A lat pulldown row, more commonly called a lat pulldown, is a compound weight training exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, rotator cuff, and biceps brachii. Since this muscle movement is beginner-friendly, it is a popular exercise to perform if you are looking to strengthen your back, shoulder, and bicep muscles.
One of the benefits of lat pulldown rows is that they are open-chain exercises. With open-chain exercises, you apply a force to an immobile object to overcome the resistance that keeps it still. Some other benefits of learning to master lat pulldown rows include the following.
- Widening the appearance of your back
- Strengthening the lats, which are commonly used muscles
- Improving your form in other exercises like squats and deadlifts
- Building your grip strength
The lat pulldown has many variations that isolate different muscles which is what makes this such a versatile exercise. Many professional athletes use the lat pulldown to strengthen the back, shoulders, and biceps. Additionally, since the lat pulldown is great for improving definition, athletes such as bodybuilders often perform this lift.
While the lat pulldown is beginner-friendly, it is critical to perfect the form before going up in weight. If the improper form is practiced, this may lead to common mistakes such as rounding the back, using your own bodyweight or momentum to pull the weight down, or not pulling the weight down far enough. These common mistakes will then lead to injuries such as muscle strain and joint pain.
If you want to move past working your mirror muscles and build full-body strength, keep reading to learn more about this effective back exercise. In this article, we will discuss proper lat pulldown row form, variations of the exercise, common mistakes and injuries, and how you can prevent these errors.
How to Perform Lat Pulldown Row with Proper Form?
When discussing an exercise, “proper form” means that you perform the motions in the correct and ideal manner, activating all of the muscles involved in the movement. Here is how to perform the lat pulldown row with the correct form.
- Start by selecting the load you wish to lift
- Grasp the bar with a pronated, closed grip
- Sit down on the seat with your thighs under the pads and your feet on the floor. You may need to adjust the seat height to keep your feet flat and legs bent.
- Fully extend your elbows while suspending the load above the weight stack.
- Lean back slightly and align your neck with your spine
- Pull down the bar while moving your elbows down and back and your chest up and forward. Keep pulling until the bar touches your clavicles.
- Slowly guide the bar back to the upward position while holding your torso in place.
- Repeat as many times as you would like
Exercising with proper form can prevent common injuries, build the targeted muscles, and improve your muscular function. You can look and feel your best by performing the lat pulldown row correctly.
What Are the Stages of Conventional Lat Pulldown Row?
By understanding the stages of the conventional lat pulldown row, you can perform this exercise with proper form. Furthermore, you will know how to engage each muscle in the movement to build strength more efficiently.
In a conventional lat pulldown row, you sit in a supinated position with 70-80 degrees of hip flexion. Your hands lie slightly farther than shoulder-width apart on the bar, and you pull it down towards your chest.
Here is how to complete the conventional lat pulldown row.
1. Grasping the Bar with a Wide Grip
The purpose of this step is to get you in the correct starting position. By grasping the bar incorrectly, you can create muscle imbalances from relying more on one side than the other. You need to grip the bar with each hand equidistant from the center to equally engage both sides of your body.
Start by grabbing the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Check that your hands are the same distance from the middle. Now, sit down on the seat with your feet flat, legs bent, and thighs under the thigh pads. Lean back slightly (20-30 degrees) and brace your core, but remain mostly straight.
2. Pulling the Weight Down
In this stage, you lift your desired load from the weight stack. You need to pull the weight to gain strength. Some mistakes may arise if you choose an improper weight for your abilities. For instance, too light of weight won’t challenge your muscles to grow, while a load that is too heavy may lead to an incorrect form.
Make sure you select a weight that challenges you just enough to perform the move correctly. Pull the bar towards your chest and flex your elbows along the way. Squeeze your shoulder blades to help you pull the bar to your chest. You should feel a light stretch in your pecs as you fully contract your back and shoulders.
If you have issues with shoulder mobility, aim to get your upper arms parallel to the floor with your elbows bent to 90 degrees.
While you pull, ensure you activate your core to prevent your back from arching. Also, keep your neck aligned with your back and your shoulders down. You do not want to shrug or stick your head forward. Furthermore, try to keep your torso and trunk stable to place the resistance on your lats and shoulders.
This portion is the concentric phase. You should exhale while pulling the weight down.
3. Waiting for a Second at the Lowest Point
By waiting a second at the lowest point, you can increase the burn you feel in your shoulders, arms, and back. This step can help you build muscles faster, but it is not necessary to perform a hold.
All you have to do is keep the bar touching or slightly above your chest for one second. It will challenge you, but it’s worth it.
4. Slowly Releasing the Weight Back to the Top
If you release the bar too quickly, you can pull a muscle in your back or start relying on momentum for the movement. Either way, you will not build muscle as effectively as you would if you released it slowly.
Start by extending your elbows to a nearly straight position. Release your shoulder contraction as well. Ensure your muscles remain engaged and controlled the whole time for eccentric muscle action.
Try to inhale as you release the bar.
What Are the Mistakes for Lat Pulldown Row Form?
If you use the incorrect conventional lat pulldown row form, you may get injured. You can keep yourself safe by avoiding these mistakes and using a good lat pulldown row form. Here are some common Lat Pull Down Mistakes to avoid.
- Hands too far apart or close together
- Unevenly spaced hands
- Incorrect seat height for your body
- Pulling the bar to your hips and not your chest
- Using momentum to increase your load
- Any jerking motion
- Leaning back too much (this motion would resemble a row more than a pulldown)
- Pulling the bar behind you instead of in front
- Using only a partial range of motion
- Not inserting the key fully in the weight stack.
How to Determine Proper Weight for Lat Pulldown Row?
The best weight for a lat pulldown row depends on your goals. Do you want to work for endurance, strength, or hypertrophy? For endurance, you would complete 15+ reps. Strength requires 1-5 reps, and hypertrophy means 8-12.
During resistance training, you choose a weight that’s so heavy that you cannot do another rep after finishing the set. Choosing a lighter weight will not give you your desired results. However, a too-heavy weight means you will use improper techniques or not complete your reps.
Since you perform lat pulldowns on a pulley machine, you can find your max weight easily. Start at the lowest weight on the machine. If you can readily complete ten reps, move up in weight. Continue until you find a weight where you cannot exceed ten. Ensure you rest between sets to minimize fatigue and find your true 10RM (ten rep max).
If you wish to build endurance, go for a lighter weight than this. For hypertrophy, you can stay at this level. Lastly, building strength will require a heavier weight.
What Is the Importance of Grip for Lat Pulldown Row?
When it comes to weightlifting, “grip” describes the strength at which you grasp something. A strong grip means you have a steady hold on something and are unlikely to let it go. Having a loose grip can lead to injuries, especially if you end up dropping a weight.
Dropping the weight is more likely to damage the equipment during a lat pulldown than you. However, you should still use a firm grip to maximize the load and retain control over the motion.
“Grip” can also describe the distance at which you grasp the bar in a lat pulldown row. Wide-grip and close-grip are two common variations of this exercise. Each target slightly different muscle groups. Controlling where you grip the bar can help you specialize where you build strength and prevent muscle imbalances.
Another use for grip is the orientation of your hands. For a conventional lat pulldown, your palms should face forward and wrap around the bar in an overhand manner.
Which Muscles Are Involved While Performing Lat Pulldown Row?
Here are the muscles involved in a lat pulldown row and how the motion benefits them.
- Latissimus dorsi: Aids in bringing items off shelves, swimming, swinging arms as you walk, and crossing arms over your chest; widens the appearance of your upper back
- Rotator cuff: Strengthens the teres major, teres minor, and infraspinatus.
- Trapezius: Helps you move your arms and shoulders up and down.
- Brachialis and brachioradialis: Strengthens your forearms.
- Levator scapulae: Stabilizes back and neck.
- Posterior deltoid: Creates that V-shaped back appearance.
- Biceps brachii: Enlarges your biceps.
- Rhomboids: Helps you retract your shoulder blades
- Triceps brachii: Stabilizes your elbow.
- Pectoralis minor: Stimulates the deeper chest muscles.
Overall, the lat pulldown will strengthen most muscles in your upper body. However, it will primarily work your latissimus dorsi and give you a wider back.
How to Do Lat Pulldown Row?
We’ve already covered the basics, but there’s more to performing the perfect lat pulldown. If you want to dominate lat pulldown rows, follow these steps to master the exercise.
- Choose the correct weight
- Balance your hands on both sides of the bar
- Pull down the bar to lift the weight
- Keep your back and torso flat and straight
- Pull the weight to your chest
- Pause at the bottom while contracting your muscles
- Release the weight slowly
- Repeat the movement
1. Choose the Correct Weight for Proper Form
Choosing the correct weight will help you complete your desired number of reps in perfect form to help you develop your muscular endurance, strength, or hypertrophy. You won’t strain or underuse your muscles, and you can keep the motion controlled.
As previously mentioned, the ideal weight depends on your goals and personal 10RM. If you wish to build endurance, choose a lighter weight than your 10RM. For strength, go for a heavier weight. Lastly, hypertrophy works at your 10RM.
For example, say you have a 10RM of 50 pounds and want to build strength. Insert the key into the weight stack at 60 pounds for a challenge. If you struggle to complete more than 5 reps at 60 pounds, you have found the weight for strength training.
2. Balance the Position of the Hands-on Both Sides of the Bar
Balancing your hands on the bar means you will grasp the bar at the same distance from the center. Also, you must hold the bar with the same grip with both hands. This step allows you to exert the same amount of strength with both halves of your body. Any imbalances may result in uneven engagement, which can cause injuries down the line.
For a standard lat pulldown row, place your hands a shoulder-width distance or slightly further on the bar. You can choose a wider or narrower grip if you wish to explore some variations, but we’ll discuss that more later. Also, check that your hands are equidistant from the center.
If the bar in your gym has any grooves, you can place your hands on that spot to check that they are the same distance apart. If the spacing of the grooves is too far or close for your comfort, you can use them as reference points.
Also, ensure your palms face forward in an overhand grip. An underhand grip lat pulldown is another variation.
3. Start Pulling Down the Weight Via Bar
Pulling down the bar will lift the weight you selected earlier. It generates a resistance that you need to overcome with your bodily force. Gravity pulls the weight downward, and you need to exert a greater force to lift it from the weight stack. This force corresponds to your strength, and you build muscle by increasing the amount you can exert.
When pulling down the bar, bend your elbows and pull them down and back. Avoid jabbing yourself in the ribs by keeping them at your side. Try to keep your wrists straight as you pull. At the same time, contract your shoulder blades. Roll your shoulders back before to keep yourself in good posture.
4. Keep Your Back Flat and Torso Straight
If you want to avoid injuring your back, you need to keep it flat. This step entails aligning your vertebrae from your neck to your tailbone. You will have to engage your core as well to straighten your torso. By doing so, you can add a little transverse abdominis action while protecting your lower back from injury. Try to maintain a natural lordosis curve to keep the movement natural.
Start by tucking in your pelvis. Draw your belly button towards your spine, roll your shoulders back, and lift your chest up. Hold your head above your shoulders and tuck your chin slightly to avoid jutting your head forward. Also, lean back about 20-30 degrees from vertical.
5. Target Your Chest for Fulfilling the Range of the Lat Pulldown
In this step, we discuss the area that you will pull the bar to hold. It is the bottom of the movement and the spot where you develop strength.
By pulling the bar to your chest region, you can improve the range of motion of your shoulders, give your pectoral muscles a slight stretch, and fully contract your muscles without causing injury.
Aim to finish the movement either hovering above your chest or lightly touching it. Do not go below your chest, as that constitutes improper form.
6. Wait One Second with High Concentration for Back Muscles
Now, you pause at the bottom of the movement while concentrating on contracting your back muscles. All you have to do is hold the position from Step 5 for approximately one second. During this time, squeeze all of your upper body muscles as tight as you can to develop strength.
7. Breathe Out While Releasing the Weight Back Slowly
Generally, you exhale during the more challenging portion of an exercise and inhale during the easier part. Breathing out helps you contract your muscles better. However, it also helps you relax. If you find it more natural to breathe out while releasing the weight, you can.
You need to lift the bar slowly to the starting position to avoid injury and maintain control. Going quickly can generate momentum that carries you through the next exercises. However, a slow movement guarantees that you rely on your strength.
Continue releasing the weight through the length of your exhale or until your arms are straight again. Try to keep a slight bend in your elbows to avoid locking them.
8. Repeat the Movement with Optimum Numbers for Muscle Improvement
Reps are the number of repetitions you complete for each movement. The number you choose depends on your muscle improvement goals. If you want to build strength, go for 1-5 reps. For endurance, aim for 15+ reps. Lastly, muscular hypertrophy requires 8-12 reps.
With strength training, you keep reps low to focus on expanding the maximum load that you can lift. Endurance training requires light weights and improves your cardiovascular health as you try to complete as many reps as possible. Hypertrophy training is more aesthetics-focused, so you work to build the size of your muscles while not putting on excessive mass.
What Are the Lat Pulldown Row Challenges?
A lat pulldown row challenge is a way to test your strength and endurance. You challenge yourself to complete more reps, lift heavier weights, or move faster than you normally would. Here are some common lat pulldown row challenges that you can try.
1. Lat Pulldown Row and EMOM
Every minute on the minute (EMOM) is a challenge where you complete a prescribed number of reps as fast as possible at the top of each minute and take the rest of the time as rest. You repeat this process for as many minutes as prescribed in the workout.
This workout style is popular in CrossFit, and it helps you build strength and endurance while reducing fatigue. You combine high-intensity activity with short rest periods, which can boost fat burn after your workout.
If you do a 1-5 rep set for your EMOM, you can create bursts of high strength with less fatigue. It also works with other rep ranges, as long as you choose suitable weights.
You can easily do a lat pulldown row EMOM workout by choosing a rep range on the lower side. Perform them as quickly as possible within the minute using proper form. If you find that you struggle to complete your reps within 45 seconds, use a lighter weight. You want at least 15 seconds of rest to avoid injury.
Repeat this workout for 10-12 minutes. You can use it as a bonus challenge at the end of your normal workout.
2. Lat Pulldown Row and GVT
German volume training (GVT) is a challenge used by Olympic lifters, powerlifters, and bodybuilders. With GVT, you complete ten sets of ten reps, leading to 100 total repetitions. You use the same weight and exercise for each set. Once you can successfully complete the 10×10, you can move up in weight. Ideally, you do GVT with a compound exercise.
To choose a weight, use your 20 rep max for the lat pulldown. Perform ten reps and rest for 60-90 seconds. Then, start with the next set. Keep going until you finish all sets. If you cannot do the 10×10 the first time, keep trying at this weight and rep range until you can finish the workout. Once you finish the 100 lat pulldowns, increase your weight.
You can repeat this workout every five days to give yourself plenty of time to rest. GVT allows you to improve your strength quickly while also working on your endurance.
3. Test the 1RM with Lat Pulldown Row
Your one-rep max (1RM) is the maximum weight you can lift in one repetition. You cannot lift this same amount of weight a second time with proper form. Testing your 1RM helps you determine the upper limits of your strength. Also, this value can help you calculate weights for other forms of exercise. For instance, you can do strength training at 70-90% of your 1RM, hypertrophy at 50-60% of your 1RM, and endurance training below 50%.
To test your 1RM lat pulldown row, do a 5-10 minute warm-up with light cardio. Then, do 3-5 reps of lightweight lat pulldown. Wait around 2-3 minutes and add some more weight. Do about three reps and wait another 2-3 minutes. Add more weight and do two reps.
Now, rest for five minutes and try the highest weight you feel comfortable with. If you felt like you could do more, wait another five minutes and try a higher weight. If this weight fails, take a five-minute rest and try something in between. Keep going until you find your limit with the lat pulldown row.
What Are the Lat Pulldown Row Variations?
A lat pulldown row variation is a deviation from the conventional pulldown described previously. You can change your grip, hand distance, bar, and position. These variations target different muscles and challenge you in new ways. If you are in need of some variations of the lat pull down, be sure to check out the list below.
1. Neutral-Grip Pulldown
A neutral-grip lat pulldown is a variation where you grasp the ends of a bar with handles so that your palms face each other. This technique uses a wide grip, with the width depending on the length of the bar you choose. You could make it close-grip by using a V-bar attachment.
Try to get your elbows to touch behind your back. Stay upright and keep your hands still. This exercise targets your shoulders, biceps, and lats. You can slip up if you do not focus on engaging your lats or if you lean too far back.
Compared to an overhand-grip pulldown, a neutral-grip pulldown puts less strain on your shoulders. As a result, you can focus on engaging your lats more. However, it does not develop your shoulders as well.
2. Overhand-Grip Pulldown
An overhand-grip pulldown is the standard way to perform the move. During this variation, you have the most activation of your muscles. Since it is a more unnatural position than the neutral-grip, you work your shoulders and biceps more.
You can use a straight or curved bar, and it does not need handles. Keep your wrists straight and follow the steps above to complete the lat pulldown row.
One common error with this variation is unevenly spacing your hands. This mistake can lead to muscle imbalances. By keeping them equidistant from the center, you can have the most range of motion.
Wider grips increase your shoulder’s range of motion and add more activation to your upper back and lats. Close grips provide more internal rotation, which turns the overhand-grip lat pulldown into a chest move. Also, you can pull more weight with a narrow grip since you include your chest and lats.
3. Underhand-Grip Pulldown
In an underhand-grip pulldown, your palms facing inward or towards your face. Generally, you perform this position with your hands closer together than with an overhand-grip.
At the bottom of the motion, your lats will have a strong muscle contraction. Also, you can use a heavier weight with this motion. Underhand, close-grip pulldowns engage the center of your back and chest in addition to your lats, biceps, and shoulders.
All you have to do is turn your palms towards you. Place them equidistant from the center and about shoulder-width apart or narrower. Follow the standard pulldown procedure. You may have trouble if you keep your hands too far apart or your torso starts to sway. Closer hands will enable you to lift heavier weights, and a stable torso prevents injuries.
4. Rope Handle Pulldown
Rope handle pulldowns usually start with a close-grip that widens near the bottom. You can engage your back and arms to develop total upper-body strength. You will get a better stretch of your lats at the top of the movement than an underhand-grip pulldown.
Also, you have more flexibility in how close or wide you end the motion. A wider ending will target your lats more, but a narrower movement enables you to lift heavier and target your chest.
You will need a rope attachment for this variation. You can follow the standard process for the conventional lat pulldown, and you can experiment with overhand, underhand, and neutral grips.
Make sure to pull the rope with your elbows rather than your biceps. Pull it vertically and stay fairly upright. If you have a long rope, you may need to perform this exercise on the floor. Also, try to follow the same path of motion with each rep. Changing it every time will not develop your muscles, as well as more homogenous repetition.
5. Single Arm Pulldown
Single-arm pulldowns require to handle attachments. In this exercise, you pull down the weight with one hand, making it a unilateral movement. You can focus on developing the strength of each side, which can help correct any imbalances. Sometimes, we rely more on one side without realizing it during bilateral motions like an overhand-grip lat pulldown.
You will need a lighter weight than your normal lat pulldown. Try to use the same weight and reps for both sides to even out your strength. You might get injured down the line if you train one side more than the other. Also, it’s easy to overestimate how much weight one side can handle. Start with half your two-arm load and see if that feels comfortable. Adjust as needed.
Keep your other arm relaxed by your side when performing this exercise. You will feel a nice stretch on the side holding the weight at the top of the movement. Contract it tightly near the bottom before slowly releasing it.
6. Half-Kneeling (Full-Kneeling Pulldown)
You can combine a half-kneeling or full-kneeling pulldown with any of the grip types. For the half-kneeling pulldown, you rest one knee on a pad and align it with your hip. Your other knee should be perpendicular to your hip with your foot on the floor. With a full-kneeling pulldown, you keep both of your knees under your hips.
In either of these positions, perform any of the above lat pulldown row variations. Like a single-arm pulldown, the half-kneeling pulldown will also create some unilateral action. However, kneeling positions activate your core more than other variations.
Ensure you tuck in your pelvis and engage your core to avoid injuring your back when kneeling. Keep everything at right angles as well.
7. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
You can also perform lat pulldowns with dumbbells. Use an overhand-grip and try the movement with only one arm at a time. You pull the dumbbell down until your elbow and shoulder are aligned before extending it up again. This variation targets your shoulders more due to the smaller range of motion.
If you want to work your back, you can do a single-arm dumbbell row. Here, you take a dumbbell and bend over. Keep your core engaged and use your back muscles to lift your dumbbell, flexing your elbow to bring the dumbbell up to your side. This movement targets your lats, shoulders, arms, and pecs, just like a lat pulldown.
Compared to the single-arm pulldown, the dumbbell row uses a free weight, which forces you to engage your core for stabilization. Also, the bent position may cause you to activate your glutes and hamstrings. However, this exercise is more of an alternative to a variation of the lat pulldown.
What Is the Necessary Equipment for Lat Pulldown Row?
For a lat pulldown row, you need the following equipment.
- Lat pulldown machine
- Bar attachment
- Optional: V-bar, rope, bar with handles, single handle attachments
What Are the World Records for Lat Pulldown Row?
A lat pulldown row world record is an impressive feat in which a person excels in strength and endurance in lat pulldowns. However, official record books do not have listings for lat pulldowns. Most focus on bodyweight exercises like pull-ups. Instead, people post their records on the internet and see if anyone has beaten them. Many of these result in individuals coming up with new metrics that others haven’t tried.
The rules for lat pulldown row world records are the same as all others. The person needs to complete the designated feat or beat someone else in the same task. For a lat pulldown, they may have to lift heavier weights, complete more reps, hold a weight longer, or become the oldest person to complete the task.
Women Lat Pulldown Row Records: Unfortunately, there are no records set for women performing lat pulldowns.
Men Lat Pulldown Row Records: On November 15, 2014, Jimmy the Geezer set a world record for lifting 204.59 pounds on a lat pulldown machine 4,888 times. He lifted a total of 1,000,000 pounds in three hours, 19 minutes, and 53 seconds. Furthermore, Jimmy had just turned 65 years old.
On March 10, 2020, Steve Pearson lifted 80 kg (176.37 pounds) 42 times in 60 seconds. Overall, he lifted 15,740.97 ft-lbs. This feat also set a record of lifting 3.36 tonnes to 2.125 ft in one minute.
On February 10, 2021, Leo Midas performed a lat pulldown static hold. He held 80 kg (176.37 pounds) for two minutes and 28 seconds.
What Is the Origin of Lat Pulldown Row?
The lat pulldown row is an exercise performed on a pulley device. In the 1940s to 1960s, people engaged in bodybuilding mostly with dumbbells. However, some made homemade lat pulldown pulley systems.
The person who first invented the lat pulldown machine isn’t known. It’s a fairly simple pulley system with a weight on one end and a bar on the other. However, one influential name in fitness modified and popularized the machine.
Who Named the Lat Pulldown Row?
Jack LaLanne is often credited with having invented the lat pulldown. He did not, but he worked to perfect the pulley system and marketed it to Americans. Jack LaLanne made sure everyone knew what a pulldown was, and his contributions made them available in more gyms.
In the mid-1950s, Jack began promoting the equipment he worked on. He targeted housewives and gym-goers to bring fitness to everyone.
Which Muscles does the Lat Pulldown Row affect?
The muscles affected by lat pulldown rows include the following.
- Latissimus dorsi
- Teres major
- Teres minor
- Infraspinatus
- Trapezius
- Brachialis and brachioradialis
- Levator scapulae
- Posterior deltoid
- Biceps brachii
- Rhomboids
- Triceps brachii
- Pectoralis minor
This exercise primarily affects the latissimus dorsi muscles, as the name would suggest. It causes all of these muscles to grow, giving you a broader back and more definition.
What Are the Back Muscle Exercises with Lat Pulldown Row?
If you want to create a total back workout routine, make sure you use the lat pulldown row. Let’s consider this sample workout featuring the lat pulldown row for the back. You will perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps of each of these moves previously discussed.
- Overhand, wide-grip lat pulldown
- Underhand, shoulder-width-grip lat pulldown
- Single-arm dumbbell row
- Rope handle pulldowns
These exercises will target your outer lats, middle back, and lower lats. The lat pulldown row variations will focus on every aspect of your latissimus dorsi, and you can also work your arms, shoulders, and chest at the same time.
What Are the Leg Muscle Exercises with Lat Pulldown Row?
The lat pulldown does not target your lower body. However, some lower body exercises use muscles in your lower back and core. Incorporating lat pulldowns into your leg day can activate your upper back to balance your workout and give your lower body a rest.
Here is a sample leg workout featuring the lat pulldown row for the leg. You will complete 3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.
- Romanian deadlifts
- Kang squats
- Neutral-grip lat pulldowns with the V-bar attachment
- Glute bridges
- Single leg deadlifts to knee drive
- Single-arm pulldowns
You will complete two lower body exercises that also target your core and lower back. Then, you hit your upper back with the lat pulldown machine. This workout routine can help develop an hourglass shape as you develop your glutes and widen your back.
What Is the Effectiveness of Lat Pulldown Row for Muscle Growth When Compared to Squat?
Both lat pulldown rows and squats are effective exercises to muscle growth. However, the lat pulldown targets your back and upper body, while the squat hits your quadriceps and lower body.
When you undergo an intense workout, your muscle fibers get damaged. The injured muscle cell organelles trigger satellite cells that travel to the injury site. Satellite cells come from the area between the basal lamina and the plasma membrane of muscle fibers.
The satellite cells will fuse to the muscle fibers, which increases the cross-sectional area of the muscle. This process is called hypertrophy. Hypertrophy produces myofibrils or muscle protein strands, and they repair damaged fibers. The myofibrils increase in thickness, and muscle fibers grow, giving you the appearance of larger muscles.
A lat pulldown row will damage the muscles in your latissimus dorsi, causing it to undergo hypertrophy and grow in size following the above process.
What Are the Lat Pulldown Row Related Facts?
Here are some facts related to the lat pulldown row.
- The average 1RM for a 175-pound male new to training lat pulldowns is 85 pounds. This number increases to 240 as he becomes advanced.
- The average 1RM for a 130-pound female new to training lat pulldowns is 45 pounds. This number increases to 130 as she becomes advanced.
- Record-holder Rodney Hahn used the lat pulldown machine to train to complete the most pull-ups in 24 hours.
These facts show that the lat pulldown is an effective exercise to train your back muscles. With consistent training, one can readily triple their strength on this machine.
Does Lat Pulldown Row Affect the Hormones?
Lat pulldown rows increase hormonal levels of estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and human growth hormone. Hormone levels change to reduce muscle fatigue, damage, and pain during and after your workout. They also build, repair, and replace muscle tissues. Your hormones change as a response to the trauma afflicted to your muscles by exercising.
Does Lat Pulldown Row Increase Testosterone?
If you avoid overtraining, lat pulldown rows can increase testosterone levels. This hormone is controlled by sleep, stress, nutrition, and fitness. Testosterone plays a role in male sexuality and physical characteristics, but it also exists in women.
Increased testosterone levels help build muscle and burn fat. Your levels increase from lat pulldown rows because testosterone tries to repair damaged muscles and grow new tissue.
Does Lat Pulldown Row Affect the Mood?
Studies show that resistance exercises like lat pulldown rows can reduce symptoms of depression, fatigue, and anxiety while boosting brain cognition, self-esteem, and sleep quality.
Is Lat Pulldown Row Practiced Within CrossFit?
Most CrossFit workouts prefer pull-ups to lat pulldowns. These exercises train the same muscles, but a pull-up will build bodyweight strength and is a more functional movement.
Is Lat Pulldown Row a Military Movement?
Some military tests require pull-ups, but none test potential recruits on lat pulldowns. However, one can use a lat pulldown to develop pull-up strength.
Is Lat Pulldown Row Dangerous?
As with any exercise, lat pulldown rows can pull a muscle or cause more substantial damage if performed with incorrect form. However, dropping the weights won’t hurt you if you use a machine. Dropping a dumbbell on yourself may damage your bones.
Is Lat Pulldown Row Push or Pull?
Lat pulldown rows are pull exercises, it’s even in the name.
Is Lat Pulldown Row Essential?
Lat pulldown rows are not essential exercises, but training these muscle groups can help you take heavy items off shelves, improve your balance while walking, carry heavier loads, and increase your mobility.
Is Lat Pulldown Row an Olympic Lift?
No, lat pulldown rows are not considered Olympic lifts.
Is Lat Pulldown Row a Compound Exercise?
Yes, lat pulldown rows are compound exercises. Compound movements use multiple muscles and muscle groups. This exercise uses muscles in your back, shoulder, and arms, making it a compound lift.
What Can Replace Lat Pulldown Row?
The bent-over row can replace a lat pulldown row. In a lat pulldown, you train your lats more because of the vertical positioning. However, horizontal pulling with rows will work opposing muscle fibers in your lats, traps, delts, and shoulders. This exercise can effectively build your back muscles.
Is Lat Pulldown a Multi-Joint Exercise?
Yes, lat pulldowns use joints in your elbow and shoulder, making them a multi-joint exercise.
What Are the Alternatives of Lat Pulldown?
The top alternative to lat pulldowns is pull-ups. Pull-ups involve a similar motion to this exercise and work for the same groups. However, you use your body weight as resistance.
Bent-over barbell rows also exercise your back. You can practice with grip strength as well and work the same muscles.
Dumbbell curls to overhead presses do not offer the same benefits to your back, but they focus more on your biceps and shoulders.
Is Lat Pulldown Good for Shoulders?
Yes. Lat pulldowns are good for shoulders. While they focus on your lats, they also build strength and mobility in your rotator cuff and scapular muscles.
Is the Lat Pulldown Enough for Working out the Back?
No, lat pulldowns are not enough for your back. Variations in lat pulldowns can work all parts of your lats and your center back, but they do not target your lower back. You will need to add in exercises like deadlifts and hyperextensions to strengthen this portion of your back.
