people with shoulder issues.)

How to Do

1. Sit under the machine, securing your thighs under the knee pads.
2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Your hands should be wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position
4. Pull the bar down behind the neck until it lightly touches.
5. Focus on squeezing lats at the bottom.
6. Return slowly to the starting position.

7 Best Lat Pulldown Variations for a Wider, Stronger Back

FAQs

Is lat pulldown good for biceps?

Yes, lat pulldown can be good for biceps, but it depends on the grip you use. A close grip lat pulldown will target the biceps more than a wide grip lat pulldown.

While the primary muscle worked during the lat pulldown is the latissimus dorsi, the biceps are also activated during the exercise.

Is lat pulldown a compound exercise?

Yes, lat pulldown is a compound exercise. . Lat pulldown works the latissimus dorsi (lats), the largest muscle in the back, as well as the biceps, rhomboids, and trapezius. The lat pulldown is also considered to be a vital exercise for developing back strength and increasing overall pulling strength.

Should you lean back on lat pulldown

Yes, you should lean back slightly on lat pulldown. Leaning back slightly helps to engage the lats more and prevents you from using too much momentum to pull the weight down.

If you lean back too far, you can put stress on your shoulders and neck. However, if you don’t lean back at all, you won’t be able to engage the lats as much.

Does lat pulldown work shoulders

Yes, the lat pulldown exercise works the shoulders, but to a lesser extent than the back muscles. The primary muscle worked during the lat pulldown is the latissimus dorsi, but the exercise also targets the teres major, rhomboids, and rear deltoids.

Conclusion

The Lat Pulldown is a versatile and highly effective exercise for targeting the muscles in your back, particularly the latissimus dorsi.

It’s multiple variations—ranging from the Classic Lat Pulldown to the Single-Arm and Reverse Grip versions. Each variation offers its unique set of benefits.

It’s important to note that while these exercises target the primary muscle, the latissimus dorsi, they also engage secondary muscles such as the biceps, rhomboids, and trapezius, among others.

Whatever variation you choose, make sure to have proper form and technique to avoid common mistakes and reduce the risk of injury.

References

• Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., Wiik, E., Skoglund, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2014). Effects of grip width on muscle strength and activation in the lat pull-down. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(4), 1135-1142. doi:10.1097/JSC.0000000000000232
• Lusk, S. J., Hale, B. D., & Russell, D. M. (2010). Grip width and forearm orientation effects on muscle activity during the lat pull-down. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(7), 1895-1900.
• Lehman, G. J., Buchan, D. D., Lundy, A., Myers, N., & Nalborczyk, A. (2004). Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 500-506.
• Snyder, B., & Leech, J. (2009). Voluntary Increase in Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Activity During the Lat Pull-Down Following Expert Instruction. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(8), 2204-2209. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181bb7213
• Sperandei, S., Barros, M., Silveira-Júnior, P., & Oliveira, C. (2009). Electromyographic Analysis of Three Different Types of Lat Pull-Down. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(7), 2033-2038. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b8d30a