Should you pull down in front or behind your head? There was no difference in muscular activity for the latissimus dorsi when comparing the three variations. The study concluded that when the primary objective of a lat pull down is considered the front of the head is a better choice than behind the head.
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What does behind the neck lat pulldowns work?
The behind-the-neck lat pulldown causes forward head posture, which increases your risk of rotator cuff injuries. From improving posture to building stronger back muscles โ specifically your lats โ the lat pulldown is one of the best exercises all around.
Should you do behind the neck lat pulldowns?

Do lat pulldowns go behind your head?
In conclusion passing the bar behind the head is less effective in terms of strengthening the latissimus dorsi muscle and poses distinct injury risks. So pass the bar in front of your head when doing the lat pull down.
Why do people do lat pulldown behind their head?
People opt for the behind the neck lat pulldown because of the specific movement. It activates many of the muscles in your back like a standard pulldown but also activates your shoulder muscles. If performed correctly, it can help strengthen your upper body and improve your overall functionality.
Why do people behind the neck press?
Programmed for Hypertrophy, the exercise can be an impressive mass builder for your shoulders and even upper back. The Behind the Neck Press is an excellent way to build full overhead stability and solid shoulders. It will help many other exercises such as Jerks and Snatches as well.
Are lat pulldowns bad for lats?
With the combination of the broad attachment points of the lats, and it’s synergistic relationship with the upper back and shoulder complex, there are MANY ways to benefit from this traditional exercise. There you have it, lat pulldowns 100% train the lats (no matter the setup).
Should you do behind the neck press?
The bottom line The behind-the-neck press is an exercise that targets your shoulders. However, it can put extra strain on your neck and shoulders, so many people advise against it. If you have poor shoulder mobility and stability, it’s best to avoid this move.
Are lat pulldowns worth it?
Lat Pulldown vs Pullups: The winner Both of the exercises are great for your back, and particularly your lats; that goes without saying. Overall though, the pull up is a better exercise in terms of muscle activation, real strength building, and a better range of motion and muscles used.
Which lat pulldown attachment is best?
Lat Pulldown Attachments The wide grip lat pulldown more width to your back, specifically the outer lats. This wide grip also reduces bicep forearms use, making your lats work even harder. An underhand grip allows you to pull the weight down further than you would with an overhand grip.
Which lat pulldown grip is best?
- Grasp the handles slightly wider than shoulder-width with a closed, overhand grip.
- Keep your torso and spine in a neutral position with a slight backward lean (approximately 10-15o backward should do the trick).
- Exhale while pulling the bar down toward the upper chest.
How do you isolate lats on a pull down?

Should you lean back lat pulldown?
Don’t Lean Too Far Back But that’s because you start to involve the muscles of the inner back. Such as the spinal erectors and lower trapezius. Basically, you turn it into a row. In doing so, you also take the load off the lats, which defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Is military press in front or behind head?
Military presses hit your front, lateral and rear delt muscles, whereas many other shoulder exercises focus on one part of the shoulder.
Do military presses work rear delts?
On shoulder day, it’s military presses, dumbbell presses, and isolation work like lateral raises. But there’s one muscle group that fits in a gray area between these two: your rear delts.
What muscles does Cuban press work?
The Cuban press is an exercise that targets the muscles of the shoulders, rotator cuff, and upper back. It combines a shoulder external rotation with a dumbbell press, training multiple muscles and motions in a single sequence.
Why are lat pulldowns so hard?
It is similar to the pull up, except with pull ups you are actually held (relatively) stable by the bar you are gripping. In the lat pulldown, the bar is in motion, so it is more difficult to control. This is why some people find lat pulldowns to be more difficult even than pull ups.
Can you lift more with behind the neck press?
Upper Back Strength The behind the head starting point in the lift also allows lifters to potentially overload this pressing movement (when compared to the front racked push press), allowing for increased strength development over time.
What are 3 exercises for the triceps?
- Close-Grip Bench Press. Not only does this tricep exercise work on the targeted area, but it will also improve upon your chest and core.
- Cable Rope Tricep Pushdown.
- Lying Triceps Extension.
- Tricep Dips.
- Diamond Push-Ups.
- Bench Dip.
- One-Arm Overhead Extension.
- Standard Push-Up.
How do I target my rear delts?
- Single-arm bent-over row. The days you work your shoulders and back are the perfect time to add this move.
- Standing bent-over lateral raise.
- Cable machine high pull with ropes.
- Rear deltoid machine.
- Assisted pullup.
- Side-lying external rotation.
Why pullups are better than lat pulldowns?
Doing pull-ups forces you to be able to control your body and perform strength exercises at a higher level. Not only is the muscle tension higher when compared to lat pull-down exercises, but you also have much greater flexibility as to where you do pull-ups.
How heavy should I go on lat pulldown?
Start at a weight that you can pull 10-15 times. Add weight each week. Once you can do a lat pulldown with the amount of weight that’s close to your bodyweight, you should be able to do a pull-up/chin-up.
Are pullups better than pulldowns?
A study at James Cook University compared lat pulldowns with pullups using the same grip and hand position. Both exercises effectively activated the lats. Pullups produced greater activation of the biceps and spinal erectors.
How do I make my lats wider?
- 6 Ways To Build Bigger, Wider Lats. 6 Back Strength Exercise For A Bigger Back.
- Neutral Grip Pull-Ups With
- Reclining Rows. We love pull-ups.
- W-Handle Lat Pull-Downs With
- Meadow Rows.
- Unilateral Lat Pull-Downs With
- Dumbbell Incline Lat Swings.
Is neutral grip better for lat pulldowns?
A neutral grip is the best for protecting your wrists from pain & injury. Most people will find that continuously loading a pulldown with a supinated (underhand) or a pronated (overhand) grip will become taxing for the wrists.