Lat pulldowns

[Hans]

RE: Lat pulldowns
1. Over or underhand grip? Benefits of both?
2. Wide or narrow grip? Benefits of both?
3. Behind head or pull to top of chest? Benefits of both?
4. Proper form-angle of body while doing pulldowns?

[co2boi]

Good questions. I like pullups better though.

[BlueAndromeda73]

RE: Lat pulldowns
1. Over or underhand grip? Benefits of both?
2. Wide or narrow grip? Benefits of both?
3. Behind head or pull to top of chest? Benefits of both?
4. Proper form-angle of body while doing pulldowns?

From what I experienced/understand

1.Overhand- more stress on lower outer lats
Underhand- more stress in the middle upper lats

2. Wider- more stress on lats
Narrower- more stress on bicep and middle of back (inner lats traps)

3. Behind- more work on upper outer lats, als well as right down the spine
In front- Mid lats all the way through

4 As far as angle I stay straight up and down, and also throw in sets of front pull downs where I lean back at about a 45 degree angle, seems to be working.

[ReX357]

RE: Lat pulldowns
1. Over or underhand grip? Benefits of both?

Underhand grip is only possible with close grip pulldowns and that way you usually target the lower lats a bit more.

2. Wide or narrow grip? Benefits of both?

Wide grip work upper lats more, narrow work more the lower lats. (Atleast it's what I feel when I do them)

3. Behind head or pull to top of chest? Benefits of both?

Top of the chest! I advise anyone against using behind the neck presses/pulls since they put your shoulders in a dangerous working position.

4. Proper form-angle of body while doing pulldowns?

I try to stay as vertical as possible.

Answers in bold.

[Hans]

makes sense, thanks bros

[Jantzen4k]

Originally Posted by Hans
RE: Lat pulldowns
1. Over or underhand grip? Benefits of both?

Underhand grip is only possible with close grip pulldowns and that way you usually target the lower lats a bit more.

2. Wide or narrow grip? Benefits of both?

Wide grip work upper lats more, narrow work more the lower lats. (Atleast it's what I feel when I do them)

3. Behind head or pull to top of chest? Benefits of both?

Top of the chest! I advise anyone against using behind the neck presses/pulls since they put your shoulders in a dangerous working position.

4. Proper form-angle of body while doing pulldowns?

I try to stay as vertical as possible..

couldnt agree more rex!!!!

[Hans]

Saw this guy at the gym doing lat pulldowns, he has a very developed back and upper body. He was doing behind the neck pulldowns, wide grip, however...instead of facing the equipment, he had his lower back against/aligned with the "leg holder" and I asked him if he ever felt his rotater/shoulders giving him probelsm with this exercise behind the back. Says that is why he turns around on the machine facing the other way and gets a better angle and good back pump with no rotator problems. thoughts?

[taiboxa]

you can do wide grip reverse grip.. its like a vertical Yates Row...
i do this on days i do hammer curls instead of straight bar.
on Straight bar day i do shoulder width forward grip and keep elbows infront as if im doing a pull over this really isolates the last and takes it pressure off rear delts.

[taiboxa]

Saw this guy at the gym doing lat pulldowns, he has a very developed back and upper body. He was doing behind the neck pulldowns, wide grip, however...instead of facing the equipment, he had his lower back against/aligned with the "leg holder" and I asked him if he ever felt his rotater/shoulders giving him probelsm with this exercise behind the back. Says that is why he turns around on the machine facing the other way and gets a better angle and good back pump with no rotator problems. thoughts?

BTN pull down is pointless IMO and he prbly has a well developed genetic back.

[needmorestrength]

Answers in bold.

Perfect.. I also feel that taking my thumbs out of play aka not wraping them around the bar, takes a bit of stress of my biceps

[HOLLYWOOD]

Weighted chin ups all the way. very hard to cheat because you basically can only go straight up since thats where you're pulling yourself and how gravity works, second i find chins to be more like a free weight exercise than pulldowns, so you're goiing to a little harder doing chins so in return benefit from that, third i wouldnt go too wide since this will hit your shoulders a bit more and also it puts alot of stress on the rotator cuff, so all i have to say is weighted chins all the way, or body weight if you \'re not ready to strap some weight on.

[tough old man]

I do all of the above alternating every other week. Two of the exercises this week and diff one's the following week