Lat pulldown alternatives.

[Localaxis]

Hey, I recently started doing "Single Arm Cable Pulldown - chest supported", and I haven't felt my lats activated that well in a long time.
Why I switched, is cuz I really can't get enough from lat pulldowns, either my arms die's first or my forearms and I can't even get to finish my set.

I don't think it's too much weight problem on my block, or using straps for long periods of time.
Tried both eliminating straps for 3 months and lowering the weight on pulldowns, It's like training my arms and rear delts still.

I do not have problems with any other back exercises though, they work perfectly for me. Have anyone have a similar story, and yes the Single Arm Cable Pulldown does wonders for my lats.

Pictures for reference ↓

 

[Smont]

Yes, and I just actually learned how to activate my lats properly within the last year probably and single arm pull-down is how. I like to use the pull-down machine with a single handle and locked into the seat at the knees so I can get a big stretch at the top and pull with my elbow.

With a normal pull-down some q's I've found effective (honestly can't remember where I heard these directions)

Imagine your Seated and hands overhead grabbing the bar so your in the stretch position, your pulling with your elbows and Imagine your trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together and tuck them in your back pockets. At the bottom of the rep in the contracted position your lats should be flared out and you should feel it pressed against the sides of your arms. I literally had to cut my weights in half to do it.

If you like to lift heavy , what IL do is 2-3 warm ups just to het loose and some blood flowing, do my heavy seat to "failure" or close to failure in the 6-8 rep range, maybe do a rest pause or cheat to squeeze out 2 or 3 more and then cut the weight in half and do it as I described above.

 

[Localaxis]

Yes, and I just actually learned how to activate my lats properly within the last year probably and single arm pull-down is how. I like to use the pull-down machine with a single handle and locked into the seat at the knees so I can get a big stretch at the top and pull with my elbow.

With a normal pull-down some q's I've found effective (honestly can't remember where I heard these directions)

Imagine your Seated and hands overhead grabbing the bar so your in the stretch position, your pulling with your elbows and Imagine your trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together and tuck them in your back pockets. At the bottom of the rep in the contracted position your lats should be flared out and you should feel it pressed against the sides of your arms. I literally had to cut my weights in half to do it.

If you like to lift heavy , what IL do is 2-3 warm ups just to het loose and some blood flowing, do my heavy seat to "failure" or close to failure in the 6-8 rep range, maybe do a rest pause or cheat to squeeze out 2 or 3 more and then cut the weight in half and do it as I described above.

Oh, I have tried so many variations, and still, my biceps are forearms are burning like the sun in the middle of the set.

But single-arm pulls are far more effective for me, also I don't pull them from above my head, the cable is just slightly above my head height while seated, and there I feel the lats mostly.

 

[Smont]

Oh, I have tried so many variations, and still, my biceps are forearms are burning like the sun in the middle of the set.

But single-arm pulls are far more effective for me, also I don't pull them from above my head, the cable is just slightly above my head height while seated, and there I feel the lats mostly.

I have these wrist straps with a solid hook at the end so you barely need to grip the handle, you can also loop something around the wrist to pull, completely takes forearms out of the equation and most of the biceps too if yiur pulling from the elbow. . Part of mind muscle connection is learning to use the muscle without the assistance muscles. Gotta learn to use the lat muscle to do the work. Back seems to be hardest to connect with, especially lats, probably because we can't see them. For a long time my back got denser and stronger but no lats, now there finally starting to pop.

Do you get a pump in your lats like you would with chest or biceps ect? I gotta really focus and do a decent amount of volume to get a lat pump

 

[Localaxis]

I have these wrist straps with a solid hook at the end so you barely need to grip the handle, you can also loop something around the wrist to pull, completely takes forearms out of the equation and most of the biceps too if yiur pulling from the elbow. . Part of mind muscle connection is learning to use the muscle without the assistance muscles. Gotta learn to use the lat muscle to do the work. Back seems to be hardest to connect with, especially lats, probably because we can't see them. For a long time my back got denser and stronger but no lats, now there finally starting to pop.

Do you get a pump in your lats like you would with chest or biceps ect? I gotta really focus and do a decent amount of volume to get a lat pump

Straps sadly don't help, that's why I am looking for alternative to lat pulldowns.
On the other way, all the other lat exercises work perfectly fine, especially regular pull-ups & even assisted pull-up machines.

Its really strange, cuz when I was younger, I dod adore lat pulldowns.
What's your goto exercise for lats?

 

[Smont]

Straps sadly don't help, that's why I am looking for alternative to lat pulldowns.
On the other way, all the other lat exercises work perfectly fine, especially regular pull-ups & even assisted pull-up machines.

Its really strange, cuz when I was younger, I dod adore lat pulldowns.
What's your goto exercise for lats?

Not straps, hooks. They strap to your wrist and have a rubber coated metal hook attached. If that dosent work it's a user error that needs to be corrected.

 

[sammpedd88]

I have these wrist straps with a solid hook at the end so you barely need to grip the handle, you can also loop something around the wrist to pull, completely takes forearms out of the equation and most of the biceps too if yiur pulling from the elbow. . Part of mind muscle connection is learning to use the muscle without the assistance muscles. Gotta learn to use the lat muscle to do the work. Back seems to be hardest to connect with, especially lats, probably because we can't see them. For a long time my back got denser and stronger but no lats, now there finally starting to pop.

Do you get a pump in your lats like you would with chest or biceps ect? I gotta really focus and do a decent amount of volume to get a lat pump

I was just going to say using straps for me is a must. I use Versa Grips when I need straps. Using them on lat pull downs aren’t because I don’t have the grip strength to pull the heavy weight. I use them to take my grip and firearms out of the equation as much as possible. That way I can focus on pulling with my elbows, squeezing my shoulder blades and such.

 

[Smont]

Straps sadly don't help, that's why I am looking for alternative to lat pulldowns.
On the other way, all the other lat exercises work perfectly fine, especially regular pull-ups & even assisted pull-up machines.

Its really strange, cuz when I was younger, I dod adore lat pulldowns.
What's your goto exercise for lats?

Stiff arm cable pulldowns is another good high rep exercise for lats. High cable, pull-down bar and a shoulder with grip. Lean a little forward during the reps and make sure your getting a good stretch. The stretch position is important for growth and the negative portion is even more important. That goes for most exercise

 

[MrKleen73]

The bottom line is something in the way you are performing these pulls is causing you to use your biceps more than your lats. It is a form or function issue. Also if you are doing them from where you are saying you are doing a single handed high row, and not a lat pulldown. One way to try this is to put your elbow in a slight bend then leave them that way the entire movement or at a minimum don't bend the elbow more than 90 degrees during the movement. Just thinking of your hand as hooks, and not a moving piece of the equation is going to help a lot. Then you just pull only your elbows back, the arms will come down with them automatically. Once you have that perfected you can add in more elbow flexion to get deeper into the ROM, but first you need to practice only using the lats then build from that.

Other than that ANY vertical pulling you can do that is effective for you to hit the lats will be a good substitute. Pull Ups, normal lat pulldowns, assisted pull ups, straight arm lat pulldowns. They are all good and effective options.

Also just looking at the picture, you are pulling more back than down compared to the gentlemen doing them in the first picture. Looks like a good 15 degrees difference of an angle and to get to the bottom of the ROM you are going to HAVE TO pull with the biceps to complete the rep. I would suggest moving about 6 inches forward and trying them again.

 

[beefyfan]

Hey, I recently started doing "Single Arm Cable Pulldown - chest supported", and I haven't felt my lats activated that well in a long time.
Why I switched, is cuz I really can't get enough from lat pulldowns, either my arms die's first or my forearms and I can't even get to finish my set.

I don't think it's too much weight problem on my block, or using straps for long periods of time.
Tried both eliminating straps for 3 months and lowering the weight on pulldowns, It's like training my arms and rear delts still.

I do not have problems with any other back exercises though, they work perfectly for me. Have anyone have a similar story, and yes the Single Arm Cable Pulldown does wonders for my lats.

Pictures for reference ↓

View attachment 233563View attachment 233564

For me and my body mechanics, there just isn't any substitute for old fashioned chin ups.

 

[Localaxis]

Not straps, hooks. They strap to your wrist and have a rubber coated metal hook attached. If that dosent work it's a user error that needs to be corrected.

View attachment 233572

Honestly never tried them, I have seen them multiple times in the videos tbh. Will order them and let you know, I'm curious myself.

 

[Localaxis]

Stiff arm cable pulldowns is another good high rep exercise for lats. High cable, pull-down bar and a shoulder with grip. Lean a little forward during the reps and make sure your getting a good stretch. The stretch position is important for growth and the negative portion is even more important. That goes for most exercise

Actually, I love doing those, haven't had any problems yet.

 

[Localaxis]

The bottom line is something in the way you are performing these pulls is causing you to use your biceps more than your lats. It is a form or function issue. Also if you are doing them from where you are saying you are doing a single handed high row, and not a lat pulldown. One way to try this is to put your elbow in a slight bend then leave them that way the entire movement or at a minimum don't bend the elbow more than 90 degrees during the movement. Just thinking of your hand as hooks, and not a moving piece of the equation is going to help a lot. Then you just pull only your elbows back, the arms will come down with them automatically. Once you have that perfected you can add in more elbow flexion to get deeper into the ROM, but first you need to practice only using the lats then build from that.

Other than that ANY vertical pulling you can do that is effective for you to hit the lats will be a good substitute. Pull Ups, normal lat pulldowns, assisted pull ups, straight arm lat pulldowns. They are all good and effective options.

Also just looking at the picture, you are pulling more back than down compared to the gentlemen doing them in the first picture. Looks like a good 15 degrees difference of an angle and to get to the bottom of the ROM you are going to HAVE TO pull with the biceps to complete the rep. I would suggest moving about 6 inches forward and trying them again.

Thanks for the tips, I will definitely try these out on the next back day
I'm sure the problem is in me, cuz all the other 100 exercises are going perfectly for me, no questions even asked, but lat pulldowns feel like I started to lift yesterday.

 

[Localaxis]

For me and my body mechanics, there just isn't any substitute for old fashioned chin ups.

They work fine for me too bro, the problem was/is in lat pulldowns. Or in vertical pulls themselves, I can't hit them correctly I guess.

 

[Doss]

I found this video from John Meadows to be very helpful in 'feeling' the lat and being able to more intentionally activate it when training back.

Back Activation - How to Feel Your Lat

Learning to use the lat for the work also made it much easier for me to feel when I was using too much weight and other muscles were taking over the movement - something that is difficult for people just figuring out their lats.