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Band lat pulldown

Vertical pull for the back with a resistance band.

How to do it

1 of 3

Anchor the band high, kneel

  1. Starting position

    Anchor the band overhead, kneel down and hold one end in each hand with your arms extended upward.

  2. The movement

    Pull your hands toward your upper chest and your elbows down, then slowly extend your arms overhead again.

Most common mistake

Don't shrug your shoulders toward your ears, keep them down and let the band up slowly.

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Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Resistance band
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The band lat pulldown trains your lats, the broad back muscles that pull your elbows down towards your sides. The teres major and the lower part of your trapezius help, and your biceps bend your elbows. The resistance builds on the way down and peaks when your hands reach your chest, so most of the work happens in the lower half of the pull. Kneeling stops your legs from helping. A wide grip on the band gives your upper back more to do, while a narrower one lets your elbows stay closer to your body.

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back. The pull then turns into more of a row. Lean back only slightly from the hips and keep that angle for the whole set.
  • The pull stops at your chin. The last stretch down is where the band is heaviest and your lats work hardest, and it easily disappears as you tire. Choose a lighter band rather than cutting the movement short.
  • The anchor is too low. Just above your head, the band goes slack at the top and the pull is short. Fix it as high as you can, at the top of a door or on a bar, and shuffle your knees back until the band is taut with your arms extended.

Variations and alternatives

  • The wide grip lat pulldown is the same pull on a machine, where you can add weight in small, measurable steps.
  • Pull-ups are the same movement with your full bodyweight, once you have a bar and can manage a few reps.
  • The band pullover is done with straight arms, so your biceps barely take part and your lats work on their own.

Sets and reps

For muscle and endurance, 12 to 20 controlled reps over 2 to 4 sets works well, with a short pause at the bottom where the band is heaviest. A light band and a set or two also warm up your lats before pull-ups. Plans for different goals are in the guide to sets and reps.

Make it harder in this order: more reps, a longer pause at the bottom, then a stiffer band or an extra band. That is progressive overload in small steps, even without a number on the band.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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