Besides just targeting your lats, this exercise will engage your biceps and middle back a bit more than a traditional lat pull down. These exercises can be a variety of open-and-closed-chain exercises. > Exhale during the concentric phase of the exercise. Its a great exercise to help you get acquainted with your rhomboids. The high volume can help to build strength and muscle. Rows are an excellent exercise to hit the middle lats. Note: Let your arms become fully extended before completing the next rep in order to get maximum stretch in the lats. The lat pulldown might be one of the most common exercises youll see people do in the gym. Hes was an adjunct faculty member for California University Pennsylvania (2010-2018) teaching graduate-level courses in Corrective Exercise, Performance Enhancement, and Health and Fitness and currently serves as a Content and Production Manager for NASM. Many people let their egos get in the way with lat pull downs and try to go too heavy. Pull the bar down toward your collarbone, focusing on pulling your elbows and shoulder blades down. While swinging the torso creates momentum and the ability to use heavier loads, it places less emphasis on the latissimus dorsi and scapulae retractors and more activation of the lumbar erector spinae muscle groups (muscles of the low-back).
However, as already discussed the lat pulldown is an effective exercise for strengthening many muscles of the back. See the above step by step instructions on how to do lat pull downs at home. The latissimus dorsi muscles, or lats, are the wing muscles you see on someone with a defined back. The barbell glute bridge is an effective exercise to warm up, tone, and strengthen your gluteal muscles and core. Angle: In certain lat pulldown variations like the V-bar lat pulldown you can lean your upper body back slightly which will allow you to lift more weight and get a fuller range of motion during the exercise. The lats are expansive they originate from the mid and lower spine, the top of the pelvis, the lower ribs, and the lower scapula and insert on the front of the humerus (upper arm bone). Slowly return the bar to overhead. Examining the different research findings, it may be slightly advantageous to use a medium or wide pronated grip to activate and strengthen the latissimus dorsi. The primary function of the rhomboids is to assist in the movement of the scapula. 2005-2022 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Related: Best Posterior Delt Dumbbell Exercises. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the lat pulldown exercise including movement requirements, joint actions, and involved musculature.
For the sake of this post, we will cover the muscles worked when doing traditional lat pulldowns. Online workout programs provide a convenient way to stay active without stepping foot in a gym. During this phase, a common mistake is to allow the bar to rise too quickly.
Reduce Injuries: Performing lat pulldowns properly and consistently will strengthen your back. Lat pushdowns are perfect for hitting the lower lats. Considering the fact, youre doing lat pulldowns, the chances are that youre trying to build your lats. Even though the lats is a single muscle, in fitness circles youll often hear trainers refer to the upper, middle and lower lats. This version isolates the lats much more than the other versions. Besides looking bad-ass, the cable crossover lat pulldown is an excellent exercise to work the back. You can perform this exercise as you would the straight-arm version above or by bending your elbows and pulling them to the sides of your body. This muscle flexes the forearm at the elbow and helps with gripping the bar when doing lat pull downs. Electromyographic Analysis of Three Different Types of Lat Pull-Down. Follow the same cues as a traditional lat pull down except for your hand placement which will be slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart. Keep the volume relatively low to avoid overtraining and unnecessary muscle soreness. You can kneel or stand, depending on where your anchor point may be. Lat pulldowns are a good match to follow the progressive overload principle to help you build muscle and strength. The rear delt plays an important role in many pulling exercises. It is deeper than the biceps and doesnt play any role in pronation or supination of the forearm. You may prefer pulling to mid chest. Dont miss this exercise that can help you to put on size and strength. The levator scapulae, rhomboids and pec minor work in unison to execute the downward rotation of the scapulae. Another interesting study on lat pulldowns and how the grip changes muscle activation was done in 2009. As you may have guessed, lat pulldowns are mainly targeting the latissimus dorsi but there are a number of muscles that come into play when doing lat pulldowns. What Is The FITT Principle & How Can You Use It? Grasp the bar with a supinated. Another reason why people tend to use their biceps when doing lat pulldowns is because the weight theyre lifting is too heavy. Beginners tend to engage the biceps too much when doing lat pulldowns. Almost anytime you walk into a gym youll see someone doing lat pulldowns but often times the form and technique is a bit off. Grip Width and Forearm Orientation Effects on Muscle Activity During the Lat Pull-Down. However the wide-grip performed to the front of the neck produced the greatest latissimus dorsi activation.
Also known as a lengthening contraction and as the negative during resistance training exercises.Concentric Muscle Contraction: When a muscle exerts force while shortening. Start with a relatively light weight and focus on optimizing technique. The lats are the primary mover when doing lat pulldowns, they do most of the heavy lifting. This means you should bring the bar as close to your chest as possible at the bottom of the movement while also letting your arms fully extend as the bar returns to starting position. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 26(12), 1875-1878. doi:10.1589/jpts.26.1875Yip, C., Chiu, T., & Poon, A. The exercise offers multiple variations that you can perform with very little adjustment other than changing the handle youre using. Grasp the bar a little wider than shoulder width. Overall, this is a great lat pull down variation that offers a full range of motion and activates the entire lats. How To Fix: Try placing your thumb on top of the bar rather than wrapping fully around the bar to help with the mind muscle connection. You should notice that your biceps are more active during this version.
Stretching under tension is an aspect of muscle building that should be taken advantage of. Try our quick fix tips to ensure youre doing lat pulldowns in the most effective and safe way. You can mix up the training variables with both exercises to target the lats differently. Working on the width of the back helps to develop the often-sought-after V tapered look. How To Fix: To offset this awkwardness, set the knee pad at a height that will keep you in place when seated but is high enough to allow you to use it for leverage when sitting down. You will be able to lift more weight when doing the V bar lat pulldown because more muscles will be activated. All youll need is a towel to do this lat pulldown. Extend your arms as much as you can without shrugging your shoulders or lifting off the seat. Ladies, lat pulldowns are great for both genders, and they, in combination with several other best women's back exercises, can sculpt and tone your back muscles. Variety is an important part of making progress in the weight room. Avoid letting the low-back arch, the head to jut forward, or the shoulders to shrug during this motion in order to maintain an ideal and safe posture. The wide grip lat pulldown is one of the favorite exercises of bodybuilders to hone in on working the upper area of the lats.
> Adjust the lat pulldown machine to fit your body. Latissimus dorsi: More commonly referred to as the lats, this is the largest and broadest muscle in the back and the upper body. The biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis help to flex the elbow and grip the bar as you pull down. Kinematic and electromyographic comparisons between chin-ups and lat-pull down exercises. The lat pulldown is a compound exercise designed to target many muscles of the back, most notably the latissimus dorsi (Figure 1). Improve Confidence: Lat pulldowns are one of the best exercises to widen the back. When doing lat pulldowns youll be able mix up your body positioning in a few ways including: Grip: Lat pulldowns can be done with different grips that will slightly change muscles worked. Slowly return to the starting position. Then use this force to push your body down to the seat instead of having to pull the bar down to get into place. Voluntary Increase in Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Activity During the Lat Pull-Down Following Expert Instruction. You can also injure your shoulders and/or spine by pulling the weight down behind your head. While behind-the-neck pulldowns can effectively target the latissimus dorsi, the pros do not outweigh the cons. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. The goal is to maximize pulling strength while keeping your shoulders safe from injury or impingement.
Brian Sutton is a 20-year veteran in the health and fitness industry, working as a personal trainer, author, and content manager. Fast-Twitch Vs. Slow-Twitch Muscle Fiber Types + Training Tips, Sagittal, Frontal and Transverse Body Planes: Exercises & Movements, Resting Metabolic Rate: How to Calculate and Improve Yours, The Connection Between Diet and Mental Health, What to Look for in an Employee Wellness Program, 4 Reasons Why Postbiotics Are Beneficial for Your Gut Health, > Posterior Deltoid (back of the shoulder muscle), > Triceps brachii (back of upper arm muscle). The researchers compared three different pronated grip widths: close, medium and wide-grips (1, 1.5, and 2 times biacromial distance) using electromyographic (EMG) activity. Mix up the sets and reps along with the lat pull down variations youre doing every 1-2 mesocycles and employ, Benefits Of Lat Pulldowns (this applies to all lat pull down variations). To adduct and extend the arm the posterior deltoid and the teres major go to work while the rotator cuff muscles (infraspinatus and teres minor, subscapularis) help with stabilization of the glenohumeral joint. The lat pulldown is a good substitute if you have difficulty performing pullups.
It can and should be supplemented with other closed-chain strength training exercises such as the pull-up or chin-up. The lat pull down is a compound movement that primarily targets the lats and is considered to be a vital exercise for developing back strength and increasing overall pulling strength. Perform this version as you would the standard-grip lat pulldown.
This will enable you to pull more weight while your shoulders arent compromised. How To Fix: You should feel a stretch in your lats at the start of the exercise then lower the bar all the way to your chest without curling your wrists. Posterior Deltoid: Also called the rear delt, this is one of the three deltoids that comprise the shoulder muscles. It also changes the movement from a multi-joint exercise to a single-joint movement at the shoulders. Electromyographic Comparison of Standard and Modified Closed-Chain Isometric Knee Extension Exercises. This article reviews the 8 best Hoka running shoes of. The rhomboids are beneath the traps and stretch form the spine to the medial region of the scapula. However, given its popularity and adaptability, its often performed incorrectly or in a way that may cause more injury than benefit. See the online fitness platforms our expert handpicked. Once you start lifting heavier weight with the lat pulldown it becomes trickier to get into starting position, especially if the weight is heavier than you are. Even if you can do unassisted pull ups, you should try to mix in some lat pulldowns. Keep your back straight, but try not to arch or round as you pull down. Concentric Phase (pulling bar towards the chest), > Shoulder adduction> Shoulder horizontal abduction> Elbow flexion> Scapulae downward rotation> Scapulae retraction, Eccentric Phase (returning to the start position), > Shoulder abduction> Shoulder horizontal adduction> Elbow extension> Scapulae upward rotation> Scapulae protraction. The relationship between head posture and severity and disability of patients with neck pain. Note: Keep tension on the towel the whole time by pulling your hands away from each other.
Here are. As confidence grows, fitness enthusiasts can begin to explore a variety of grip positions. Some speculate this exercise may even cause greater risk to the rotator cuff musculature.
> Pull the bar toward your chest, by flexing your elbows while simultaneously performing shoulder adduction and scapulae retraction/depression (squeeze your shoulder blades together). Sports Biomechanics, 12(3), 302-313.Fernndez-De-Las-Peas, C., Cuadrado, M., & Pareja, J. Lower Lats: Movements that involve shoulder extension. They did not record any major differences in biceps brachii or middle trapezius activation amongst the varying grips. Related: Cable Pullover Exercise Guide & Best Variations. Biacromial distance: The length measured from the end of one shoulder to the end of the opposite shoulder. By improving the strength and functionality of the back muscles you will reduce your chance of injuring your back while doing every day pulling activities. At the end of the day, you should be doing both lat pulldowns and pull ups if possible.
There are multiple possibilities of exercises if you change your grip and the attachment used. Theyre the prime movers of this multi-joint exercise, and theyre the largest muscles in your back. Closed-chain exercises are physical movements in which the hands or feet are in a fixed position with an immobile surface (such as the ground or fixed anchor point) and cannot move. Train To Failure: Lat pulldowns are one of the best cable machine back exercises because you can push yourself to the absolute limits without needing a spotter.
Adjust the pads so your knees are placed securely underneath. Brachioradialis: This muscle found on the anterior of the forearm is the most superficial muscle on the radial side of the forearm. Lat pulldowns can help to alleviate this slouching by working the muscles that are responsible for keeping our shoulders back. Remember: Good form is critical, especially when increasing the weight youre lifting. There are some variations of the lat pulldown exercise including the close-grip pulldown, wide-grip pulldown, reverse-grip (supination) pulldown, and neutral-grip pulldown (to name a few). In addition, youll want to decrease the weight to allow for a greater range of motion. The kneeling neutral grip lat pulldown is an awesome exercise to get a full stretch in the lats. Teres Major: This is the larger of the teres muscles, the teres major helps with the extension and medial rotation of the humerus. It provides an alternative to the pullup when youre not yet strong enough to perform one without assistance. The Biomechanics of the Lat Pulldown: Muscles Worked, Grips, & Form, Brian Sutton, MA, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CNC, CES, PES, Isometric Exercises: Examples, Benefits, and Applications, The Muscles Used in Squats - Squat Biomechanics Explained, Bench Press Targeted Muscles, Grips, and Movement Patterns, Body Types: How to Train & Diet for Your Somatotype. Adjust the knee pad so your knees are bent at 90 degrees and firmly under the pad and your feet are flat on the floor.
Also, because youre seated during the lat pulldown, you can use your hip flexors and abdominals to stabilize your body as you perform it. There are variations in grip positions a person can use when performing the lat pulldown exercise. Most people dont have a lat pulldown machine in their home gym so you can use resistance bands or even a towel to mimic the lat pulldown. Note: Hone in on the mind-muscle connection of using your lats to push down the bar towards your hips. Resistance bands are awesome for lat pulldowns because they place continuous tension on your muscles but result in less wear and tear on your joints. Heres all you need to know to perform the lat pulldown safely and effectively the next time youre in the gym. No excuses! While there are fewer studies investigating the lat pulldown compared to more popular exercises such as the squat or bench press, there is ample evidence describing its effectiveness for targeting many muscles of the back and arms (Lusk et al., 2010; Synder & Leech, 2009; Sperandei et al., 2009; Signorile, Zink, & Szwed, 2002). When doing lat pulldowns youll be able mix up your body positioning in a few ways including: looked at how the lats were activated when comparing three different pronated grips: wide, medium and close grip. You can do the straight arm lat pulldown with a bar attachment, rope attachment or with resistance bands. Headache Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 47(5), 662-672.Lusk, S., Hale, B., & Russell, D. (2010). Their findings suggested a pronated-grip (both wide and narrow) activates the latissimus dorsi more so than a supinated-grip. The single arm or one arm lat pulldown enables you to achieve balanced muscle and strength gains on both sides of your body. Reach up and grasp the bar a little wider than shoulder width. Did you know you work a lot of muscles just attempting a pullup? However, there is one major distinction. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(7), 2033-2038. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b8d30aUar, M., Koca, I., Eroglu, M., Eroglu, S., Sarp, U., Arik, H., & Yetisgin, A. In addition, you can vary the exercise to target your back in a variety of ways and adjust it to your comfort level. This muscle is found above the lats and attaches to the humerus. You need to get a full range of motion and stretch while doing the lat pulldown.
Protein and Weight Loss: How Much Protein Do You Need to Eat Per Day? Keep the trunk stabilized and avoid swinging the torso throughout the movement. Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead Workout Routine & Diet, The Best Arm Workouts for Women to Build Muscle, Arnold Press: Correct Form & Programming Tips. How To Fix: Try switching up your grip by doing wide grip lat pulldowns, close grip lat pulldowns, straight arm lat pulldowns and more.
Close grip is considered any hand position narrower than shoulder width. Make sure your toes are under your knees so that you can now push through your toes to create some leverage to hold your lower body down. The wide grip lat pulldown will be little more difficult to do compared with the regular lat pulldown, so remember to drop the weight a little and check your ego at the door. Differentiate various grip positions of the lat pulldown. They found similar activation of the latissumis dorsi between all three grips during the concentric phase of the exercise. Eccentric Muscle Action: When a muscle exerts force while lengthening, usually because it is returning from a shortened (concentric) position to its natural resting position. This movement mimics a dumbbell pullover which will give you a complete range of motion. Proper technique should be the emphasis before adding additional load or focusing on maximal lifts. The lat pulldown is a great exercise to target your lats, but it also works a variety of other muscles that work together to extend and adduct your arms. You can even switch up your grip with the same attachment enabling you to be as efficient and effective as possible. Fitness trackers are a great way to measure your daily activities and health stats. Now you can see how the lat pull down is an amazing compound movement that recruits multiple muscles in order to properly perform it. Biceps Brachii: One of the most popular and well-known upper body muscles, the biceps is comprised of two heads; the long head and short head found on the front of the upper arm. Preserve a natural lordosis curvature of the lumbar spine throughout the entire lift. The authors found numerous differences between all of the grip positions. Many people might mistake this for a shoulder muscle but it is indeed a back muscle that plays an important role in lat pulldowns. Lat pulldowns are one of the best compound exercises to work the lats to exhaustion. However, anyone who experiences shoulder pain should seek medical clearance before returning to their exercise program. Everyone can benefit from doing this amazing compound exercise. This version is good if you experience forearm pain when pulling down or if youre pressed for time and want a compound exercise to work those biceps. By switching up this body positioning you can target the lats differently. Make sure to mix it up with some of the lat pull down variations that we covered above so that you dont get bored. This means besides just working large muscles like the lats, youll also hit synergist muscles that aid the lats including the traps, teres major and rhomboids. You can also perform this variation while lying on your back, with the band anchored to a solid and stationary point above and behind the crown of your head. How To Fix: You can try to use chalk, work on improving your grip strength or use wrist straps/wraps. This leads to more strength and muscle gains. Pull ups and lat pulldowns are both great exercises in their own respect. Avoid pulling the bar down behind you to the back of your neck. Maintain good control and try not to lean back too far as you pull down. This means for most people you should be doing lat pulldown or a variation at least once a week for 3-4 sets. If youve been performing the exercise the same way for a while, try changing your grip and feel the difference it makes. The researchers compared activation of the latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, and biceps brachii muscle groups using four different grips; wide-pronated, wide-supinated, narrow-pronated, and narrow-supinated.
(2009). This exercise should be done in a slow controlled manner. So, if youre aiming for an exercise that will torch both the back and biceps at the same time then this is the one for you. Overhand Grip (pronated) or Underhand Grip (Supinated) Lat Pulldowns: The overhand grip is when your palms face away from you, thus working the upper lats more compared with using an underhand grip. You should first grip the bar then sag your body and get your knees under the pads. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 27(1), 3-8.Brindle, T., Nyland, J., Ford, K., Coppola, A., & Shapiro, R. (2002). The version described below involves greater usage of the biceps brachii muscle (5). As such, individuals should aim to perform resistance training exercises with a neutral cervical spine posture.In addition, a behind-the-neck lat pulldown may cause greater stress to the shoulder capsule and ligaments. This might be the easiest at home lat pulldown that your can do. When trying to lift too much weight with lat downs form is often jeopardized. If you use a rowing bar, perform the exercise as above. What to Eat After a Workout: Post Workout Meal Ideas, 7 Best Pre-Workout Supplements For Weight Loss. Levator Scapulae: This muscle sits on the back side of the neck. The lat pulldown is one exercise that should be in everyones arsenal if you want a bigger, stronger back and wide lats.
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