July 23, 2004, Newsletter Issue #112: The Lat Pulldown

Tip of the Week

The pulldown targets your upper back: latissimus dorsi muscles as well as rhomboids, middle traps, and rear deltoids. Your arms get some work, but it`s the back muscles that pull your arms down at the shoulder joint. Years ago you would see many people doing a routine that involved pulldowns alternating to the front and back. This seems to be out of fashion and that`s a good thing. Then everybody was doing them in back, to the neck. A few years ago the recommendation changed to front pulldowns, as these were found not only to be easier on the shoulders, but to be more effective in stimulating muscle growth as well.

With the standard long, straight bar, curved down at the ends, take an overhand grip a little wider than shoulder width. If you`re tall and have a wide armspan, you can grab the bar near the end; if you`re shorter, that won`t be comfortable so take a more reasonable grasp. Initiate the movement by pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Then continue until the bar is just under your chin, at your collarbone. Your elbows should be pointing down. If you bring the bar down to your lap, you end up using your triceps to complete the movement, and if it`s light enough for your triceps to handle, it`s too light for the big lat muscles.

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