Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
Vertical pull, machine, lats
The close-grip lat pulldown pulls a narrow handle from overhead down to the top of the chest while you sit with the thighs held under a pad. It trains the lats, with the biceps and upper back helping. It suits anyone building toward pull-ups and anyone who wants back work they can load in small steps.
Setting up
- Attach a close-grip handle to the high cable, so the palms face each other.
- Set the thigh pad so it holds the thighs down snugly with the feet flat on the floor.
- Stand, take the handle with both hands, and sit down with the arms straight above you.
- Pick a weight you can pull to the chest without leaning back.
How to do a close-grip lat pulldown
- Draw the shoulders down away from the ears before the arms bend.
- Pull the handle down to the top of the chest, driving the elbows down close to the sides.
- Lean back only slightly, keeping the chest up.
- Keep the feet flat and the thighs pressed up into the pad so the body stays on the seat.
- Let the handle rise under control until the arms are straight again.
- Feel the stretch along the sides of the back at the top before the next rep.
Breathing. Breathe out as you pull down and breathe in as the handle rises.
Muscles worked
- Mainly
- Lats
- Also
- Biceps and upper back
Common mistakes
- Leaning far back to swing the weight down. Then body weight does the work instead of the lats, so sit tall with a small lean and lighten the stack.
- Pulling with the hands instead of the elbows. Then the arms tire before the back works, so think of driving the elbows down to the hips.
- Shrugging the shoulders up. The neck then takes over, so pull the shoulders down first and keep them down.
- Stopping short of straight arms at the top. The stretch at the top is part of the work, so let the arms straighten fully every rep.
Easier and harder
- Easier
- Band Lat Pulldown
- Harder
- Neutral-Grip Pull-Up, Pull-Up
Guide
Guide
