Lat Pulldown
LatsCableBeginner
The pull-up's training wheels. Build the strength, own the pull-up later.
Muscle worked
Lats
Equipment
Cable, Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Time per set
30-45s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Set up
Adjust the thigh pad to sit snugly. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, palms facing forward.
02
Sit and lean slightly
Sit with feet flat. Lean back about 10 to 20 degrees. Chest up, shoulders packed down.
03
Pull the bar down
Drive your elbows down and slightly back. Think of pulling the bar toward your upper chest, not just down.
04
Touch the collarbone area
Bar comes to about your upper chest. Not to the belly, not behind the neck.
05
Control the return
Let the bar rise slow. Full extension at the top, shoulders still packed. Don't let the shoulders shrug up.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Using body rock and momentum
The back does less, the weight goes up, progress stalls. Fix: Torso near stationary. If you can't control it, drop weight.
✕
Pulling behind the neck
Terrible shoulder position, unnecessary risk. Fix: Pull to the upper chest. Always.
✕
Leading with the hands instead of the elbows
Biceps take over, lats don't fire. Fix: Think elbows down. Hands along for the ride.
✕
Not fully extending at the top
Lats never get fully stretched, growth caps out. Fix: Arms fully straight at the top with shoulders still pulled down.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Machine assisted pull down with lower load
- Single arm cable pulldown
- Neutral grip (palms facing each other) for a friendlier shoulder feel
Make it harder
- Progression toward pull up: use lat pulldown to build strength to your bodyweight
- Close grip pulldown with V handle
- Tempo pulldown: 3 seconds up, 1 second squeeze
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 3-4 | 6-8 | 90s | Heavy. Strict form. |
| Build Muscle | 3-4 | 8-12 | 60-75s | Moderate. Feel the lats. |
| Build Endurance | 2-3 | 12-15 | 60s | Lighter. Slow negatives. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.
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