If your goal is to build a chiseled back and develop upper body strength, look no further than the reverse grip lat pulldown. 

The reverse grip lat Pulldown is a multi-joint, compound movement designed to target numerous muscles of the back. It works with various muscles of the shoulder girdle to maintain range of motion and increase strength and stability.

This pulldown is performed at a seated cable machine with a bar attachment overhead. The move is very similar to the bodyweight pull-up, except the body remains stationary as the weight is brought down to the torso. 

The reverse grip can be done with a number of different handle attachments available for use. Variations include the wide-grip pulldown, close-grip pulldown, pronated grip, and V-bar just to name a couple. 

What Muscles Do The Reverse Pulldown Work?

The reverse grip specifically works numerous muscles multiple muscles of the back as seen below

Agonist:

• lats (largest back muscle)

• rhomboids (located at the bottom portion of the shoulder blades)

Synergistic [complimentary]:

• rear delts ( upper back above the lats)

• trapezius upper/middle/lower (the upper midline of the back)

• bicep brachii (anterior portion of the arm)

• brachialis ( muscle of the forearm)

Stabilizer: 

• triceps (back portion of the upper arm)

• rotator cuff (small muscles surrounding the shoulder blades)

How To Perform Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns

The reverse grip lat pulldown is not a difficult exercise to perform at all, but stay conscious of your form at all time. Always remember that good form can make the difference between you seeing the results you desire or you wasting time “going through the motions”.

How-To:

1. Start by sitting down at the machine, adjusting the leg support so that it’s flushed against your thigh. 
2. Keep your chest high, back straight, and core engaged before performing the exercise.
3. Reach for the handle with an underhanded grip. Make sure your arms are slightly bent and you feel the full stretch of your lats at the top of the movement. 
4. Once you’ve positioned your hands on the handle, begin pulling it down towards your chest. Allow your elbows to travel next to or a little past your rib cage. 
5. Hold at the bottom for a brief squeeze, bringing both shoulder blades together and contracting your lats.
6. Slowly control the handle back to the starting position, keeping constant tension on the arms and muscles of the back.
7. Repeat for as many reps are necessary.

Benefits Of Reverse Lat Pulldowns

Easily Adjustable

It is often difficult for most people to perform bodyweight chin-ups, the very close cousin of the pulldown. While there are ways to make chin-ups easier such as resistance bands and weighted machines, a simpler place to start is the reverse grip lat pulldown. It is the same movement and works the same muscles, however it can be adjusted for a much lighter or heavier weight. This ability to adjust weight and intensity is an excellent way to build the upper body strength necessary for bodyweight exercises while developing full muscle bodies through hypertrophy.

Prevents Back Pain

Current medical literature suggests that back pain intensity can be reduced by 10 to 50% after prescribing exercise as a treatment. Reverse pulldowns can help improve posture and strengthen the midline muscles like the infraspinatus- which is responsible for supporting the spine. When these muscles are fortified it will in turn protect the back from pain and discomfort caused by everyday activities or resting in unnatural positions. 

Excellent For Training Lats

Outside of bodyweight pull exercises, pulldowns are some of the best exercises for stimulating muscle activity in the lats. While other pieces of equipment rank fairly low, cable machines offer some of the most optimal tools for growing the back. This is essential for developing the width of the back and the iconic V-taper.

Tips For Performing Reverse Lat Pulldowns

• when you’re arms are almost fully extended at the top of the movement, flare your lats. You can accomplish this by either inhaling deeply or consciously expanding your rib cage. Flaring your lats at this stage will help you get the fullest contraction, training the fibers that create the appearance of width. 

• choose a weight that offers the right balance of reps and intensity. Too much weight and you’ll perform each rep with sloppy form. The body will also recruit the wrong muscles in an attempt to compensate for each forced rep. Too little weight and the body won’t adapt and grow. Your goal is to find the happy middle ground that allows you to execute each rep with good form, but still make the overall set challenging.

• try leaning back slightly at the bottomed the the machine row. This will emphasize the squeeze of your shoulder blades and create even more range of motion as you extend your arms back to the top of the row. 

• Be sure not to extend your elbows too far back past your rib cage. Pulling too far will round the shoulders and divert the full contraction away from the back.

Grip Width And Lat Pulldowns

As a whole, a medium grip may have the slight edge over narrow and wide grips. A variety of muscles are stimulated during both the concentric and eccentric phases with a medium grip. While this is also true for wide and narrow grips- the medium grip creates greater muscle activation on a comparative level when observing muscles like the lats, bicep brachii, and infraspinatus. 

Obviously every body is different and may respond to grip widths in varying ways.  However it’s good to keep in mind that even slight details like grip width can impact your results, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try what works for you. 

What Version Of The Lat Pulldown Is Best?

24 trained men performed 3 lat Pulldown variations; behind-the-neck (BNL), front-of-neck (FNL), and V-bar at 80% one rep max for 5 reps. When measuring the lats, there was very little difference in muscle activation between the three exercises. However that’s about where the similarities stop. 

During the concentric phase, FNL stimulated the pecs significantly higher than V-bar/BNL and V-bar higher than BNL. During the eccentric phase, FNL/V-bar was higher than BNL. For the lats, there was no difference between techniques. The rear delts presented BNL higher than FNL/V-bar and FNL higher than V-bar in the concentric phase and BNL higher than V-bar in the eccentric phase. Lastly the biceps exhibited BNL higher than V-bar/FNL and V-bar higher than FNL in both concentric and eccentric phases. 

Ultimately experts believe the front-of-neck lat pulldown has the edge over the other two. In terms of form, muscle activation, and the fact that behind the neck pulldowns can lead to anterior instability in the shoulder joint in the shoulder joint (a risk factor for shoulder injury).

Great Alternatives For The Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown

While most gyms have the equipment to do this exercise, it’s always nice to have substitutes to add variety to your training. If you need more back exercises, specifically vertical pull exercises similar to lat pulldowns check out this article. With that being said here are a few examples.

Overhand Lat Pulldown

The most obvious  alternative to the reverse grip lat pulldown is the overhand lat pulldown. Its only noticeable difference is the use of a pronated (overhand) grip rather than the reverse. My only suggestion for this exercise is to try it with either a mid or wide grip. These distances will ensure that you develop the width and fullness of the lats while defining the complimentary muscles such as the rear delts and rhomboids. 

How-To:

1. Sit down at the machine and adjust the leg support so that it’s pressed against your thigh. 
2. Keep your chest high, back straight, and core engaged before performing the exercise.
3. Take hold of the handle with an overhand grip. Your arms should be slightly bent and make sure you feel the full stretch of your lats at the top of the movement. 
4. Once you’ve positioned your hands on the handle, begin pulling it down towards your chest. Allow your elbows to travel next to or a little past your rib cage. 
5. Hold at the bottom for a brief squeeze, bringing both shoulder blades together and contracting your lats.
6. Slowly control the handle back to the starting position, keeping constant tension on the arms and muscles of the back.
7. Repeat for as many reps are necessary.

Pull-Ups

The pull up is an exercise that needs no introduction. Popular, effective, challenging; this multi-joint, bodyweight exercise is one fitness’s great movements for unlocking upper body strength. As a close relative to the reverse grip lat, it’s an excellent option for enhancing the transfer of power between the upper and lower extremities during total body movements.

As amazing as pull ups are, lifting bodyweight for multiple reps takes this exercise off the table for many gym goers. However, the beauty of the pull up is that its assisted version (the suspension device) is capable of promoting muscular strength and hypertrophy. Most commercial gyms have this piece of equipment, which makes it the best option for anyone seeking to build upper body strength. There were virtually no differences in muscle activation between the standard pull up and the assisted, which means it’s also a solid choice for growing the very same muscles.

How-To:

1. Standing directly under the pull up bar with your core braced and chest high, reach for the bar.
2. Spread your hands a little past shoulder width apart and keep your arms nearly fully extended as you hag above the the floor
3. In a fluid motion pull your chest up towards the bar. Keep you chest high to prevent rounding of the shoulders.
4. When your collar bone is a few inches away from the bar pause briefly at the top and feel the full contraction in your lats
5. Slowly lower your body down towards the floor keeping constant tension in your arms and back
6. Repeat for as many sets as necessary.

Bent-Over Row

The bent-over row is a popular back exercise that’s been used from the start by the best bodybuilders and athletes alike. This row specifically is one of the few that fires both the midline and lateral muscles of the back at a high level. Because this exercise is done standing, very few if any muscles of the back are passive but all fighting to keep the body upright while rowing tremendous amounts of weight. 

Bent-over rows are also great because you can experiment with unilateral (one handed) rows. On top of working the back, researchers found that unilateral rowing generated greater muscle activity in several muscles of the core compared to bilateral rows. This means that dumbbells, kettlebells, and even cables can provide not just greater range of motion but more muscle recruitment during bent over rows. 

Keep in mind that form is everything with this exercise. Form can make the difference between strengthening your back or seriously injuring it. The first thing that can be done to avoid this is picking the right weight. Slow, intentional movements with reasonable weight is much more beneficial that sloppy reps with heavy weight. 

When you’re in the starting position, here’s a few pointers.

As you bend forward focus on driving your elbows up towards your torso, not the bar. This will keep you aware of what you feel in your body- squeezing your lats and rear delts together. Don’t be afraid to play around with different grips and hand positions. You may find that you feel the contraction in a different way than the standard pronated bent-over row grip.

Seated Row

While seated rows are a horizontal pulling exercise, it is still an exceptional substitute for reverse grip lat pulldowns. It’s rowing muscle targets the major muscles of the back in ways few others do. And with its numerous attachments you have the freedom to really hone in on the fine details that aren’t available with the standard reverse grip. Seated rows generally target the thickness of the back, however switching the angles of your arms can also help develop the width of the lats usually reserved for vertical pull exercises.

How-To:

1. Sit up straight at the bench and place your feet on the foot rest with your knees slightly bent. Lean forward with your back straight as you reach for the handle. Keep your shoulders back and contract your core.
2. As you inhale, bend your elbows and pull them back towards either side of your torso. Keep your back neutral and hold this position for a second
3. Slowly guide the weight back to the starting position, leaning forward slightly until your arms are fully extended.
4. Repeat for as many reps are necessary.

Hopefully these exercises will serve you well on your fitness journey. Stay focused, stay dedicated, and until next time BE WELL!