The close-grip pulldown is an effective lat development exercise, although the bicep and mid-back will also feel the burn. The closer grip pattern changes things up slightly from the wider grip. If you’re looking to train for functional strength, muscle growth, or pull-up progression, the close-grip pulldown should have a place in your program.

This guide will show you how to do the close-grip pulldown with perfect form, explain its main benefits, highlight common mistakes, and share a few expert tips to help you get the most out of each and every rep.

How to perform the Close-Grip Pulldown(Video):

Close-Grip Pulldown: How To

1. Sit in the seat at the pulldown station and set the thigh pad so your legs are secure.
2. Grab on to the close grip (V-bar) with the palms of your hands facing one another.
3. Sit up nice and tall, chest up, core tight, and shoulders pulled back a little bit.
4. Initiate the movement by drawing your shoulder blades down and back, and then use your elbows to pull the handle down towards your body to your upper chest.
5. Hold for a moment at the bottom of the rep, contracting your lats as hard as you can before reversing the movement under control back to the starting position, feeling a deep stretch.
6. Keep your body mostly upright as you go; don’t lean too far back.

Close-Grip Pulldown: Benefits

Emphasizes Lower Lat Activation

The close grip enables a greater stretch at the bottom and a full range of motion throughout, which encourages a heightened focus on the lats and the teres major muscle. That helps develop thickness in your back.

Improves Pull-Up and Chin-Up Strength

Because the movement closely replicates the trajectory of a neutral-grip (or underhand) pull-up, it is highly functional and therefore applicable to bodyweight vertical pulling strength.

Encourages Better Scapular Control

Initiating each repetition with scapular retraction allows you to target the upper portion of the back and teaches you to control your shoulder blades (that precious real estate on your upper back), a must for not only good posture, but also to reduce the risk of injury.

Increases Arm Involvement

More so than a wide grip pulldown, the close grip exercise places more emphasis on the biceps. So it’s quite a good back-and-arm combination exercise, and a particularly good one if you’re in a rush.

Safer on the Shoulders

This version of the pulldown provides a more comfortable grip for lifters who have restricted shoulder mobility or who suffered from injury in the past. This allows for a more bio-mechanically “friendly” motion that feels more natural and is easier on the shoulder.

Close-Grip Pulldown: Mistakes to Avoid

• Pulling Past-Chest Level: The movement is complete when the handle arrives to the top of the chest. Pulling back further turns the rep into an odd, awkward arm-dominant motion.
• Using Excessive Momentum: Bringing your torso into a backswing or yanking the handle down provides slack for the muscles to work with, which can further injury risk.
• Going Too Heavy: Selecting too much weight typically results in bad form and a smaller range of motion. Better to go a little lighter and perform all the movements perfectly.
• Shortening the Eccentric Phase: Allowing the handle to snap back into position throws away the negative part of the rep. Slow it down and build more muscle while developing more strength.

Expert Training Tips

• Pull with Your Elbows: Rather than imagining you’re pulling with your arms, think of driving your elbows down and back. This is a great cue for engaging the lats.
• Add Isometric Holds: And hold for a moment at the bottom of each rep – contract your back muscles strongly.
• Control the Tempo: Use a 1–2 second descent and a strong, controlled pull as you row. More time under tension results in more muscle growth.
• Use Full Range of Motion: Don’t shortchange the stretch —give your arms a chance to fully extend toward the top. This also elongates the lats and increases growth.