lat pulldown machine is in almost every gym, although this is overall safe, still, there are small details you should consider and variations which you might not already know about.
in this video, I talk about how the width of your grip affects your exercise as well as the angle of your torso to foot and leg positioning. as a general rule, keep in mind to not bring the bar too low. the bar should come down to somewhere between your nose and clavicle or collarbone. also do not use momentum and speed since it can be risky.
make sure you can control the weight all the way and also feel the stretch. when you became more advanced, you can just use your hands as a grip and not squeeze it fully to use more lats and back but that should only be done with light weights since it puts a lot of pressure on your forearm. if you had any questions, leave them in the comment section.
wanna get the v-taper look?
try doing this exercise. you instantly feel it in the lats, especially outer fibers which help in looking bigger around the chest and slimmer around the abdominal area. you are going to feel it in the oblique muscles and triceps as well but the impact on your lats is significant. just remember to stand wide and a little bit towards the machine, and also try bending to the side from your ribs as you are bringing your arms to your side(shoulder adduction).
whether you have a back row machine inside your gym or not, this creative method is going to help you target your back in a different way. keep in mind that not all machines can be appropriate for this variation for everyone so if you do not feel the back working while doing this exercise, that machine might not be the best choice for you.
one of the upsides of this variation is because the bar you hold normally has a wide circumference(because it needs to transfer a lot of force from handles to the cables of the machine), it is going to make it easier to hold your grip like a hook and target the back better(unlike a dumbbell which is hard on fingers if you hold your hands like a hook).
there are 7 variables in doing a back row that can affect each other as well(meaning changing one might change another), these variables are:
1_ degree of shoulder flexion/extension: where do you keep your elbow at the beginning of the exercise
2_ degree of shoulder abduction/adduction: how close to your torso your arm is during the exercise
3_ degree of shoulder external/internal rotation: how close to your midline(stomach) is your hand when performing the exercise.
4_ degree of elbow flexion/extension: how much you bend the elbow during the exercise
5_ shoulder blade stability: how much rigid do you keep your shoulder blade(and also whether you rotate your torso as well which affects similarly to some degree to protraction and retraction).
6_ spine flexion/extension: how much you curve and hunch down or keep your back flat and extend it.
7_ grip size: what is the circumference of the handle while performing the exercise.
any exercise that involves lots of shoulder mobility can be risky. in this video, I share with you the information you need regarding
back fly exercise with dumbbell and cable based on your flexibility and muscle goals. make sure you stretch your hamstring and calf if you have tightness before doing this exercise. also if you are planning to lift heavy, try one side at a time(unilateral training).
back row is a great exercise for developing good muscular shape and strength for your back. whether you do it with a dumbbell or cable, you are going to incorporate lots of small muscles that rarely get used, and also work on a lot of big muscles in your core area and back.
there are variations available for doing this exercise but make sure the safety notes are kept in mind. make sure you control the weight and do not bounce it, make sure you keep the back straight and flat, do not bend the neck, do not grab the dumbbell or cable with the tip of your fingers, and stretch your hamstring before doing this exercise if it is tight. make sure your breathing has a rhythm, so breathe in when you lower the weight and breathe out when you pull it but make sure you keep the core steady all the way through the exercise.