variations
The motion of a vertical pulldown can be adapted to various pieces of equipment. Adjusting your grip will alter the specific muscles being targeted, including the lats, traps, and delts. Again, take care not to place too much stress on your shoulder joints during these moves.
neutral-grip vertical pulldown
Where the wider, pronated grip on the pulldown on the previous pages targets the upper-back muscles, this variation with a neutral grip—with palms facing each other—helps bias the latissimus dorsi.
preparatory stage
Position your body as for a wide-grip pulldown. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart in a neutral grip. Lean your torso back slightly.
STAGE ONE
Breathe in and engage your abdominal muscles. Breathe out as you pull the bar down by flexing at the elbows and contracting the lats.
STAGE TWO
Breathe in again and engage your abdominal muscles. Return the bar to the starting position, maintaining control. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
machine vertical pulldown
This machine variation allows for either a pronated wide grip or a neutral grip while providing a fixed path of resistance from the machine. This wide-grip version targets more of the traps than the neutral-grip one.
preparatory stage
Set up the machine. Sit with your thighs under the leg pad, knees bent, and with your feet on the floor. Hold onto the handles using your preferred grip.
STAGE ONE
Breathe in and engage your abdominals, then breathe out as you pull the bar down, contracting the muscles of your upper/midback.
STAGE TWO
Breathe in again and engage your core, then, maintaining control, breathe out to return the bar to its starting position. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
chin-up
This exercise trains the upper back, lats, and biceps. Bodyweight vertical pulling is a great addition to every strength program, and this neutral-grip variation trains a large portion of the back with each rep.
preparatory stage
Start in a hanging position with your core stabilized. You can cross one foot over the other at your ankle to help maintain balance and coordination.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
STAGE ONE
Breathe out as you flex your elbows to pull yourself off the ground. To make the exercise more challenging, pause in this position for 1–2 seconds.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
STAGE TWO
Breathe in as you extend your elbows to lower your body, keeping your core engaged. Do not swing to create momentum. Repeat stages 1 and 2.
n Double-tap image to read the labels
“Your grip will influence which muscles will be more biased over others during a pulldown variation.”
A matter of grip
Having your hands close together and in a more neutral, semi-, or supinated grip will allow you to perform a chin-up, which involves more lats and biceps relative to the upper back. The wider and more pronated grip results in a pull-up, with more upper-back focus while still training the biceps, but less lats overall.
n Double-tap image to read the labels