Exercises / Vertical pull
Lat pulldown
Vertical pull Machine Complexity 2/5
Working position
Setup
Sit with the thighs secured, hands slightly wider than the shoulders.
Execution
Pull the bar to the upper chest, then return under control.
Coaching cues
- Start by pulling the shoulder blades down
- Bar to the collarbone, not behind the neck
- Control the return
Common fault
Leaning far back and using momentum
Fix: Reduce the load; cue a tall torso with a slight lean only.
Muscles trained
Primary: Latissimus dorsi (lats)
Secondary: Rhomboid major (rhomboids)Trapezius (traps)Biceps brachii (biceps)
Regression and progression
Easier: This is the entry-level variation.
Harder: Assisted pull-up, Half-kneeling single-arm lat pulldown
Rule
Never advance complexity and load in the same week. When the variation gets harder, the load comes down.