Lee Priest – Lat Pulldown Form for Bodybuilding
We got Lee Priest to demonstrate the correct Lat Pulldown Form for bodybuilding. The cable lat pulldown is in every gym in the country, and most people turn it into an arm exercise without ever realising it. Lee’s fix takes half a second at the top of every rep
Shrug Your Lat In First
- Correct lat pulldown form starts before the elbows bend: “You shrug your lat first so it’s locked in and then pull through.”
- “So do like a little shrug, lock your lat in and then pull it down.” Not a traps shrug up to your ears — the shoulder blade goes down and back, then the elbow follows.
- Once the lat is locked, keep it locked. Don’t let the shoulder pop back up halfway down.
- At the top, allow a controlled stretch — then re-set that shrug before the next rep.
Too Much Arm, or Too Much Swing?
- “A lot of people just pull with the arms and the back doesn’t even contract.” If the biceps and forearms are cooked before the back has felt anything, that’s you.
- “Maybe you’re using too much arm.” Drive your elbows down towards your back pockets. The hands are just hooks on the bar. Bar to the upper chest — not the belly.
- “Maybe you’re swinging back like this.” If your torso travels further than the bar, strip a plate off.
- “You just want to do a nice controlled move.” That means the way up as well as the way down.
- “You can lean back a little bit if you’re going heavy, but don’t swing the weight.” Set the angle before rep one and hold it for every rep after.
- Grip failing first? A pair of lifting straps keeps the tension where you want it.
