Cable Wide Neutral Grip Pulldown

1. Attach a wide neutral-grip bar to the high pulley of a lat pulldown station.
2. Sit down and secure your thighs under the pads, feet flat on the floor.
3. Reach up and grip the handles with palms facing each other, arms fully extended.
4. Lean back slightly and lift your chest, keeping a neutral spine.
5. Brace your core and pull the handles down toward your upper chest, driving your elbows down and back.
6. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the pull.
7. Slowly extend your arms back to the top, allowing a full stretch through your lats.
8. Keep your torso stable throughout, avoiding a big backward lean to help the pull.

Common Mistakes

• Leaning back excessively: Using a big backward lean to move the weight turns the pull into a rowing motion instead of a pulldown. Keep only a slight lean and let your lats do the work.
• Pulling behind the neck: Bringing the bar behind your head instead of to your chest puts unnecessary strain on the shoulders. Pull to your upper chest with your torso upright.
• Using momentum to start the pull: Jerking the bar down with body movement instead of a controlled contraction reduces lat engagement. Start each rep from a still position.
• Not achieving full extension at the top: Stopping short at the top of the movement limits the range of motion and the stretch on the lats. Let your arms extend fully before starting the next pull.