- Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
- Grab the bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
- As you breathe out, bring the bar down until it touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the bar; therefore do not try to pull down the bar using the forearms.
- After a second at the contracted position squeezing your shoulder blades together, slowly raise the bar back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched. Inhale during this portion of the movement.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Variations: The behind the neck variation is not recommended as it can be hard on the rotator cuff due to the hyperextension created by bringing the bar behind the neck.
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Mar 26, 2013 3:03 PM: any alternatives to this for at home with no equipment but barbells??
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Jan 24, 2013 8:55 PM: You might want to edit the video...it says to exhale both while you pull down and bring back up the bar.
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Dec 19, 2012 6:55 AM: For some reason I can't feel it that much in my lats and only feel it more in my biceps. Any tips?
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Tip: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Nov 26, 2012 5:55 PM: Don't cheat
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Aug 23, 2012 7:28 AM: Working hard on these at the moment...usually kick off a session with them. Up to 50kg now, so hoping this will build me up to being able to do pullups!
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Jul 3, 2012 7:00 AM: I love this routine, but don't have the machine..do i just do pullups with the band?
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Apr 12, 2012 5:10 AM: this is an awsome excercise try doing a close grip pulddown viriation you will never know what hit you
check out brandon curry on you tube to find out how its done
of people found this review helpful
Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Dec 19, 2011 12:09 PM: My favorite exercise using the cable system on my home gym!
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Review: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Dec 5, 2011 2:22 AM: while doing this exercise, my palms gets in pain easily why is that, i can't hold it for long
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Tip: Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Sep 29, 2011 12:15 AM: 100 lbs