The lat machine, or the lat pulldown machine, can help you gain both definition and strength in your back. The muscle of focus is the latissimus dorsi, which is the largest muscle in the back, but other muscles and muscle groups are also utilized in the workout. With proper form and regular incorporation into a comprehensive back workout, the lat machine can be a positive addition to back workouts for beginners and experts alike.
Lat Machine
A great choice for beginners, the lat machine provides a solid back workout with variable intensity depending upon the weight you choose to lift and your grip. Form is important and is easy to maintain throughout the exercise because the bar and cables guide you through the movement from start to finish. Though the lats are the primary focus of the lat machine, other muscles assist in the exercise movement such as the trapezius, rhomboids, biceps and deltoids.
Narrow Grip
Both the long pulldown bar and the short bar will work for a narrow grip lat pulldown. A narrow grip places more emphasis on other muscles of the back such as the rhomboids and the teres major to assist in the exercise movement. However, these muscles are not primarily targeted by a narrow grip pulldown. Choose a bar and select a light weight until you grow comfortable with the movement. If the machine possesses a padded thigh bar, adjust it as needed. Grip the bar with both hands close to the center point. Lean back and bend your elbows to pull the bar down to your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together. When the bar reaches your chest, reverse the movement by straightening your arms and return to the starting position.
Wide Grip
The wide grip lat pulldown is performed using the long pulldown bar and the weight of your choice. A wider grip helps to isolate the latissimus dorsi muscle when performing the lat pulldown, thus eliminating some of the assistance needed by other muscles when using a narrow grip. Grip the bar on the angled handles rather than close to the center. Perform the exercise similarly to the narrow-grip version by leaning back and pulling the bar down to your chest before slowly returning to the starting position.
Reverse Grip
The narrow and wide-grip versions of the lat pulldown require you to face your palms away from your body but with the reverse grip, your palms face toward you. You can perform the reverse grip lat pulldown using the short, long or angled bar, and a narrow or wide grip. Execute the exercise just like the other two versions, pulling the bar down to your chest and returning to the starting position. A reverse grip calls on the biceps to play more of a role of assistance in the movement and for stabilization of the elbows. However, the biceps are still not directly targeted in a lat pulldown with a reverse grip.
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