![]() While behind the neck pulldowns are technically an exercise variation and not necessarily a “mistake,” it’s important to know that the movement can put you at risk of shoulder injury. While your lower body is set in place, your upper body is unsupported and simple mistakes in technique can reduce muscle activation and overall effectiveness. This body awareness creates a sense of mindfulness and helps you to use your back muscles more effectively in this and other exercises. ![]() Take the time to feel your back muscles as they slowly stretch and fully lengthen. By not controlling the weight, you decrease stress on the back muscles and allow arms to take over. Don’t shift or swing your upper body while your arms move.įorm Tip: When ascending back to the top of the movement, it is common to see people moving too fast. When your arms are fully stretched, release your shoulder blades from the pulled back position. Once you have reached the bottom, raise your arms under control, remaining seated. Step 3 - Raise Your Arms, Lower the Weight Credit: Slatan / Shutterstock This scapular retraction and depression helps to engage more upper back muscles. Rather than just thinking “pull using every muscle available,” a great cue is to think about pulling your elbows out to the sides and down into the floor.įorm Tip: Imagine you are wearing pants that have back pockets and think about pulling your shoulder blades back and down towards those pockets. Your torso should remain mostly stationary throughout the entire rep. Engage your core and pull the bar until it is underneath your chin or touches your chest without using any momentum. Pull your shoulder blades together and down. Remain in an upright position and create a very slight arch in your lower back, opening your chest towards the ceiling. Step 2 - Pull the Weight to Your Chest Credit: lunamarina / Shutterstock Locking your legs beneath the pads helps to provide stability and can reinforce a strict upper body position. Shift your thighs under the pads and firmly plant your feet on the floor.įorm Tip: Stand with your thighs as close to the pads as possible before descending to help you better get into position smoothly. Keep hold of the bar with slightly bent arms and use your bodyweight to descend into the seat. Stand up and take hold of the bar wider than shoulder-width using a pronated grip (palms facing away from you). Take a seat and adjust the kneepads to keep your lower body locked into place. ![]() ![]() Step 1 - Grab the Bar and Sit Down Credit: martvisionlk / ShutterstockĪttach a wide bar to the pulldown cable attachment. Master the basic movement, and then you can manipulate your body position and bar attachments to target your back muscles in a variety of ways. Here’s how to get the most out of this fundamental back-building exercise.īecause the lat pulldown uses a cable machine, it provides a great opportunity for muscle development. It’s equally effective for beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters because it can be performed with a variety of attachments and requires minimal equipment to execute. This is where the lat pulldown, sometimes called the front pulldown, comes in. While it may be fairly easy for some, for others, it is a much longer journey that can be shortened by spending time building the strength of the back musculature. Many gym-goers are well aware of the pull-up, but struggle to perform their first rep.
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