Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

Compound pulling exercise using a cable machine with a close-grip bar to target the latissimus dorsi muscles and upper back.

Instructions

1. Sit at a lat pulldown machine with your back upright. Grip the pull-down bar with your hands closer than shoulder width apart, with palms facing away from you.
2. Lean back slightly, about 15-20 degrees. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides as you descend.
3. Pull your shoulders back and down at the end of the motion, achieving a full contraction of the lats.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement, squeezing your lats.
5. Slowly return the bar to the starting position in a controlled manner until your arms are fully extended.

Tips

• Keep your chest up and elbows down to emphasize lat activation.
• Focus on feeling the lats work rather than just moving the weight.
• Avoid leaning back too far, which can reduce lat engagement.
• Control the eccentric phase (lowering) to maximize muscle damage and growth.
• Keep your forearms relatively passive; the power should come from your lats and mid-back.