Lateral pulldown dumbbell alternative

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The lat pulldown is a machine-based pulling exercise that has earned a place in practically every training program due to its effectiveness at targeting the latissimus and biceps brachii muscle groups. Despite its popularity however, the lat pulldown presents several issues that can make it incompatible in certain situations — thereby requiring an alternative exercise to be used instead. For the most part, the lat pulldown is substituted out of a workout routine because of a simple lack of equipment, wherein a lat pulldown machine is not available or otherwise is unusable by the exerciser. Other reasons why the lat pulldown many need to be replaced are a need for greater stabilizer muscle recruitment, insufficient training stimulus or a simple dislike of the exercise by the lifter themselves. In particular, the vertical pulling motion of the lat pulldown can alienate certain portions of the middle and upper back, making it a poor accessory exercise if more than just the latissimus dorsi needs to be recruited. A suitable lat pulldown alternative should possess two characteristics; recruiting the same muscle groups as the lat pulldown itself, and that the alternative must be capable of fulfilling the same role as the lat pulldown within the training program. In short, the lat pulldown alternative should train the latissimus dorsi and the biceps brachii at a minimum — though many exercisers may wish to choose another compound movement that trains more than just these muscle groups alone.

Lateral pulldown dumbbell alternative

Are there Lat Pulldown alternatives with dumbbells? It is a compound exercise, meaning it targets several joints and muscles at once. It targets a range of muscles through your upper back, to your biceps, forearms and core. But it is best known for its ability to assist in developing your latissimus dorsi. Hello, width! Learn more about your lats here! The Single Arm Bench Supported Row is a unilateral exercise that allows you to load one side of your body at a time. Unilateral exercises are great for developing equal strength and mass through your left and right sides of your body. This exercise is done with one dumbbell of an appropriate weight, and a bench for support. To perform this exercise correctly, support your body weight on the bench, maintaining a neutral spine and neck. Start holding the dumbbell on an extended arm and row the weight upwards towards your ribs — elbows skimming past your sides. Hold for a second at the top of the movement then return to starting position. The Kroc Row differs in that it is done without the full support of a bench; thus, it can be viewed as the more challenging version of the Single Arm Bench Supported Row due to the core stability it requires.

Focus on driving your elbows into your side and not letting your shoulders round forward.

Updated On: March 08, Lat pulldowns have been the primary weapon of choice to build a bigger back for gym rats and bodybuilders for decades. Anyone with the aim of developing a wide, V-tapered back would turn to make lat pulldowns their first port of call. However, with the rise of at-home training and limited access to gyms people have had to get more creative, thinking outside of the box when it comes to packing on mass. Further, a lot of people understand the benefits of altering exercise selection for the development of their muscles.

One of the most common questions we get is how to do lat pulldowns without a lat pulldown machine. We need to replace it with a similar exercise, not an identical one. Lat pulldowns are often programmed in moderate rep ranges of 8—15 reps, but it takes quite a lot of upper-body strength to bust out that many pull-ups, especially when trying to use a full range of motion, bringing our chests all the way up to the bar. Plus, lat pulldowns are often programmed after heavy sets of chin-ups and pull-ups. There are a couple of different ways of doing lat pulldowns. The more popular way of doing lat pulldowns is with a wider, overhand grip, though. When you use an overhand grip, it prevents your biceps from fully engaging, and when you use a wider grip, it emphasizes your lats over your other upper-back muscles. It will even work the long head of your triceps a little bit, since they help to pull your elbows closer to your body.

Lateral pulldown dumbbell alternative

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As such, when substituting lat pulldowns with chin ups, it is advisable to greatly reduce the total volume of repetitions while also reducing total biceps volume during the workout session itself. The Single Arm Bench Supported Row is a unilateral exercise that allows you to load one side of your body at a time. The barbell row is one of the best lat pulldown alternatives that you can do in the gym or at home. From here, pull the handle back and across your body, tucking your elbow down and back and squeezing your lat hard. Unsurprisingly the primary target and mover of lat pulldowns are the latissimus dorsi. Still, with a tweak to execution to target your lats more, you can make them an effective alternative to the lat pulldown. You ideally want to use the underhand cable row near the start of your workout when you have plenty of energy to focus on controlling your posture. Your lats both retract and extend your shoulder. It will even work the long head of your triceps a little bit, since they help to pull your elbows closer to your body. But it is best known for its ability to assist in developing your latissimus dorsi. Incline Dumbbell Row 5. Sign up to stay up-to-date! Pull ups Pull-ups have been commonplace in all kinds of strength training, from bodybuilding to Crossfit to powerlifting.

However, if you have had them in your program for a while, your program may be stalling. Or it may just be getting boring. Whether you are no longer making progress at a gym without a lat pulldown or are stuck training at home, there are many great lat pulldown substitutes for you.

Functions: Now you know the detailed anatomy of the lats we can move onto its muscular actions and functions. The lat pulldown is a machine-based pulling exercise that has earned a place in practically every training program due to its effectiveness at targeting the latissimus and biceps brachii muscle groups. You cannot do a lat pulldown with dumbbells. If you struggle to feel your lats with dumbbell pullovers, try to limit the top-end range of motion. This is especially helpful for stronger individuals who may use the full-weight stack on certain cable machines. Jacob Wymer is a powerlifting coach and PhD Candidate in Biomechanics and Strength and Conditioning, researching the application of barbell velocity measurements to powerlifting. View All Articles. Pull the cable handle down, leading with your elbows down toward the side of your hip. Finally, there is the scapular origin - located on the bottom tip of the scapular - called the inferior angle. From here, drive the bar downward toward your thighs without excessively bending your elbows. You can alternate arms, or perform all your reps on one side before beginning the other. Inspire US serves as an informational hub for people looking to start their fitness journey. Have your feet in a split stance with your weight centered in your front foot. It is important to recognize how difficult these can be. Lat pulldowns aren't always suitable because they require some form of equipment, whether it's a machine, free weights, or resistance bands.