Gym Planner

Lats

Lat Pulldown

Beginner Cable Compound Lats

How to do it

  1. Set the thigh pads snug so your body cannot lift off the seat when you pull.

  2. Take a grip just outside shoulder width, sit with your chest up and lean back about 15 degrees.

  3. Start with straight arms and press the shoulders down before the elbows bend.

  4. Pull the bar toward your collarbones, driving the elbows down toward your hips.

  5. Hold for a second with the bar near your chest and squeeze the shoulder blades.

  6. Return the bar slowly over 3 seconds until the arms straighten and the shoulders rise slightly.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the bar behind the neck, which is a poor position for the shoulder joint.

  • Rocking the torso far back like a row just to move the stack.

  • Letting the bar snap back up and wasting the valuable lowering phase.

  • Gripping so wide that the elbows cannot travel downward.

Tips

  • Hook the thumbs over the bar with the fingers (false grip) so the pull is felt in the back, not the arms.

  • Work in the 8-12 rep range and only add weight while you can still lower for 3 seconds.

Secondary muscles

Alternatives

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