Which form of the lat pulldown is the best ?

[dr. livingstone]

I recently suffered a tear of the Teres Major while doing deadlifts. While searching for articles about injuries of the teres major I found this study:**broken link removed**
It records via EMG which form of Lat Pulldown gives the best muscle stimulation. The conclusion:
"To summarise, the wide-grip-anterior form of the lat pull-down was the clear favourite from the perspective of the latissimus dorsi muscles. During both concentric and eccentric phases of the pull-down, the latissimus dorsi displayed greater electrical activity with the wide-grip-anterior position, compared with the other three variations of the lat pull-down."

 

[ag-guys]

I recently suffered a tear of the Teres Major while doing deadlifts. While searching for articles about injuries of the teres major I found this study:**broken link removed**
It records via EMG which form of Lat Pulldown gives the best muscle stimulation. The conclusion:
"To summarise, the wide-grip-anterior form of the lat pull-down was the clear favourite from the perspective of the latissimus dorsi muscles. During both concentric and eccentric phases of the pull-down, the latissimus dorsi displayed greater electrical activity with the wide-grip-anterior position, compared with the other three variations of the lat pull-down."

I've always liked wide grip pulldowns and chins.

AG
www.ag-guys.com

 

[Stroyer]

Pull-downs

I dont know if it is the best or not but...

The best movement for back that has brought up my overall back is wide-grip (i grip the bar as wide as i can at the very ends) pulldowns to the front using a STRAIGHT bar, not an angled one.

My upper mid back had always lacked in any real definition pathetically so, I had never done the above exercise, I was always from the school of thought of supinated pulldowns, but once I started doing the above exercise my back improved drastically in definition amazingly in a short period of time as well...

 

[BrooklynBB]

I use three different bars for pulldowns and all of them are done to the front. I never liked going behind the neck, even if it may recruit a few more fibers in my rhombus ... I'm looking to stimulate my lats, not traps or other back muscles.

My grip is only slightly wider than shoulder grip and I pull all the way down ... I see lots of kids pulling down to thier foreheads...

Just stick with heavy lat pulldowns to the front - whichever bar you like best - and your lats will grow.

 

[Future]

I think you should experiment for a while. Do some super slow in regards to your injury. Take some time and see how it feels in the muscle and in with the injury.

 

[Vanilla-Gorilla]

I like every pulldown movement. Like Future said, I would just experiement with all of them and see what feels the best.

Peace,
VG

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

I think it varies from person to person myself. The same with benches, my brother takes a different grip position than I do. It's all about comfort. I injured my right shoulder several years ago, so I have be to careful with it, I say just experiment and see what grip feels best to you.


JW

 

[simon birch]

i like many..

I do the wide grip angled bar for heavy pulldowns and do shoulder width weighted pull ups till failure or on some off days no weight. Just used to doin em i guess

 

[Moen]

Reverse grip with a small grip, greater rom that way

 

[neverbigenuf]

Just dont go behind the neck. I had physical therapy after my shoulder surgery last November and the doctor showed me what kind of position your shoulder is put in and it can/will lead to repetitive use injury. WHich is why I needed surgery in the first place!

 

[joe bigboy]

i do regular shoulder width grips, reverse grips with a little closer than shoulder width grip and pulldowns to the chest with the row bar... i strained my left pec last fall and for a while i could not do any pulldowns except with a close grip, seemed like the wider i went the more it hurt my pec. like the others said just find out which one feels the most comfortable for you.

 

[RazorCuts]

Reverse grip with a small grip, greater rom that way

Moen i see you are a true HIT Jedi!

RC

 

[PharmD27]

Just dont go behind the neck. I had physical therapy after my shoulder surgery last November and the doctor showed me what kind of position your shoulder is put in and it can/will lead to repetitive use injury. WHich is why I needed surgery in the first place!

Exactly - there were signs all over my university when I was in school not to do it behind the head due to the risk and less benefit. The study they quoted showed more injuries and less beneift in those that didn't get injured when going behind the head.