Lat Pulldown Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your lat pulldown reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Adjust the thigh pad so your legs are locked in snugly with feet flat on the floor.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, palms facing away, and sit down with arms straight.
3. Lean back a small amount, around 10 to 20 degrees, and lift your chest.
4. Pull your shoulders down first, then drive your elbows down and back to bring the bar to your upper chest.
5. Control the bar back up until your arms are straight and you feel a stretch in your lats.

Coaching cues

Chest to the bar

Lifting your chest to meet the bar gets the lats and upper back working together.

Elbows to the ribs

Thinking about the elbows, not the hands, takes some of the work off the biceps.

Long arms at the top

A full stretch each rep trains the lats through their whole range.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Leaning far back and rowing

A big lean turns the pulldown into a row and uses body weight to move the stack. Fix: Keep a small, fixed lean and let your arms do the moving.

Pulling behind the neck

It forces the shoulders into an awkward position for most people. Fix: Pull the bar in front, to the upper chest.

Yanking the weight

Jerking the bar down uses momentum and lets the stack crash back. Fix: Pull smoothly and take two seconds on the way up.

Shrugging at the top of the pull

Shoulders up by the ears means the upper traps take over. Fix: Start each rep by pulling the shoulders down, away from the ears.

Short range

Stopping at chin height or not straightening the arms leaves gains on the table. Fix: Pull to the upper chest and let the arms fully straighten.

Muscles worked

Main: Lats. Also: Biceps, Traps, Shoulders, Forearms.

Who should take care

If pulling overhead bothers your shoulders, try a closer, palms-in grip and a slightly shorter range. Pain that does not ease is a reason to see a physiotherapist.

Variations

• Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown: Variation: a closer grip that many find more comfortable.
• Underhand Cable Pulldowns: Variation: palms facing you for more biceps.
• Straight-Arm Pulldown: Easier to feel: isolates the lats without bending the arms.
• Pullups: Harder: the bodyweight version once you are strong enough.

Filming your lat pulldown

Film side-on from about two metres away at seated head height, so the lean and the bar reaching your chest are visible. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

Wide or close grip for lat pulldowns?

Both train the lats. A grip slightly wider than shoulder width is a good default; closer grips allow a longer range.

How far should I lean back?

A little, roughly 10 to 20 degrees, so the bar can clear your face. More than that becomes a row.

Will pulldowns help me do a pull-up?

Yes, they build the same muscles, though you still need to practise pull-ups or assisted versions for the skill.

See the Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Barbell Row form
• Pull-Up form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.