Lats
How to do it
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Set the thigh pads snug so your body cannot lift off the seat when you pull.
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Take a grip just outside shoulder width, sit with your chest up and lean back about 15 degrees.
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Start with straight arms and press the shoulders down before the elbows bend.
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Pull the bar toward your collarbones, driving the elbows down toward your hips.
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Hold for a second with the bar near your chest and squeeze the shoulder blades.
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Return the bar slowly over 3 seconds until the arms straighten and the shoulders rise slightly.
Common mistakes
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Pulling the bar behind the neck, which is a poor position for the shoulder joint.
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Rocking the torso far back like a row just to move the stack.
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Letting the bar snap back up and wasting the valuable lowering phase.
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Gripping so wide that the elbows cannot travel downward.
Tips
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Hook the thumbs over the bar with the fingers (false grip) so the pull is felt in the back, not the arms.
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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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