Lat Pulldown
Pull the bar to the upper chest by driving the elbows down and back, keeping the torso mostly upright.
See your setup in four steps
Demo video from YouTube, played in its own player.
- Muscles worked
- Lats, Upper back
- Equipment
- Cable
- Movement
- Pull
How to do the Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is a seated cable pull where you bring a bar from overhead down to your upper chest. It trains the same vertical pulling pattern as the pull-up while letting you choose the load, so it suits every level.
Set up
- 1Adjust the thigh pad so it holds your legs snugly.
- 2Grip the bar overhand a little wider than your shoulders and sit down with your arms straight.
- 3Lean back slightly, about 10 to 20 degrees, with your chest lifted.
The movement
- 1Pull your shoulders down away from your ears to begin.
- 2Drive your elbows down and back, bringing the bar to your upper chest.
- 3Squeeze briefly at the bottom without leaning back further.
- 4Let the bar rise slowly until your arms are straight and you feel a stretch in your lats.
Cues
- Elbows toward your hips
- Chest up to meet the bar
- Shoulders away from your ears
- Let the lats stretch at the top
Common mistakes
- Leaning far back and turning it into a row.
- Hold a slight lean and keep your torso still through the rep.
- Pulling the bar behind the neck.
- Bring the bar to the front of your upper chest, which most shoulders tolerate better.
- Yanking the weight with momentum.
- Use a load you can pull smoothly and lower over two to three seconds.
Also works: Biceps, Teres major, Rear delts, Forearms
Make it easier
Use the Band Lat Pulldown at home, or a lighter stack weight with a slower tempo.
Make it harder
Work on each side alone with the Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, or graduate to the Pull-Up.
Sets and reps
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9).
- Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
General ranges, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts.
In our free programs
- Baseline Assessment: Week 1 · Session 3 · Pull, power and carry baselinesBASELINE — build, then one set of 10 ending at RPE 8. Record the load.3×10 @ RPE 8
- Beginner Full-Body · Full Body B3×10 @ RPE 7
- Glutes & Posterior Chain · Upper4×12 @ RPE 8
- Powerbuilding Hybrid · Deadlift + Pull3×12 @ RPE 8
- Push / Pull / Legs · Pull (volume)4×12 @ RPE 8
- Return to Training · Full Body (light)3×12 @ RPE 5
- Upper / Lower Strength · Upper (volume)4×12 @ RPE 8
Variations
The same movement with other equipment or a different angle.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the lats, for when the cable is taken or you want a change.
Questions
- What muscles does the Lat Pulldown work?
- The Lat Pulldown mainly works the lats and upper back.
- What equipment do you need for the Lat Pulldown?
- A cable.
- How many sets and reps of the Lat Pulldown?
- For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9). Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.
- What can I do instead of the Lat Pulldown?
- Archer Pull-Up, Barbell Bent-Over Row, Barbell Rack Chin and Barbell Underhand Bent-Over Row work the same main muscle.
Program it for your clients
Coaches add the Lat Pulldown to any workout in CoachVana, set the sets, reps, load and rest, and clients see this demo as they train.
See your setup in four steps
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