Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Reverse Grip Lateral Pulldown: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever reverse grip lateral pulldown is a machine-based exercise targeting the latissimus dorsi (lats) with a reverse (underhand) grip, also engaging the biceps, rhomboids, and rear deltoids. It is performed on a leverage machine, making it accessible and safe for most users.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Traps , Biceps
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever reverse grip lateral pulldown
Front view: muscles worked by the lever reverse grip lateral pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: shoulders, traps and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever reverse grip lateral pulldown. Primary: lats. Secondary: shoulders, traps and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever reverse grip lateral pulldown

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Step 2: Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Sit upright with your chest out and shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Step 4: Pull the handles down towards your chest, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever reverse grip lateral 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.

Lever Reverse Grip Lateral Pulldown alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

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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.

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.