Technique
- Sit on the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pads to secure your position.
- Grasp the bar with a wide, overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Pull the bar down toward your upper chest, leading with your elbows.
- Slowly release the bar back to the starting position with control.
Form tips
- Avoid using momentum; focus on controlled pulling and lowering of the weight.
- Engage your lats by squeezing your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement.
- Ensure a full range of motion, pulling the bar down until it nearly touches the chest.
Logging: Total weight used.
Muscles
Strength
Primary
- Back
- Chest
- Biceps
- Forearms
- Serratus anterior
Secondary
- Shoulders
- Triceps
- Rotator cuff
Individual muscles
Individual muscles
- Rhomboid major
- Middle trapezius
- Lower trapezius
- Latissimus dorsi
- Teres major
- Biceps brachii (short head)
- Brachialis
- Brachioradialis
- Serratus anterior
- Pectoralis minor
- Pectoralis major (sternal head)
Equipment
Appears in
Calisthenics skills
Joint movements
Progressions

Pullup
Intermediate

Neutral grip pullup
Intermediate

Chinup
Intermediate

Rings pullup
Intermediate
Regressions

Machine lat pulldown
Beginner
Variations

Machine lat pulldown
Beginner
View Similar Exercises
View Similar Exercises

Weighted chinup
Intermediate

Weighted pullup
Intermediate

Zottman curl
Beginner

Barbell biceps curl
Beginner

Double dumbbell biceps curl
Beginner
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