Lat pull downs

Phil.x

I think I'm doing them wrong even after years in the gym.
When I was a teen I done behind the neck which I found I could really get good results from.

Now I'm pulling to the front and I just don't find it effect at all and I'm getting tennis elbow from it, why is it looked down upon to do behind the neck pull downs.

Alf Veedersane

Phil.x wrote: »

why is it looked down upon to do behind the neck pull downs.

They put your shoulder in a pretty vulnerable position. It doesn't mean you'll get injured but you're increasing the risk of injury and there are better ways of getting the results you're looking for from it.

If you're not finding the pulldown effective have a look at your form. People have a habit of having too much weight on and turning it onto a row of some sort.

I would think so too... it's easy to put too much weight on and then you're leaning back to pull it down each time instead of keeping back straight and being strict

Birdie086

bluewolf wrote: »

I would think so too... it's easy to put too much weight on and then you're leaning back to pull it down each time instead of keeping back straight and being strict

I often find I put too much weight on(competitiveness, trying to keep up with others) and my form suffers after three/four reps, drop the weight a bit and am fine.

Alf Veedersane

It might also be relevant that the gains made in the OP were in the OP's teens.

deadlybuzzman

For years I did them and got absolutely nothing out of them. Then I tried doing them thumb less and that was a game changer!

discus

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

For years I did them and got absolutely nothing out of them. Then I tried doing them thumb less and that was a game changer!

I found the same - it had the effect of pointing my elbow behind my back, whereas when I use my thumbs my elbows point down towards my hips. Thumbless isolates my lats a lot more.

Phil.x

discus wrote: »

I found the same - it had the effect of pointing my elbow behind my back, whereas when I use my thumbs my elbows point down towards my hips. Thumbless isolates my lats a lot more.

I must give this a try.
I'm not lifting too much on the pulldowns but I'm going to drop it down so i can do 15 reps per set.
If my elbows are too far forward Maybe that's why I'm getting tennis elbow.

JJayoo

How many diff attacemts do u have access to? I like to use a single arm attachment for single arm pulldowns.

arayess

i like the standing straight arm pulldown
my lats get more out of it than the standard seated pulldown

https://youtu.be/wcVDItawocI

Phil.x

Ok so tonight I done pull downs with the wide grip bar (the bar with half circles on each end) and the normal type bar to the chest.

Done 15 reps on each set and used a narrower grip (still wider than shoulder with) on the normal bar.
Pulled and contracted the back muscle and I really felt it working.
I think I might do a set or two with every workout for a few weeks to get them muscles online.

Also no sore elbows!!