Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

Which muscles does it train?

Equipment needed

How to perform it

For strength, 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 6 reps with 2 to 3 minutes of rest are common. For hypertrophy, use 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps with 90 to 120 seconds of rest.

Execution and technique cues

• Adjust the thigh pad so your legs are locked in place, and grasp the wide bar with an overhand grip wider than shoulder width.
• Sit upright with a slight lean back from the hips, keeping your chest lifted and shoulders depressed away from your ears.
• Pull the bar down toward your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your hips and squeezing your shoulder blades.
• Control the ascent as the bar returns to the starting position, allowing your arms to fully extend before starting the next rep.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back excessively to use bodyweight momentum to pull the bar down instead of using the lat muscles.
• Pulling the bar down behind the neck, which places the shoulder joints in an unstable and potentially dangerous position.
• Allowing the shoulders to shrug up toward the ears at the top of the movement and losing muscular tension.

Frequently asked questions

Where should the bar touch at the bottom of the movement?

The bar should be pulled down to the upper chest, around collarbone level, while keeping the forearms vertical.

How far back should I lean during a wide-grip lat pulldown?

A slight lean back of about 10 to 15 degrees is ideal to clear your face with the bar and optimize lat engagement, but avoid swinging.

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