Lat, or lateral, pulldowns are a pulley machine exercise that replicates the more challenging pullups and chinups. Classed as a compound upper-body pulling exercise, lat pulldowns affect a variety of upper-body muscles and are popular with fitness enthusiasts, including bodybuilders.
Latissimus Dorsi
The main muscle involved in lat pulldowns is the latissimus dorsi, which is responsible for pulling your arms down and in to your sides in a movement called shoulder adduction. Performing lat pulldowns can make your lat muscles thicker and wider.
Biceps Brachii
Lat pulldowns involve a large degree of elbow flexion. This is the job of your biceps brachii. Meaning two-headed arm muscle and usually referred to simply as biceps, this muscle is located on the front of your upper arm. Because of their size, the biceps are generally weaker than the larger lats and are often the first muscle to fatigue during this exercise.
Middle Trapezius and Rhomboids
Lifting your chest and pulling your shoulders back is the job of your middle trapezius and rhomboid muscles. Located across and between your scapula, respectively, these muscles draw your shoulder blades together in a movement called retraction. By pulling your shoulders back, you provide a strong and stable base for your arms.
Rotator Cuff
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles -- supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major and subscapularis. These small muscles help stabilize and control the movements of your ball-and-socket shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is prone to injury, especially if you perform lat pulldowns so the bar comes down to the back of your neck rather than the front. Because these muscles are located deep inside your shoulder, treating them when injured can be difficult.
References
- "Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout"; Pat Manocchia; 2009
- "Strength Training Anatomy"; Frederic Delavier; 2010
- "An Illustrated Atlas of the Skeletal Muscles"; Bradley S. Bowden and Joan M. Bowden; 2002
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