Pull-ups Vs. Lat Pulldowns

Lat pulldowns are generally easier for a beginner because the weight can be adjusted to a lighter setting. The problem of including pull-ups when beginning a workout program is that you might not have enough strength for even one pull-up, making multiple reps and sets impossible. There are three methods of improving your strength enough so you can do one or more pull-ups: lat pulldowns, chin-ups and negative pull-ups.

Lat Pulldowns

Lat pulldowns refer to the latissimus dorsi muscle that runs along the sides of your back that, when developed, produce the “V” shape sought by bodybuilders. If you have gotten out of shape or put on a few pounds and cannot do a pull-up, the lat pulldown is a precursor that will increase your strength until you are capable of performing one or more pull-ups.

Lat pulldowns are performed from a seated position holding a bar that is attached by a cable or chain to a stack of weights. Pull the bar down to your chest, and then slowly let the bar return to the top position. Nicole Krupa of the Mayo Clinic warns, “When you’re doing the lat pulldown, don’t bring the bar down behind your neck. This can stress your neck and shoulders and lead to injury.”

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are done by gripping a bar with your palms facing away from you and pulling yourself up until your chin is level with the bar. Pull-ups are generally preferred by bodybuilders over lat pulldowns as a more pure exercise.

According to Jason Ferruggia, the chief training advisor for "Men's Fitness" magazine, "The pull-up is quite possibly the ultimate measure of strength. It's also one of the greatest muscle-building exercises in existence, which is precisely why it's been called the upper-body squat. Lat pulldowns can't even come close to comparing."

Pull-ups are more difficult than pulldowns because you are required to lift your entire body weight up to the bar. For larger people, this can be a problem if they are trying to include pull-ups into a workout but cannot do even one.

Chin-ups

Chin-ups are done like pull-ups, but your palms are facing you instead of facing away as they are when doing pull-ups. Chin-ups are much easier than pull-ups and should be considered as an alternative if pull-ups prove to be too difficult at the beginning.

Primary Muscles and Their Synergists

If the goal is to work the latissimus dorsi, pull-ups are better than lat pulldowns because there are fewer synergists with the pull-up than with the pulldowns.

Synergists are the muscles associated with the primary muscle being worked, in this case the latissimus dorsi. Synergists perform some of the work when the exercise is being done, therefore taking some of the strain off of the primary muscle being worked. This means the primary muscle does less work or is not trained as hard.

Both the lat pull-downs and pull-ups use the brachialis, brachioradialis, biceps brachii, teres major, rhomboids, levator scapulae, pectoralis minor trapezius and the lower pectoralis major. Lat pulldowns also incorporate the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus and the middle trapezius muscles. Lat pulldowns use three more muscles, which are synergists; this makes it easier on the latissimus dorsi, so it is not being worked as hard as it is with pull-ups.

Building Strength for Pull Ups Using Lat Pull Downs

While lat pulldowns and pull-ups use essentially the same muscles with a few exceptions, lat pulldowns are a great strengthening method while working up to your first pull-up. They will also assist you in establishing the correct form for performing pull-ups.

According to Relative Strength Advantage, "The lat pulldown machine is a great way for beginners and intermediate people to learn how to use their back muscles properly so that once sufficient strength is acquired, pull-ups and chin-ups can be performed with proper form. In my experience, using the lat pulldown machine is the fastest way to teach proper technique transition to make pull-ups quickly."

Once you have developed enough strength to perform a set or more of pull-ups, add lat pulldowns afterward when the latissimus dorsi muscles are too tired to perform another set of pull-ups.