Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Ultimate Guide to Strong Back
The wide grip lat pulldown is among the most effective exercises for strengthening your back. However, all of the time, I see men and women working outperforming it incorrectly!
If you don’t do it correctly, you’ll not achieve the results you want through this practice. In addition, you could cause injury to yourself.
In this article, I will demonstrate how to perform the wide grip lat pulldown properly. Including videos, specific images, and other exercises that you can try at home.
By using this knowledge, you’ll benefit more from each rep. Additionally, you’ll create a bigger and stronger back in less time.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
The wide grip lat pulldown is among the most effective exercises to strengthen your back. This exercise compound can help increase the strength of your upper body while improving your posture.
Simply stated, the wide grip lat pulldown is a beneficial exercise suitable for anyone of any fitness level.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Working Muscles
Primary Muscle Group
As you might have guessed, the wide grip lat pulldown is designed to work your lats. The muscle originates in the mid and lower back and mid-back; the muscle latissimus doers is the biggest muscle in the back.
The lats play a major part in the majority of “pulling” exercises like the pulldowns and pull-ups and different rowing activities. They also offer support and stabilization on your spine!
Secondary Muscle Group
The wide grip lat pulldown incorporates the forearms, biceps, biceps, shoulders, abs, and the upper back.
While your lats perform most of the work to lower the weight, your forearms and biceps also contract. Furthermore, the abs work to support the movement.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Benefits
#1 Stronger And Bigger Lats
The wide grip lat pulldown targets the outer part of the lats much more than the typical lat pulldown. This variation with a wider grip decreases tension on your forearms and biceps, which causes your lats to work more to pull your weight to a lower level.
This means that you increase the contracting of your lats, which aids in creating a stronger and stronger back. A well-built back is vital to increase your performance in sports and other compound exercises and everyday routines.
#2 Improved Posture
The wide grip lat pulldown is one of the most effective exercises for improving posture. Sitting for long periods at work or even while driving may result in underuse of your lats and the other muscles in your back.
This could lead to slouching, tension, and pain in your back and shoulders.
The wide grip lat pulldown is a posture corrector and helps stimulate these under-used muscles. Through regular training, you’ll be standing straight and in good posture within minutes.
#3 Improved Confidence
The wide grip lat pulldown helps shape the classic V-shaped torso, which also creates the appearance of a slimmer waistline. The visible changes you see within your body could provide you with a boost in confidence.
The back muscles you strengthen will improve your performance in other exercises, such as the dumbbell row or the deadlift. There are few more satisfying experiences than improving your performance at your fitness center!
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Instructions
Equipment
The gym must have the lat pulldown cable set up to perform this exercise. If you’re exercising at home, you’ll need an apparatus that can make the resistance from a higher level and have an attachment for a lat bar.
Setup
- Sit down in front of the machine. Use knee pads to secure your legs. Secure your knees just over your ankles. You should ensure your lower limbs are stable.
- Extend your arms to grasp the bar from the widest grip with your hands facing you. The hands must be more than the shoulder width.
Instructions
- With a slight lean back, hold your core, pull your shoulders back and forward, and then push the bar until it reaches on top of the ribcage.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, squeeze your lats, and slowly return to your starting position.
- Maintain your tightness in your core, and repeat!
Recommendation
It is recommended to do three sets of 10-12 repetitions of the wide grip lat pulldown.
As you gain confidence in the exercise, feel free to modify your rep and set ranges to test yourself.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Mistakes
#1 I’m Looking Too Out
A lot of lifters lean too far back when performing the wide grip lat pulldown. This is like an inverted row that targets the rhomboids on your back. In addition to activating our rhomboids with the wide grip lat pulldown should be our main focus!
Try leaning towards the back by about a degree to fix this error and then lift using proper form.
#2 Using Your Arms Too A Lot
Another mistake that is often made when performing the wide grip lat pulldown is using only your arms to pull the body weight to a lower level. In reality, the wide grip lat pulldown turns into an arm exercise that significantly reduces the load on your back.
Instead, you can try lifting the weight downwards by bringing the elbows downwards and then back while pressing the lats.
#3 Using Momentum To Pull Down
If lifters rely on the momentum of their body to help bring their weight back down, they are nearly always lifting excessive weight. They rock their upper body around to make up for the weight. Actually, it’s not helping you gain strength in your back.
If you make this error, Try reducing the weight while keeping your back firmly stationary throughout the wide grip lat pulldown.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Variations
#1 Resistance Band Lat Pulldown
Hook the resistance bands to an elevated frame or hook to perform a home-based back workout. Then either kneel or sit on the floor. Engage your lats and push down as far as you can.
Let your arms completely straighten while you let off the tension. Repeat!
#2 Supinated Lat Pulldown
The supinated variation of pulldowns enhances your forearms and biceps’ resistance. To start, extend your arms up and grab the bar using your palms facing you. Hands should sit about the same width.
When leaning slightly back and bending your back, move your shoulders downwards and up, and then push the bar until it reaches on top of the ribs. Stop briefly near the top, squeeze your lats, and slowly return to your starting position.
Stay tight in your core and do it again!
#3 Alternating Lat Pulldown
You can also work your lats unidirectionally using the pulldown of alternate lats, with two handles that you pull one down at one time. The alternate lat pulldown is an effective method to fix muscular imbalances on your back’s left and right sides.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: Alternatives
If you loved the wide grip lat pulldown, you should check these back exercises alternatives to increase your upper body fitness:
#1 Wide Grip Pull-Up
Begin by grasping the bar using your hands facing away from you, and your hands spread more than shoulder length apart. Keep your lower body in a still position and your shoulders relaxed; squeeze your lats to push yourself until your chin is above the bar. Return slowly to your starting position. Repeat!
#2 Wide Grip Seated, Low The Row
Place yourself on the bench with the back in a straight line and feet firmly on the pads for your feet. Spread your arms out and grab the bar, with both your palms down and your hands spread more than the width of your shoulders.
Take your shoulders back, brace your abs, then pull the handle towards your abdomen. Take a few seconds before slowly returning to your starting position. Repeat!
#3 Overhand Barbell Row
Install a barbell onto the ground using a light or medium weight. Take a stand position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure that you step forward so that the barbell is in the middle part of your foot. Take the bar in an overhand grip using your hands just outside your knees.
Engage your abdominals and back, and then lift the barbell up off the ground until you’re standing up in a straight back. While keeping your abs and back in place, bend your hips inwards until your body is one inch from touching the floor. Keep your arms straight and keep your eyes just a few feet ahead of you.
With your elbows locked while you push your elbows up and down to bring the barbell towards the belly button. Press your lats to the top, stop for a few seconds, and slowly return to your starting position. Keep your core tight as you go back. Repeat!
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown Vs Close Grip Lat Pulldowns?
The primary difference between close and the wide grip lat pulldown is the used muscles. Close grip lat pulldowns target the trapezius as well as the rhomboids more. The wide grip lat pulldown will focus on your lats the most.
Which Lat Pulldown Grip Is The Best?
This will be contingent on your objectives. The wide grip lat pulldown is ideal for those who want to enhance the strength and size of their latissimus Dorsi. A more rounded grip is ideal for those who want to improve the strength and size of their trapezius and rhomboids.
Last Words
The wide grip lat pulldown is a great exercise once you’ve got your technique down. This is why it is the mainstay of your workout routine at the end of each day.
You can also switch the look by putting it behind the neck or using alternative variations. Additionally, you can switch between using the close grip lat pulldown, which will hit the lats at all angles.
