V-Bar Pulldown

Also called v-bar lat pulldown, close grip pulldown and neutral grip pulldown.

Works

Lats, plus biceps, upper back and shoulders

Equipment

Cable

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Sit down on a pull-down machine with a V-Bar attached to the top pulley.

1. Adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar.
2. Grab the V-bar with the palms facing each other (a neutral grip). Stick your chest out and lean yourself back slightly (around 30-degrees) in order to better engage the lats. This will be your starting position.
3. Using your lats, pull the bar down as you squeeze your shoulder blades. Continue until your chest nearly touches the V-bar. Exhale as you execute this motion. Tip: Keep the torso stationary throughout the movement.
4. After a second hold on the contracted position, slowly bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe in.
5. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Cues

• Neutral grip, knees under the pad.
• Lean back slightly, chest up.
• Pull the bar to the upper chest.
• Let it rise slowly.

Common mistakes

• Leaning way back.
• Short pulls to the chin.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Harder

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