Lat Pulldown

The lat pulldown is a machine exercise where you pull a bar down from a cable stack. It trains your lats, the big muscles along the sides of your back, plus your biceps. It is a solid way to build pulling strength if pull-ups are still too tough.

Sit on the seat and adjust the thigh pad so your legs are held firmly in place. Stand up to grab the bar with both hands, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Then sit back down, keep your chest up, feet flat on the floor, and your arms straight overhead.

Pull the bar down toward the top of your chest by driving your elbows down and back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom. Then slowly let the bar rise back up until your arms are straight again. Keep the motion controlled on the way up.

Breathe out as you pull the bar down. Breathe in as the bar rises. To make it easier, choose a lighter setting on the machine or use a closer grip. To make it harder, slow down the lowering phase or use a slightly wider grip.

Fault: Pulling the bar behind your neck. Fix: Pull the bar down to the top of your chest instead. This keeps your shoulders in a better position and lets your lats do the work.

Fault: Rocking your torso or using momentum to yank the bar down. Fix: Keep your torso still and your core engaged throughout the set. If you have to swing back to finish a rep, lower the setting.

Fault: Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears as you pull. Fix: Pull your shoulder blades down and back before you bend your elbows. Keep your shoulders away from your ears on every rep.