WhatWorksWhat.
Lats

Lat Pulldown

Lats engaging from the very first inch of the pull.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Cable machine
  • Biceps
  • Lats
  • Lats - Upper lats
  • Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Upper lats
  • Lower lats

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Upper lats

    Hit

    Width - hit by wide grip vertical pulls.

  • Lower lats

    Not hit

    Thickness - hit by close grip and pullovers.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

0:57· Jesse James West

Jeff Nippard FIXED my lat pulldowns

Top (stretch)

Bottom

Wide pronated grip, slight backward lean (~15°). Pull the bar to the upper chest by driving elbows down. Don't let momentum take over on the way up.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the bar behind the neck - shoulder hazard, no extra benefit.
  • Curling the bar to the chest with the biceps.

Where you should feel it

Lats engaging from the very first inch of the pull.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains lats. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Single-arm cable pulldown

    One arm.

    95% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Close-grip neutral

    V-handle, palms in.

    90% on target

    On target

    Lower lats.

  • Reverse-grip (supinated)

    Palms facing you.

    80% on target

    On target

    Adds biceps.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Downward Dog

    Hands and feet on the floor, hips in the air making an inverted V. Press the heels toward the floor. Pedal the heels alternately for a stronger calf stretch. 45s.

    CalvesHamstringsLatsFront delts