How to do lat pulldowns wide grip, including information on the different variations, muscles worked and what are the exercise benefits?
The lat pulldowns wide grip is a very common exercise that is easy to do, and virtually every gym known to man has the cable machine required to perform it.
The lat pulldowns exercise is like a pull-up in reverse. When you perform a pull-up, you pull your body up to the bar, or your chin up to the bar. With lat pulldowns you pull the bar down your chest.
This is an ideal exercise if you can’t yet perform pull-ups properly. It uses and strengthens the same muscles. You can simply use a light weight to build up your strength to improve your pull-up/chin-up performance.
Exercise Information & Benefits
- Primary Muscles Worked – Latissimus Dorsi
- Secondary Muscles Worked – Biceps, Shoulders/Detoids and Middle Back
- Exercise Type – Compound Exercise
- Equipment Needed – Cable Machine with Wide Bar Attachment
Different Lat Pulldowns Grip Widths
- Wide – Wider that shoulder width
- Medium – This is shoulder width Grip
- Narrow – Grip smaller than shoulder width
Using a wider grip focuses more on the Lats. Narrower grips focus more on the middle back muscles.
How to do Lat Pulldowns Wide Grip?
- Sit down on the pull down machine, adjust the seat and knee pad to a suitable and stable position. Adjust the knee pad so you are not lifted up by the bar.
- Grab the bar evenly to which ever width you desire, wider than shoulder width works the (lats) better.
Pull the bar down to your chest, keep your body straight, leaning back slightly, only move your arms during the exercise. - Now slowly allow the bar to lift back up, keep the tension on your muscles, when you lift the bar back up don’t fully straighten your arms.
- Repeat the motion for your desired reps.
Other Back Exercises