Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Lats
Set the pulley high and attach a straight bar or a rope.
Stand about a step away from the machine, feet hip-width apart, knees softly bent.
Hold the bar at shoulder width and hinge the torso about 20 degrees forward with a flat back.
Start with nearly straight arms at face height, then sweep the bar down in an arc until it touches your thighs.
Squeeze the lats for a second at the bottom, then let the bar rise slowly back to eye level.
Keep a small fixed bend in the elbows for the entire set.
Bending the elbows so the movement becomes a triceps pushdown.
Crunching the torso down each rep and using the body as a lever.
Going too heavy so the shoulders get pulled forward at the top.
Standing too close to the machine so your body blocks the bar path.
Use it as a warm-up before pull-ups or rows so you actually feel the lats on the heavy work.
12-15 reps with a one-second hold at the bottom gives the best connection.
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