Comments on: Using the Lat Pull Down Machine to Get Strong for Your First Pull-up

By: Yavor

Yavor — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:37:23 +0000

Awais, I’ve 2 videos ready for lats and for rows. Stay tuned.

By: Awais

Awais — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Hello,

How do you use your back and lats for rows, I find that I am always using my arms and not my back. Can you make a video if possible as well.

Thanks for your help

By: Yavor

Yavor — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:33:43 +0000

Awais,

yes you continue to flex the lats, but the arms remain locked at a little less than 90 degrees. But don’t worry about this, just focus on your elbows and pull them back.

Pushing the chest out: – imagine a cord is attached to your chest bone – the sternum. Now imagine this cord is pulling your chest up towards the ceiling.

This is a great exercise in good posture by the way. Seems dancers use this visualization to stay really upright.

-Yavor

By: awais

awais — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:28:50 +0000

Awais

Hello again I think I will need to start with the lat pull down to get my form right. When your arms are parallel to the ground how do you emphasize pulling with the elbows and the mid back muscles do I continue to flex my lats and arms. And how do I push my chest out at the finish.

thank you

By: Yavor

Yavor — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:18:38 +0000

John, apology accepted lol! 4th place was still the best our team has ever done…

Now onto the pullups – I don’t think it’s a question of mobility. I think at this point it’s best to just protect the joint as well as possible. Over time I guess the rotator cuff muscles will improve. For joint protection :

1. learn engage the back properly, if you haven’t already
2. always keep the shoulder down, stuck to the torso. Any movement
3. So on pullups always start with lowering the shoulders with the lats (with straight arms)

Of course I will also suggest getting really really strong at rowing movements. I myself find the barbell row too subjective (body momentum instead of muscle), so I’d suggest doing 1 arm dumbbell rows for very high reps. 3 sets of 20-30 reps. Add weight when you are capable of 30 reps.

Also, I’d suggest alternating between elbow in (lats) rows and elbow out (rear delt, teres muscles) rows every couple of weeks.

Remember – do the motion with the lats and squeeze the mid back at the top.

By: John

John — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:09:24 +0000

Of course you remember that Sweden got the bronze…
Apology accepted I hope=)?

By: John

John — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:58:26 +0000

Hi again! -94 was a great year for sure. The summer was never ending and Sweden got bronze (The feeling was one of gold for sure=). I can’t remember exactly as it’s been years since I first felt it, but if remember correctly it was a military press that went a bit to far back and out of position, going to failure is rarely a good idea=). The funny thing is, these days a never really feel any pain in the shoulder during exercise and it feels very stable, it just feels funny the next couple of days, and not in a good way.I’ve been to chiropractors and physio therapists and they said that I had an unstable right shoulder in the forward and downward direction, I’ve strenghtened the muscles a’lot but the joint itself has probably not changed. Maybe I can get around it with increased mobility? Would love to be able to military press with a bar and do the regular pull-up.I understand that it’s hard to give advise over the net on something like this but if you have any drills I will absolutely try them out. Thinking about it,it’s absolutley the upper part of the movement where i feel the strain the most, I hope that helps=).
Again, thanks for your time and help Yavor!

By: Yavor

Yavor — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:28:08 +0000

John, Bulgaria didn’t make it either unfortunately. It isn’t ’94 anymore lol! Anyway – it would help if you thought about what caused this pain/injury/discomfort in the first place. I guess pronated grip is not forgiving – meaning that whenever you have a problem somewhere, the pronated grip will punish you, whereas the other two are easier on you…

But at any rate it is not the grip – this is just a symptom.

Also – at what position does it hurt – bottom, middle, up, everywhere?

By: John

John — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:07:45 +0000

Thanks for the quick reply Yavor. Pull-ups are one of the great exercises, no doubt about it!I’ve had shoulder problems before, but being a stubborn kind of guy I’ve taken care of most of it with band dislocations, srengthening of the real delts, scap push-ups and through being aware of my posture during the day. I’ve done Cresseys shoulder drills and seen some improvement. I’ve observed for a long time that it’s always the pronated grip that gives me problem. It doesn’t really matter if its deadlifts, DB-chest press or what not. Any drill where my hands are pronated under enough load causes irritation. On the upside; weighted push-ups, rings, KB and exercises where my hand and scapula are allowed to move in a neutral or supinated grip works great! Can it be that some people don’t have enough room in the shoulder joint to be inward rotated under load?
Anyway, any suggestions or drills are more than welcomed, I will check out your videos on friday. The World Cup are just a day away, Sweden’s not in it this time, but it’s gonna be nice to watch some excellent football!

By: Yavor

Yavor — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:50:48 +0000

Dave, that’s a good point. The advantage of the inverted row is that it is a bodyweight exercise like the pullup. The main disadvantage is that you can only progress in reps, whereas with the lat pull down, it is a safe bet that once you can pull your bodyweight, you are ready for a real pullup.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:37:51 +0000

Yavor,
Excellent explanation as always. I’d add that inverted rows can provide a good starting point for someone who can’t do pullups as well. The motion is different than pullups (horizontal vs. vertical), but they can help strengthen the back.
Dave

By: Yavor

Yavor — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:09:49 +0000

Mike,

both you and me, man! Your wrestling background taught you the right fundamentals!

Yavor

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Good post Yavor…as you know I am a huge advocate of bodyweight exercise and one way I always ween people onto the pull up is my using the lat pulldown machine.

This is a great and simple way to not only learn how to do a pull up but improve your current form on the pull up.

good stuff!

MIKE

By: Yavor

Yavor — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:01:17 +0000

Drew,

Now that you explained it, I see your point. My problem with assisted machines as well as with using bands to assist with pull-ups, is that people never graduate from these “crutches.” A few weeks or a few months on the lat pull down and it’s time for pull-ups.

John,

First of all – congrats on your progress. The Pull-up is a very rewarding exercise, isn’t it? On to your question – the problem isn’t too common, but I’ve seen people who have mobility problems. You need to find out what causes this – it is something you do all the time (the way you sit for example?) or a sport you practiced.

What kind of mobility did you try and did you progress on the mobility drills? These drills need to be done with progression, same like anything else in the gym I will shoot on Friday a few mobility exercises at the gym.

Raymond,

Just remember that the lat pull down machine is just a stepping stone towards the pull-up. Weighted pull-ups are much better than using the whole stack on the lat pull down.

Cheers guys!

Yavor

By: Raymond

Raymond — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:21:14 +0000

Excellent technique on the video! As soon as I start to pile on the weights to get a workout I start to use too much body, like I’m on rowing machine!

Its a good reminder on how do it properly, I think back off the weight and get the form right ( mental note to self …haha)

Good action plan to change up some gears if needed