Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

Setting up the wide grip pulldown

The wide grip pulldown uses a wider hand position than the standard variant. The wider grip changes the elbow path and biases different muscles. Walk through each phase before chasing weight.

1. Attachment and grip

Use the standard wide pulldown bar. Grip it with hands at roughly 1.5 to 1.7 times shoulder width in a pronated (palms forward) grip. Wider than this and the shoulder position becomes vulnerable. Confirm the grip width is consistent across reps so the loading is repeatable.

2. Seat and pad position

Adjust the knee pad so the thighs are pinned down without compressing the legs. Sit tall, hips back in the seat, feet flat on the floor. The bar should be reachable by the standing arm length when you reach up. Avoid leaning back at the start position.

3. The setup pull

Before the rep starts depress the shoulder blades down and back. The shoulders should sit away from the ears. This pre-tension protects the shoulder joint and loads the lats from rep one. Without it the upper traps take over and the lats stay off for the entire set.

4. The pull

Pull the bar to the upper chest, just below the collarbones. Drive the elbows down and slightly back. Lean back to roughly 70 to 80 degrees from horizontal at the bottom. The chest rises to meet the bar. Pause for a one second squeeze at the bottom.

5. The descent

Let the bar return to full arm extension over two seconds. The arms straighten completely at the top. The shoulders lift slightly with the cable but do not roll forward. Reset shoulder depression at the top before the next rep starts.

What wide grip pulldowns train

The wide grip pulldown trains vertical pulling with the wide hand position that biases the upper lats. The biceps are less involved than in narrower grip pulldowns and the upper back gets more work.

Latissimus dorsi (upper portion)

Primary mover. The wide pronated grip biases the upper lats more than narrower grip pulldowns. Andersen and colleagues (2014) showed wider grips emphasise the upper lats while narrower grips lengthen the lat through a fuller range. For pure upper lat width this is the most direct exercise.

Middle trapezius and rhomboids

Work hard on every rep because the wider grip emphasises scapular retraction. The mid back is more involved in wide grip pulldowns than in narrow grip variants. EMG comparisons show wide grip pulldowns produce higher mid trap and rhomboid activation than close grip versions.

Posterior deltoid and teres major

These assist with shoulder extension. The contribution is meaningful but secondary to the lat. The wider grip and more horizontal elbow path emphasises the rear delt more than narrower grip pulldown variants. Regular wide grip pulldown work supports rear delt development as a byproduct.

Biceps and forearms

The biceps assist with elbow flexion. The pronated wide grip places the biceps in their weakest mechanical position compared to other grip variations. This is why wide grip pulldowns can be loaded relatively close to bodyweight without biceps fatigue limiting sets, which is a key training advantage.

Five errors on wide grip pulldowns

The wide grip pulldown rewards bad form with movement. The weight comes down even if the lats are off. These are the form failures that move the work off the back.

Grip too wide

Grips beyond 1.7 times shoulder width place the shoulder in a vulnerable position. The reduced range of motion does not compensate for the increased shoulder stress. Stay at 1.5 to 1.7 times shoulder width for working sets. Save wider grips for occasional variation if at all.

Pulling with the arms first

If the elbows bend before the shoulders move the biceps do most of the work, even with the mechanical disadvantage of the wide pronated grip. The pull starts at the scapula. Set the lats before the elbows bend.

Shoulders rising toward the ears

Unsealed shoulder depression at the start of the rep moves the load to the upper traps. Set the shoulders down and back before the rep starts and keep them there throughout. If you cannot hold depression under load the weight is too heavy.

Behind the neck wide grip pulldowns

Pulling the bar behind the neck places the shoulder in extreme external rotation and abduction. The wide grip amplifies the risk. Most physiotherapists discourage behind the neck pulldowns at any grip width. Front pulldowns load the lats as well or better with much lower shoulder risk.

Leaning too far back

A 30 to 45 degree backwards lean turns the lift into a horizontal row. Some lean is normal (10 to 20 degrees). Extreme lean reduces the lat range of motion and overloads the lower back. Keep the torso closer to vertical for honest pulldown loading.

Sets, reps and where wide grip pulldowns fit

Wide grip pulldowns are heavily trainable. They work as a primary back exercise on machine focused sessions or as a secondary lift after pull ups. They are particularly useful for lifters who want upper lat width without biceps fatigue limiting their work.

Hypertrophy: 8 to 15 reps

The productive range. 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 15 reps at 60 to 75 percent of estimated max. Stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure. The cable allows mechanical drop sets and rest pause work with low joint stress. Schoenfeld and colleagues have shown 10 plus weekly sets per muscle group as productive for hypertrophy.

Strength: 4 to 6 reps

Heavier wide grip pulldowns build the strength to progress to weighted pull ups. 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps at 80 to 90 percent of estimated max. The wide grip pronated position is mechanically demanding so loads are typically lower than for narrower grip variants.

Endurance: 15 to 25 reps

High rep wide grip pulldowns are excellent for blood flow, hypertrophy at lower loads and recovery work. 2 to 3 sets at the end of a session. Useful for trainees with shoulder issues who cannot tolerate heavy pulling.

Frequency

Wide grip pulldowns can be trained 2 to 3 times per week. They recover quickly because the eccentric stress is moderate and the spinal load is zero. Many balanced upper body programmes include them in every back session as a primary or secondary lift.

Pairing

Pair wide grip pulldowns with horizontal rowing for complete back development. They also work well as a primary back exercise for lifters who cannot yet do pull ups, with assisted or eccentric only pull ups added for direct pull up progression.

More on back training

For the narrower close grip variant, our Lat pulldowns close grip guide covers lower lat focused work. Lat pulldown machine is the overview page. And the Pull ups overhand grip guide covers the bodyweight wide grip vertical pull.