Back / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown

A cable exercise for the lats, with the biceps, upper back and rear delts assisting.

At a glance

Either standing or seated on a high bench, grasp two stirrup cables that are attached to the high pulleys. Grab with the opposing hand so your arms are crisscrossed about you and your palms are facing forward.
Keeping your chest up and maintaining a slight arch in your lower back, pull the handles down as if you were doing a regular pulldown. The range of motion will be more of an arc. During the movement, rotate your hands so that in the bottom position your palms face each other rather than forward. Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.

✗ Pulling the bar behind the neck.
Why it hurts: The shoulder is forced into extreme external rotation and the neck juts forward, straining both.
✓ Instead: Pull to the upper chest with the chest lifted slightly to meet the bar.
✗ Leaning far back and yanking with the body.
Why it hurts: The lower back takes the load and the lats barely work.
✓ Instead: Lean back only slightly and pull the elbows down toward the back pockets.