Pull a cable bar down toward the upper chest to work the latissimus dorsi and upper back muscles. The movement uses a controlled vertical pulling action from a seated position.
How to do the Lat Pulldown (Cable)#
- Sit with your knees anchored under the pads, feet flat, and torso tall.
- Reach up and take an overhand grip on the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Retract your shoulder blades, then pull the bar down toward your upper chest while exhaling.
- Pause briefly at the bottom and contract the lats.
- Slowly extend your arms back to the start, feeling a controlled stretch in the lats.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Lats
- Secondary: Biceps, Forearms, Upper back, Rear delts
Common mistakes#
- Leaning back excessively and turning the move into a row.
- Pulling the bar behind the neck instead of to the chest.
- Using momentum or jerking the torso to move the weight.
- Lowering the bar too quickly without control.
