CLOSE-GRIP PULLDOWN
Lat-Focused Vertical Pull
Primary Muscles
Exercise Description
Sit at the pulldown machine and grip the bar shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, pull the bar to your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades, then control the bar back up.
How To Perform
Adjust the thigh pad and sit upright at the pulldown machine with feet flat on the floor.
Grip the bar with a close, shoulder-width grip and engage your core with a neutral spine.
Initiate the pull by depressing and retracting the shoulder blades (not by bending the elbows first).
Pull the bar to the upper chest while keeping elbows close to the torso; squeeze the lats at the bottom.
Control the bar back to the start with a slow, fully extended but not locked-out return.
Expert Tips
Prioritize back engagement - Lead with the shoulder blades (scapular depression/retraction) before bending the elbows to better target the lats.
Use a controlled tempo - Avoid swinging or jerking. A 2–3 second eccentric improves lat activation and control.
Squeeze at the bottom - Hold a brief pause at the chest while squeezing the shoulder blades together for maximal contraction.
Manage load wisely - Start lighter to master form. Increase weight gradually once you can maintain strict technique.
Common Mistakes
Using too much weight - This often leads to leaning back and pulling with momentum instead of the lats.
Pulling with the arms - Overusing the biceps reduces back activation. Initiate the pull with the back.
Excessive torso lean - Keep a neutral spine and avoid turning the movement into a row.
Incomplete range of motion - Lower to the upper chest with control and return to a full, controlled stretch at the top.
Info – Close-Grip Pulldown
The Close-Grip Pulldown is excellent for emphasizing the lower lats and biceps. To optimize benefits, use a slow, controlled motion and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the bottom. Avoid using too much weight, which often causes form breakdown and excessive leaning.
Beginners should start with lighter loads to master technique. Advanced lifters can progress by increasing weight, adding pauses, or trying pulldown variations—always with a neutral spine and strict control.
Equipment Required
Pulldown machine.