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LAT
PULLDOWN
 MPEG:
Lat Pull
CORRECT FORM
1)
With a support above your knees to offset the upward pull of
the weight on your body, grasp the pulldown bar with as wide
a grip as possible.
2) As you pull the bar downward, begin the movement by pulling
your shoulder blades down and inward. Your arms will naturally
follow. |
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| 3)
As the bar approaches your head, lean slightly backward
by extending your middle back. Stick your chest up simultaneously
to meet the bar. |
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| 3)
At the bottom of the movement, your shoulder blades should be
squeezed completely together. Try to contract your back muscles. |
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4) Lower
the weight slowly as you return to the starting position.
5) Exhale as you pull the bar downward, inhale as the bar raises.
MUSCLES
USED
SAFETY
CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
This
is one of the most problematic exercises in terms of executing proper,
safe and effective form to target the correct muscles.
First, you should feel this primarily in your middle back, between
and below your shoulder blades, and down the sides of the back.
If you are feeling strain, fatigue or burning up closer to the back
of the shoulders, or in the arms, you are probably not beginning and
ending the movement by squeezing the shoulder blades together. Beginning
weight-lifters almost universally make this mistake.
Second, you are extending backward not only to avoid hitting your
nose as the bar passes your face, but because the latissimus dorsi
muscle also contributes somewhat to extending your spine (via the
thoracolumbar fascia). This is an extra way to get a little more out
of your lats.
Third, a front lat pulldown is considerably safer than a behind-the-neck-pulldown
and is recommended much more highly. Keep the hand-grip as shown,
with your palms facing toward the machine. Facing the palms toward
you will only increase the use of the biceps.
EFFECTIVENESS
The front lat-pulldown
is an excellent exercise for nearly every athlete or recreational
weight lifter. It builds up virtually every muscle in the upper back
in a very natural way.
Although chin-ups (wide and close grip) are the more functional, natural
way to train, often people are unable to do enough repetitions to
effectively train the lats. This makes machine lat pulldowns a perfect
alternative.
HELPFUL
WITH TRAINING FOR
Bodybuilding, Tennis,
Racquetball, Football, Martial arts, Boxing, Basketball, Baseball
and all throwing sports, Golf, Wrestling.. |
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