How to Do a Lat Pulldown: A Beginner's Guide

The lat pulldown is one of the most useful machines in any gym, and one of the most rushed. Plenty of people lean right back and yank the bar down with their arms, turning a great back exercise into a sloppy bicep curl. Done well, it builds a strong upper back and lays the foundation for your first pull-up.

This guide, part of our how to do it properly series, covers setup, cues, grips, mistakes, a 4-week plan and how the move fits a week of running.

What is a lat pulldown, and why is it so good for beginners?

A lat pulldown is a cable machine with a bar overhead and a thigh pad to hold you in place. You pull the bar down to your chest, then let it rise under control. You choose the weight with a pin, so you can start light and add a little at a time.

That is the big advantage. A pull-up asks you to lift your whole bodyweight from day one, and many beginners cannot do a single rep yet. The pulldown trains a similar movement at whatever load suits you today.

It also balances your training. Daily life and plenty of gym programmes lean heavily on pushing, from push-ups to hunching over a laptop. Pulling moves like the pulldown work the back of your body, and many coaches use them to keep the shoulders and upper back balanced.

What muscles does the lat pulldown work?

The main target is your latissimus dorsi, or lats, the large fan-shaped muscles running from your lower back to the top of your arms. Other muscles help out too:

• Lats and teres major: the prime movers, pulling your upper arms down towards your body.
• Rhomboids and middle and lower trapezius: the muscles between your shoulder blades, drawing your shoulders down and back.
• Rear shoulders: the back of the deltoids.
• Biceps and forearms: they bend your elbows and hold the bar, which is why grip often tires first.
• Core: keeps you still on the seat rather than rocking.

How do you set up the lat pulldown machine?

Two minutes of setup makes every rep better. Before your first set, run through this checklist.

• Thigh pad: set it snugly on top of your thighs with your feet flat, so the weight cannot lift you off the seat.
• Weight: put the pin in a light plate. Your first set is a rehearsal.
• Handle: most machines have a long straight bar. For a neutral grip, clip on a V-handle or parallel-grip bar instead.
• Getting in: stand, take the bar at your chosen grip, then sit and slide your thighs under the pad, arms straight overhead.

How do you do a lat pulldown, step by step?

1. Sit tall. Chest up, feet flat, thighs pinned under the pad, arms straight overhead.
2. Lean back slightly. Just a small lean, enough for the bar to travel past your face without catching your nose.
3. Set your shoulders. Before your elbows bend, draw your shoulders down, away from your ears. This small movement switches your back on.
4. Drive your elbows down. Think about pulling your elbows towards your back pockets. Your hands are just hooks.
5. Bar to upper chest. Bring the bar down in front of your face to roughly your collarbone, keeping your chest up to meet it.
6. Pause and squeeze. Hold for a moment with your shoulder blades drawn down and together.
7. Control the return. Let the bar rise over about 3 seconds until your arms are fully straight and you feel a stretch under your armpits. Then start the next rep.

Breathe out as you pull down and in as the bar goes back up. Keep your torso still the whole time. If you have to rock backwards to move the bar, the weight is too heavy.

Which grip should you use for a lat pulldown?

You will see three main grips in most gyms. Each one works your lats well, so choose the one that feels best on your shoulders and elbows.

• Wide overhand: palms facing away, hands a little wider than shoulder width. The classic version, and a good default.
• Close neutral: palms facing each other on a V-handle or parallel bar. Many beginners find this the kindest on the shoulders.
• Underhand: palms facing you, hands about shoulder width apart. This tends to bring the biceps in a little more and mirrors a chin-up.

A 2014 study comparing narrow, medium and wide grips found broadly similar lat activity across all three, so there is no need to chase a very wide grip. Whichever you choose, pull the bar in front of your head. Behind-the-neck pulldowns put the shoulder in a stretched, twisted position, and most coaches advise beginners to avoid them.

What does a lat pulldown progression look like?

Work up this ladder one rung at a time. Move on when you can do 3 sets of 12 smooth reps with good form.

1. Banded pulldown: loop a resistance band over a sturdy anchor above head height and pull it down while kneeling. Ideal for learning the shoulders-down cue at home.
2. Single-arm cable pulldown: kneel beside a cable stack with a handle set high and pull one arm at a time, so you feel each side working.
3. Seated lat pulldown, light: the full movement, focusing on setup and a slow return.
4. Seated lat pulldown, moderate: add weight gradually, with a short pause at the chest.
5. Bridge to the pull-up: keep your pulldowns and add dead hangs plus slow pull-up negatives, lowering from the top over 3 to 5 seconds.

How does the lat pulldown build towards your first pull-up?

The pulldown and the pull-up share the same basic pattern, so building strength on the machine gives you a real head start. There is one catch. On the machine your legs are pinned and the seat supports you, while on a bar you have to control your whole body in the air and hold your grip for longer.

So the pulldown works best as one part of the plan. A common rule of thumb is to work towards pulling close to your bodyweight for a few clean reps, but machines vary a lot, so treat that as a rough guide. Add hangs for grip and negatives to practise the real thing. Our first pull-up guides on the blog cover that next stage.

What are the most common lat pulldown mistakes, and how do you fix them?

How many sets and reps should beginners do?

For most beginners, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, twice a week, is a great start. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets, and pick a weight that leaves about 2 good reps in the tank, not one that has you rocking.

To progress, add reps before weight. Once you hit 12 clean reps on all 3 sets, move the pin down one plate, drop back to 8 reps and build up again.

What does a 4-week lat pulldown plan look like?

Follow the plan twice a week with at least a day between sessions. If any week feels too hard, repeat it rather than pushing on.

How does the lat pulldown fit into a hybrid week with running?

Because the pulldown barely touches your legs, it slots into a running week easily, even straight after an easy run. Pair it with a pushing move such as push-ups or the overhead press, so each session balances push and pull. Many runners like how a stronger upper back helps them stay tall late in a long run, though evidence for direct running gains is limited. A simple hybrid week might look like this:

• Monday: easy run
• Tuesday: full-body strength, with squats, push-ups and lat pulldowns
• Wednesday: rest or 10 minutes of mobility
• Thursday: intervals or a HIIT session
• Friday: full-body strength, with Romanian deadlifts, overhead press and lat pulldowns
• Saturday: long easy run
• Sunday: rest

This balance is what Edge is built for. Edge treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan, not separate apps competing for your time. It is free to start, and Edge Pro gives you a fully personalised plan, ready in 15 minutes, with a real coach to message anytime about your form or weights. Edge Pro comes with a free 7-day trial, and 20,000+ members already train with Edge.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.