Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lat Pulldown: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lat pulldown pulls a cable bar from overhead down to your upper chest while you sit. It trains the lats and upper back like a pull-up but lets you pick any weight, which makes it ideal for beginners and for adding back volume.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Forearms , Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Beginner · Compound

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

Demonstration of the lat pulldown
Front view: muscles worked by the lat pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the lat pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lat pulldown

  1. Step 1: Adjust the cable pulldown machine so that the seat is at a comfortable height and the knee pad is secured.
  2. Step 2: Sit on the seat with your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the cable bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Step 4: Lean back slightly and engage your core.
  5. Step 5: Pull the cable bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  6. Step 6: Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the bar back to the starting position.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Form cues

  • Set the thigh pad so your legs are locked in, and grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders.
  • Lean back slightly and pull your shoulder blades down first.
  • Drive your elbows down to your sides until the bar reaches your upper chest.
  • Let the bar rise to full arm extension, feeling the lats stretch.

Common lat pulldown mistakes

  • Leaning far back and rowing the bar with momentum.

    Fix: Keep the torso at a slight, fixed lean throughout.

  • Pulling the bar behind the neck.

    Fix: Pull to the front of the upper chest.

  • Not reaching full stretch at the top.

    Fix: Let your arms straighten fully between reps.

Sets, reps and programming

Do 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps. It pairs well with a horizontal row so both the lats and mid-back get trained.

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lat pulldown by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Variations and progressions

Lat Pulldown alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

Lat Pulldown FAQs

Is the lat pulldown as good as pull-ups?

For building the lats, yes. Pull-ups add more core and grip demand and are harder to scale; pulldowns are easier to load precisely.

Which grip is best for lat pulldowns?

Grip width and hand position change the feel more than the result. Use the one that lets you pull through the fullest range without shoulder discomfort.

More lats exercises

See the best lat exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset; cues, mistakes, programming and FAQs are written by FitStack.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.