Lat Pulldown (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Lat Pulldown is a cable-based pulling exercise that targets the lats and builds upper-body strength and width. It mimics the motion of a pull-up but allows you to adjust the resistance, making it more accessible for beginners or useful for higher-volume training.

It’s a staple for developing a strong, muscular back and improving vertical pulling mechanics.

Primary Muscles Worked: Latissimus Dorsi
Secondary Muscles Worked: Biceps, Rhomboids, Trapezius, Rear Deltoids
Equipment Needed: Lat Pulldown Machine

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How To Do Lat Pulldowns

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set-Up:
   • Sit down at the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pad so your legs are secure.
   • Grab the bar with an overhand grip, just outside shoulder-width.
   • Sit tall with a slight lean back and chest lifted.
2. Execution:
   • Pull the bar down toward your upper chest by driving your elbows down and back.
   • Keep your chest up and shoulders pulled away from your ears.
   • Pause briefly at the bottom of the rep, then slowly return the bar to the top with control.
3. Tips for Proper Form:
   • Avoid using momentum—keep the movement smooth and controlled.
   • Don’t pull the bar behind your neck; aim for the upper chest.
   • Focus on pulling with your back, not just your arms.

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Key Benefits

• Builds strength and size in the lats and upper back.
• Supports pull-up progressions for beginners.
• Provides a controlled, adjustable vertical pulling option.

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Modifications and Variations

• Easier Option:
  • Use a closer grip if shoulder mobility is limited.
  • Reduce the weight and focus on slow, controlled reps.
• Harder Option:
  • Use a wider grip to emphasize lat stretch.
  • Add slow eccentrics (3–5 second lowering).
  • Pause at the bottom of each rep for increased time under tension.

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Common Mistakes

• Leaning Too Far Back: Keep your torso mostly upright with just a slight lean.
• Shrugging Shoulders: Pull your shoulder blades down and back as you pull.
• Letting the Bar Snap Up: Control the return to keep tension on the muscles.

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Reps and Sets Recommendations

• For Strength: 3–5 sets of 6–8 reps with heavier weight.
• For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps with moderate weight.
• As Pull-Up Accessory Work: 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps, focusing on form and full range of motion.

Lat Pulldown Alternatives

Don’t have a Lat Pulldown machine or attachment? Don’t worry. Here are a couple of alternatives that you can try out instead.

Need more options? Here are my 10 favorite Lat Pulldown alternatives.

Pull-Ups

Technically, I would consider Lat Pulldowns an alternative to Pull-Ups and not the other way around but here we are.

Pull-Ups are arguably the king of all upper-body exercises. They’re also basically the exact same movement pattern as a Lat Pulldown. So, if you don’t have a Lat Pulldown available (or even if you do), switch to Pull-Ups if possible.

Band Pulldowns

If you can’t do Pull-Ups (yet!), Band Pulldowns may be a good alternative.

Loop a resistance band (you’ll probably need one of the stronger resistances – a green band is typically a good option) around a pull-up bar rack and sit or kneel below it.

Now, perform pulldowns the same way you would if you had the full Lat Pulldown cable setup.

Inverted Rows

You don’t have a Lat Pulldown machine, you can’t do Pull-Ups and you don’t have any bands. Now what?

Try Inverted Rows. They can be done with nothing more than a barbell sitting on a rack and they’re still one of the best movements for building a strong back.

Lat Pulldown Variations

Because of the dozens of different attachment handles there is an almost limitless amount of variations you can do with Lat Pulldowns.

Here is probably the most popular of them:

Underhand Grip

This is pretty self-explanatory. Instead of using a wide overhand grip, use a more narrow underhand grip.

This is the equivalent of doing Chin-Ups (narrow underhand grip) versus Pull-Ups (wide overhand grip).

Exercises to Superset with Lat Pulldown

Looking to add some supersets to your program? Here are a couple of my favorite exercises to pair up with Lat Pulldowns.

Push-Ups

Why: Engaging the chest and triceps, Push-ups work the antagonistic muscles to those targeted during Lat Pulldowns, facilitating a balanced upper body workout.

Bench Press

Why: Bench Press primarily focuses on the chest and triceps, hence promoting muscular balance by working on the opposite muscle groups engaged during Lat Pulldowns.

Want more suggestions? Check out my 10 favorite exercises to superset with Lat Pulldowns.

More Links and Info

Need more ideas for your upper body workouts? Check out the Upper Body Strength Section of our Exercise Library.

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