Exercise guide

How to do wide-grip lat pulldown

Lats · upper back · biceps

Wide-grip lat pulldown starting position — correct set-up before the first rep
Start
Wide-grip lat pulldown finished position — the end of one repetition
End of rep

Step by step

  1. Set the thigh pad snug. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width, overhand.
  2. Sit tall with a slight backward lean of about 15° and the chest up.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving the elbows down and back.
  4. Let the bar rise for 2 seconds until the arms are long and you feel the lats stretch.

The cue that matters

CueThe swap for pull-ups when you can't hit the rep range — or for back-off sets straight after them.
AvoidLeaning way back and rowing. Keep the torso nearly still and let the arms do the travelling.

Where this sits in the split

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