Lat Pulldown Machine

The lat pulldown machine uses fixed, often independently-moving handles on a lever arm instead of a cable and bar, guiding the pull along a consistent arc so you don't need to stabilize a swinging bar. Sit down, lock your knees under the thigh pad, grip a handle in each hand with arms extended overhead, and pull both handles down and slightly back until they reach chest height, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the bottom before controlling the weight back up. Keep your torso upright with only a slight backward lean rather than yanking with momentum from your hips.

1. Adjust the seat and thigh pad so your knees are locked firmly under it
2. Grip a handle in each hand with your arms fully extended overhead
3. Brace your core and pull both handles down toward your upper chest
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement
5. Control the handles back up to a full stretch without letting the stack slam

• Leaning back excessively and turning the pull into a rowing motion
• Pulling the handles behind the neck instead of to the front of the chest
• Using mostly the arms instead of driving the elbows down and back
• Letting the weight stack crash on the way up instead of controlling it

• Single-arm lat pulldown machine for unilateral work and fixing side imbalances
• Underhand grip handles to shift emphasis toward the biceps and lower lats
• Wide neutral-grip handles for a broader upper-back emphasis
• Slow, paused eccentric on the way up to increase time under tension