-S-K-

Making this thread really because im interested how people do them here. Personally I do them but theres a variety of ways they can be done and people swear by doing it this way or this way etc. So how to do them to best effect in terms of hitting the lats. I've seen a lot of ways for example some people have their hands quite far spaced out but not fully, some have the widest grip possible on the bar and some people always keep their body still and pull down to their chest whilst others will lean back and pull to their chest.

So whats the best way of doing it? Some examples of what I mean from different ways of doing it and possibly not as good methods:

http://gymratz.co.uk/weight-training...t-pulldown.jpg

http://www.exercise.wsu.edu/admin/ei...erhand%202.jpg

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thu...pulldown_2.jpg

^Not widest grip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F36jxzNH1r8

Anyway at my gym, got the same bar as ^ and I will usually do it (due to having long arms) with the widest grip possible.

fozyspilgrims

Personally i do them the same as the third picture. I have heard that behind the neck can cause injuries. I try and replicate the over arm pull ups, i am doing 10 reps of 70kg and i weigh 80kg, when i hit my body weight i plan on switching to over arm pull ups and then weighted pull ups. (I haven't been training long about 3 months so no expert) :lift:

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MXD

Best for the lats are Close reverse grip pull downs.

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cyberheater

Which is also a great bicep workout as well I find. It's certainly the way i've been doing them and my lats have certainly grown fairly rapidly.

MXD

Yeah definitely agree with that, The pulldowns are good because you can change the target muscle group easily.

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chrisj22

I never arch back doing pulldowns - that's cheating IMO.

Chest out & back straight - squeeze when the bar touches the top of your chest.

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-S-K-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2fqCCOaSYE

See the way James is doing it there? Basically I've been doing it the same way as that, I find I can shift more weight but even though it's hitting the biceps it's also equally good enough as the close grip for the lats?

Con

I lean my back ever so slightly back then i go from 1 inch lock out arms to pull to my chin which i hold for 2 seconds.
I force my lats outwards and elbows out.
I never swing in any way and do every rep slowly 2 seconds down 2 second hold 4 second negative 6-8 reps, i cant use as much weight but i feel it all in my lats this way.

Big-T-

Personally I do both wide grip and narrow grip(palms facing) more so narrow to hit my bi's too...But another one I like to do is kneeling lat pull downs,where one knee is on the ground and the other is pressed against the seat also use a V shaped pull bar for this.Absolutely great but you really need to glue yourself down as when going heavy the weight can pull you back up but a great exercise for me...

fozyspilgrims

Interesting i might change my grip between sets to target muscles differently

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beequeth

If your gyms got a convergent plate loaded lat machine, it makes a good change.

Each arm can move independently and as it swings through an arc you dont get any wrist or shoulder pains. Basic form is the same as a wide grip lat pulldown.

Since I have been using this I'm up to 8x20kg plates. Mix this up with weighted reverse grip chins and your lats will grow.

Enigma

We have the wide grip bar on a couple of these machines at my local gym.
I've been told to use a wide grip, hands just on the outside of the bends at the ends.

Sitting up straight, and as still as possible, bringing the bar striaght down level with your upper chest then back up to fully extended - really targets the Lats.

There is one guy in there that leans right back on the chair (almost horizontal), as he pulls the bar down. Totally cheating, as the body is providing the momentum pulling the weight down. Makes me laught tbh. :doh:

Wee G

Hard to describe but bear with me...

Use a close / medium grip, neutral (palms facing) handle, shaped like this... /\ , or better yet a rope handle.

Sit facing towards the machine, so you will be pulling the hanle to your chest.

Starting at the top, let your head head fall forward a little and lean forward a little.

Let the handle life and seperate your shoulder blades...imaging you're trying to get the handle / hour hands as close to the ceiling as possible. You should feel a decent stretch in your lats. If using a rope handle let it rotate your fists so your palms face the machine.

Now, without bending your elbows, flex your shoulder blades down and back whilst allowing your head to move back and chest to begin moving up...ie start contracting your lats.

Push your sternum up high and forward, head back, and think of pulling your elbows down and back so they move in an arc in to your sides....if your body wasnt in the way your elbows would eventually touch one another. If using a rope handle your fists will move away from one another as the handle comes towards you. Pull from the elbows, not the hands. The hands are just hooks, drive your ELBOWS back and down.

Squeeze your elbows down and back more at the bottom. You should be able to feel your lats contract, possibly cramp a little.

Reverse the movement, allowing head to move forward again, sternum to go back down and lats to get stretched again.

Cheers,

G

SCJP

How not to do them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3dIb...eature=related

Edit: Note the focus on the stack at the end. Just in case anyone doubted what a tremendous show of sheer brute strength they had just witnessed.

SCJP

Sorry for the hi-jack, but after watching this next clip I now realise that the above vid was a p1ss take:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij6qfJAuVaA&NR=1