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When it comes to building an impressive physique, lat pull-down exercise should be included as one of the primary exercises in the routine.
The latissimus dorsi muscles, commonly known as ‘lats’- are the large V-shaped muscles that connect your arms to your vertebral column. They help in protecting and stabilizing your spine while providing shoulder and back strength. Your lat muscles play a major role in shoulder and arm movement and in supporting good posture.
Many of us tend to exclude lat pulldown as the primary workout in the routine and instead tend to focus more on rows and deadlifts. However, proper form is difficult to achieve with pull-ups alone, and if you want to build physically appealing lats, the lat pull-down is the exercise for you.
Lat Pulldown Exercises and Benefits
If you think lat pulldown exercise is too basic, here are a few variations you can try in this exercise to improve the impact and develop your overall strength:
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
The wide-grip lat pull-down exercise can be surely opted for if you’re looking to increase the width of your back and for overall strength development. While performing the wide-grip lat pull-down, make sure to squeeze and retract your shoulder blades for optimal muscle activation; avoiding leaning too far back during the exercise. It will also help you with your pull-up strength, allowing you to work your lats with good form through the entire range of motion.
Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
Most people practice the traditional bilateral lat pull-down using both hands together as it maximizes the amount of weight you can lift. However, when it comes to feeling the mind-muscle connection and maximizing the squeeze at the bottom of the lift, the single-arm lat pull-down is the one to be preferred. You can use a lighter weight and slow down the tempo during this workout. With each repetition, hold at the bottom for a few seconds before slowly releasing back up to the top for the complete strength and muscle-building effects through this exercise.
Behind the Neck Lat Pulldown
Many believe that this lat pull-down variation places too much stress and strain on the body hence it is often overlooked. While this may be due to a lack of shoulder flexibility for some, many can comfortably incorporate this movement pattern into their workout without pain and hence would be able to gain the benefits it offers. Ensure to start with lighter weights and more repetitions. The risk of injury can’t be completely ruled out, hence to opt for this safely, you can try this exercise in the gym paying close attention to how it feels while performing this exercise. If this movement feels comfortable then you may consider it in your routine.
Reverse Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
Another lat pull-down variation that can be included in your workout routine is the reverse close-grip lat pull-down. Your lower lats would be targeted effectively with this exercise variation and will also help in activating your biceps by mimicking the action of a chin-up. The closer you position your hands on the bar, the more activation you’ll get in your center back, hence this variation can be opted for as a strength-building exercise as well.
Lat Pull Down Exercise Mistakes
Beginners are recommended to start with lighter weights and ensure that the correct form is being followed. If you have any wrist, elbow, or shoulder problems, consult a doctor or a physiotherapist to see if this exercise is appropriate for you. Here are a few errors that can be avoided to get maximum benefits from this exercise.
Using Your Forearm
Your forearms should not be doing the work of pulling the bar down, the pulling force should be imparted from your back. Activate/engage your lats by pulling down from the back muscles below the armpits.
Holding the Bar Too Wide
You should only grab the bar just outside the line of your shoulders, but not too wide, especially if you’re a beginner. Make sure to keep your elbows pointed downwards (and not pointing outwards) as you lower the bar.
Arching Your Back
Your chest should be lifted while sitting upright as you pull the bar down, maintaining a neutral spine position can help protect your lower back from injury.
Pulling Down Too Far
Your pulling range should stop at the point where your elbows are almost parallel to your body (if gone beyond this point your elbows would go behind to continue pulling the cable down). If the elbows go backward it will put excessive stress on the shoulder joint which may lead to strain or injury.
Using Momentum
Like most weight training exercises, perform the pulldown slowly and with control. Doing it fast creates momentum and this takes away the impact of this exercise needed on the targeted muscles.
Lat Pulldown Machines
Out of the various equipment brands, Into Wellness/Realleader USA offers multiple lat pull-down machine options to choose from. Into Wellness/Realleader USA manufactures these ergonomically accurate machines with superior material using scientific designs.
Following are some of the Into Wellness Lat PullDown Machines which impact the lat muscles effectively:
M2 1013 and 1013A have wide and narrow handlebars for a comfortable grip and arm position for different users. These machines have adjustable roller pads that secure the thighs and torso in place while working out.
PF 1004 is a great combo machine that provides dual back exercises. It offers a compound workout that activates several other muscles such as biceps, triceps, trapezius, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi. This machine consists of an extra-long bench to accommodate users of different heights and adjustable thigh hold-down rollers for stable support during the workout. Also, the ergonomically placed footrest helps in efficient rowing.
HS 1006 is another beneficial machine where the muscles of the forearm act as helpers along with the other muscles of the rotator cuff assisting the pulldown action on this machine. The iso-lateral motion of this machine allows for equal strength development and muscle stimulation.
Into Wellness FM series has various Multi Jungle machines such as FM 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 2004, 2006, 3002, 3003 that include lat pull down as one of the units.
Conclusion
Don’t let yourself get stuck in a monotonous lat pull-down exercise, instead, maximize your results by alternating between a couple of the above-mentioned variations per session to build an appealing and well-built back. Variations of traditional exercises help prevent the leveling off of your strength progress (that occurs around 4-6 months into a routine) and with so many great options, the lat pull-down will never feel mundane again.
