One common mistake I see with great frequency is on the lat pulldown machine. Often, the individual is pulling mostly with arm strength. The objective of the lat pulldown is to stimulate the large pulling muscles of the back called the latissimus dorsi, or 'lats.'
In order to best utilize that musculature, the optimal form would be as follows. After choosing the bar you will use, set a weight that feels light to medium. If you start out with a weight that's heavy, there's no way you will get correct form...at least not for many reps.
Next, grip the bar with a medium shoulder width, or slightly wider than shoulder width grip with palms facing away from you.
Now here's the important part. As you pull the bar down toward your chest, slightly arch your low back, and aim your chest up toward the ceiling as the bar is coming down. This will force your back muscles (our target) to do more of the work than your arms.
Also important to note...the wider your grip on the bar, the higher up on the chest should be the direction of the bar. For example, if you have a narrow grip, inside the shoulders, aim the bar toward the lower pecs. With a wider grip, aim for the upper chest.
Lastly, the bar does NOT have to touch your chest or body to complete a full rep. This would be based on the length of ones arms.
Complete your reps by contracting your back muscles and releasing the bar back up slowly to the stretch position.
There you have the 'perfect' form for doing a lat pulldown. You will feel and see more back development and strength using this exact technique.
The trainer in the link below will give a decent explanation and demonstration of a wide grip pulldown. Check back soon for more info. Mike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEb-dwU3VF4&feature=related
The next video is the correct form taken from a rear view
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K3HyzIcTCc&feature=related
No comments:
Post a Comment