This is a great lat exercise if done properly. There are a lot of things to take care of to do it properly. It primarily targets lats. This exercise is also known as wide grip lat pull downs.
Instructions to do lat pull downs properly.
- Adjust the weights on lat pull down machine and use wide grip handle
- Grip the handle near the ends with palms facing away from you
- Sit on the machine with thighs under the support
- Keeping your back straight and upright pull down the bar just above your chest in front of you.
- Hold on for a second and return to the original position and count as one
There are different type of grips used in this exercise. One is with thumb like normal grip with thumb locked with other fingers and other is thumb on side of other fingers making grip like a hook. The first variation puts some stress on forearms where as the later relieves stress on forearms. If your forearms burn while doing lat pull downs we suggest that you use the hook like grip. Emphasis must be on lats rather than biceps or forearms. If you don’t feel stretching in your lats then you are doing something wrong. Do not sway back too much during the exercise. This will shift the stress to biceps. Do not pull the bar too low or below the chest.
