As soon as you join the gym, you start visualising your dream physique. The part of your body with the maximum number of muscles is the back. Supporting your torso, arms, torso, and legs, your back is majorly responsible for smooth body functioning. Lat pulldown is one of the most recommended exercises for strengthening your back. It is done using different pulley attachments in varying grips. If you are a beginner, this must be in your workout routine to target the largest group of muscles. While lifting weights, you must also hit your protein goals. You can do this with protein powder or natural sources.
As a newbie, you must be aware of the types of lat pulldowns and their benefits, and this blog can be a helpful read for that.
How is Lat Pulldown Done?
Lat pulldown exercise is highly effective for the largest muscle groups in your back. You do it using adjustable resistance – plates. These plates have different weights that you can increase gradually as you progress in increasing your strength.
It is mostly done seated, but there are variations. So, while you are seated, you need to pull the hanging bar down your chin level and release it back in a slow and controlled motion. While doing this exercise, you should feel the stretch in your lats. It can be wonderful for your upper body strength. You can try lat pulldown variations to trigger different groups of muscles.
Types of Lat Pulldowns
To get maximum lat pulldown benefits, you need to perform its variations. We have listed some of its types here:
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Wide Grip
In this lat pulldown exercise, you hold the bar on a wide, overhead grip to pull it down using a machine while seated. You need to pull it to chin level and maintain the right form throughout. What matters here is keeping your elbows close to your sides and don’t allow swinging the weight. It is all about balance with both the hands in a controlled position in a wide grip lat pulldown.
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Close Grip
A minor in changing your hands’ position changes the target of your back muscles completely. In close grip lat pulldown, you need to hold the bar in a close, overhead grip. You need to follow the same rep form as in wide grip, and this targets your upper back to strengthen.
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Neutral Grip
If you do it correctly, a neutral grip pulldown hits your entire back and engages more of your upper back. You need to keep your hands straight in line with your shoulders. If you wish to include your mid-traps and teres major, you can lean back a bit while pulling the bar down. Remember to avoid the jerking motion, as it may not be effective in building your back.
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Reverse Grip
In reverse lat pulldown, you need to place your hands shoulder width or an inch apart depending on your convenience. When you pull the bar with an underhand grip position with palms facing you, keep your chest as high as you can. This way, you can get major benefits from reverse grip lat pulldown.
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Straight Arm Pulldowns
This kind of pulldown may be effective if you do it with a straight bar. It also provides stability to your abs. It mainly targets your traps, but the range of motion can be limited. The plus point is that you can get a higher weight with this exercise very conveniently.
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Single Arm Pulldowns
In these pulldowns, you work solely on one side of your back at once. This is actually better and provides the maximum tension on your muscles using the cables, which increases the chances of getting results effectively. In this exercise, you should ensure that you bring the handle back as far as you can and hold the position to feel an extra stretch.
According to studies, close, medium, and wide grips have similar latissimus dorsi muscle activation in the concentric phase. However, the muscle activation in lat pulldown variation behind the neck, there is difference in muscle activation and intensity.
Lat Pulldown Benefits
Now, you are aware of what lat pulldown is. It’s time to know the benefits of performing these in your workout sessions:
- Lat pulldown mainly focuses on your latissimus dorsi, which is helpful in building a wide and v-shaped back.
- Since there are so many variations, this exercise sometimes involves your biceps, traps, and rear delts, making it a comprehensive workout.
- You can customise weights according to your strength, making it best for beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts.
- While strengthening your back muscles, lat pulldown improves your posture and alignment of your body.
- The results of this exercise contribute to activities like climbing, lifting, and swimming outside of the gym.
- It also helps reduce the risk of back pain and injuries.
Wrapping Up
As the largest muscle group, your back supports your overall body for various movements like walking, standing, swimming, and more. Well-developed strength defines your strength and builds confidence. Lat pulldowns are highly effective for building a bullet-proof back, as they involve multiple variations. These exercises help you gain muscle mass and reduce fat. You can also take mass gainers to increase the impact of your workout routine.
