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Hey guys, Brian Kramer here for MuscleLibraryTV.com. I want to go over a few key things to help
you really nail the lat pulldown so you're not one of the guys in the gym, like I was
for years, making the mistake of treating the lat pulldown, as just pulling the bar
down to your chest. Like so many, I would load up as much weight as possible, and then
while engaging any and every muscle possible I would focus on just moving the bar from
point A to point B. Have you ever done that man?
Now if your #1 goal with this exercise is to gain more size in your lats and back muscles
then WHAT exercise you're doing for back becomes less important, and HOW you're doing it does.
The pulldown can be a real sleeper, because of it's seemingly simplicity. But start thinking
about creating tension and torque in the right muscles and you will be soon walking around
with a dominating, deep back that you will also have you turning sideways to walk through
doorways. The quality of the doing this movement resides
in you creating massive tension in your back through 2 phases. So phase 1... now instead
of just pulling the bar downward with your hands and risking "feeling it" as much in
your arms, as you do your back, lighten up the weight a little bit, and focus on pulling
the bar apart and down at the same time. Not just down, but down and apart.
Now If I just tell you to drive your hands out and pull the bar apart, you might still
be skepitical, but if you try it, you will feel it and believe it. So try a test on yourself
now. Raise your arms above your head like a ballerina, lock your hands together and
try pulling your hands apart. What do you feel? Do you feel tightness and tension in
your lats, here and here. Now if you do this while holding onto the bar with an overhand
grip and with a little weight, imagine the amounts of tension you can create and how
much of a better back you can build, right? To ensure you get the hang of this to begin
with, I suggest focusing on pulling the bar apart ONLY on the eccentric part of the movement.
So start the movement like normal, pulling the bar down towards your chest, and then,
when resisting the weight, try to pull the bar apart or driving your hands outward to
create the tension... because the secret here is more tension equals more potential for
muscle growth. Then phase 2, is thinking and initiating the
pulling down of the bar with your back, NOT your arms. Don't focus on pulling the bar
down but instead pretend you're pulling yourself up to the bar and pulling with your back,
and not your arms. The best way to do this is to initiate the movement with your back
and lat muscles, and not your arms. Do this by 1st retracting your shoulders and bringing
them downward and back. So keep your torso very upright, forget momentum and be deliberate
with every rep. Take 2-4 seconds during the eccentric phase and really nail the pulldown
by driving your hands outward and pull the bar apart and then visualize pulling yourself
up to the bar, and starting the movement with your back muscles, with that little shoulder
retraction down and back. It's all "HOW" you do it here, that will make the difference,
because wasting all that time and effort doing it the wrong way won't serve anyone but your
ego in wanting to lift more weight. And if you haven't already, I strongly recommend
you head over to musclelibrarytv.com to claim your free access to our video series that
will help you take your body to the next level -- guaranteed, but only if you apply the stuff
you learn in it. Like I said, it's free right now so if I were you I'd go there now.
All right guys, Brian Kramer for MuscleLibraryTV.com reminding you that the path to big results
starts in your body starts with aligning your training, nutrition and supplementation, having
a savage work ethic and always betting on yourself.