Muscles worked
The close grip lat pulldown mainly trains the latissimus dorsi, the broad back muscle that draws your arms down and back. Helping out are the teres major, the rhomboids, the middle and lower traps and the rear delts. Your biceps, brachialis and forearms get more to do than with a wide grip. A V-handle gives a neutral grip, palms facing each other, while a narrow underhand grip on a straight bar gives your biceps even more work. With your hands close, your elbows can travel further back, and many people feel a longer pull. The lats work roughly as hard as with a wide grip, though, so choose the grip that suits your shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Pulling with your arms. When your hands lead, your biceps tire long before your back. Think of your hands as hooks and drive your elbows down towards your sides.
- Your arms never straighten. With too heavy a weight, many people turn halfway up. Let the handle rise until your arms are straight before the next rep, and go lighter if you cannot.
- Your head pokes forward. When it gets heavy, your chin juts out and your neck takes over. Keep your head still and lift your chest slightly towards the handle instead.
Variations and alternatives
- The wide grip lat pulldown for variety, with your elbows further out and slightly less help from your biceps.
- Chin-ups are the harder version, where you pull your own body weight.
- Assisted pull-ups are a stepping stone towards pulling your body weight.
- Band lat pulldowns work at home, with a band anchored high.
Sets and reps
This exercise is best suited to building muscle, and 8 to 12 reps over three or four sets is the most common choice. Going heavier, 6 to 8 reps also works. For pure strength, weighted chin-ups or pull-ups are the usual choice, so 3 to 6 reps on the machine is rare. For endurance, or as a second back exercise, 12 to 20 reps suits. See the guide to sets and reps.
Weight stack steps are often large. Add reps first, and go up one step once you reach the top of your range on every set. That is progressive overload on a machine. If your grip fails before your back, lifting straps can help.