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With a powerlifting background, coupled with my strong desire
to become a pro football player during my early lifting days,
etched a high-poundage philosophy firmly in my mind. Of equal
importance, I also paid close attention to exercises that
placed specific work-loads on muscle groups in an effort to
reach a maximal level of development.
One of the recognized strengths in my physique has always
been my back, and two exercises which continue to play a strategic
role in my back training are lat pulldowns with an underhand
grip and straight-arm pulldowns.
I know bodybuilders will do almost anything to continually
shock their muscles in an effort to sustain anabolic conditions.
It’s the name of the game. However, your chances of
winning the game become much greater if you go about your
training with understanding and knowledge.
So let me explain how to do each movement correctly so that
you can maximize gains without wasting effort.
LAT PULLDOWNS
Beginning with a shoulder-width underhand grip, I lean back
until my torso’s at least at a 45-degree angle to the
floor. I’ve always used a shoulder-width grip on these
because experience has taught me that this is the best way
to get a maximum contraction in my lats. I could never understand
why so many bodybuilders use a wider grip for these. A wide
grip won’t build a wide back; that’s just a myth
as far as I’m concerned.
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In my opinion, a shoulder-width grip is better because it
allows you to maximally engage the lats with heavier poundages.
Additionally, this grip lets you get a much fuller contraction
than a wider grip.
After you lean back 45 degrees or so, make sure to arch your
lower back so that your chest comes forward a bit. This is
essential because it allows you to isolate your lats better.
Without the arch, the tendency is to engage the biceps more
while performing the movement.
During the concentric phase, I bring the bar level to the
bottom of my nipples, pulling my elbows as far back as possible,
trying to bring together my shoulder blades as I contract
my lats. For the eccentric phase, I release the weight slowly,
making sure to keep my lower back arched. Control becomes
increasingly important as you drop the pin farther down the
stack; you can’t allow the stack to snap your arms back
up through the negative phase.
Because I use heavy weights for these, I always release slowly.
(A quick release can result in a shoulder dislocation or muscle
tears.) Although I use an explosive initial movement and follow-through,
the slow release also gives me a good negative and a thorough
stretch going into the next rep.
The reason I prefer a palms-up grip is that it allows me to
work my upper lats more efficiently.
STRAIGHT-ARM PULLDOWNS
The point of this exercise is to work the lats in a very specific
way. This movement effectively isolates the lats and complements
other back exercises in a balanced back routine. The key is
to be strict: Since it’s an isolation movement, less
weight can be used, largely because fewer secondary muscles
become involved in the action of the movement. Place your
feet together about three feet from the machine and grasp
the bar with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the waist
and arch your lower back to maximize the isolation effect.
I think that straight-arm pull-down is actually a misnomer
for this movement, because you shouldn’t keep your arms
completely straight. Actually, your arms should be bent slightly,
which allows you to engage the lats better, minimizes the
possibility of an elbow-joint injury, and lets you contract
the hell out of the working muscles.
From the extended position, force the bar downward until it
touches the top of your upper thighs. Squeeze the lat muscles.
As with lat pulldowns, I return the bar slowly to prolong
the negative phase and reduce the chances of injuring my shoulder
joints. What I like about this movement is that it also stresses
the serratus and, to some degree, the pectorals, but you should
concentrate on the lats, especially in the fully contracted
position.
I tackle back training in two different ways, so the order
in which I use pulldowns depends on the workout. If I’m
working upper back first, lat pulldowns will come first in
the workout; if I’m working lower back first, the pulldowns
come last. I alternate the straight-arm lat pulldowns with
the curl-grip version to keep the muscles from adapting to
a predetermined sequence of movements.
For both of these movements, you can’t help but fully
engorge your lats with blood if you use a four-set 10-rep
format. For me, four sets means two serious warmup sets and
then two sets balls-out.
As far as poundages go, there are too many variables involved
to be specific. I always go by how I feel on a given day,
rather than trying to force myself through a regimented series
of increasing poundages and failing to execute the work. I
don’t go to the gym to waste my effort.
Try incorporating these two movements into alternate back
workouts, and see for yourself if you don’t get into
an intense back-thickening groove.
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