Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is a seated cable pull where you bring a bar down to your upper chest. It trains the lats and upper back, with the biceps assisting. Use it to build pulling strength and back width when pull-ups are too hard or you want easy, precise loading.
Muscles worked
The lat pulldown trains the lats and back, with biceps helping.
Weekly sets for lats
Hard sets per week that Swole.fit plans for lats, counting every exercise that trains it. Start a cycle near the growth line and climb toward the recovery limit before a deload.
How to do the lat pulldown
- 01Adjust the thigh pad so your legs are locked snugly under it with feet flat.
- 02Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip and sit down.
- 03Lean back slightly, lift your chest, and let your arms stretch fully overhead.
- 04Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your hips.
- 05Pause briefly, then let the bar rise slowly until your lats are fully stretched.
Coaching cues
- Elbows to back pockets
- Chest meets the bar
- Full stretch at the top every rep
Common mistakes
- Leaning far back and rowing the weight turns it into a different lift, so keep the lean small and pull straight down.
- Pulling the bar behind your neck adds stress without extra lat work, so always bring it to your upper chest.
- Stopping short at the top skips the lat stretch, so let your arms straighten fully between reps.
How Swole.fit programs it
Log it once and the app plans the next session for you.
- Most sets land between 8 and 15 reps, the range the plan steers compound lifts toward for size.
- Week one starts around 2 to 3 reps in reserve. Each week you train a little closer to failure, ending around 0 to 1 in reserve before a deload week.
- Hit the top of the range on every set and the next session adds the smallest real jump in weight, rounded to the plates, dumbbells or stack you actually have.
- Sets for this exercise count toward your weekly volume for every muscle it trains: a full set for the primary muscles, half a set for the helpers.
The full method, with the maths, is in how mesocycles work.
Lat Pulldown alternatives
Same muscles, different tool. Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or your joints want a change.
Free programs that use it
Ready-made splits from the Swole.fit library. Pick one and the app runs the progression.
- Pull Domination3 days a week, back, biceps
- Pump & Circumstance3 days a week, chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
- Push Pull Legs3 days a week, chest, back, shoulders, quadriceps
- Upper Antagonist3 days a week, chest, back
- Upper Body Classic3 days a week, chest, back, shoulders
- Weekend Warrior3 days a week, chest, back, shoulders, quadriceps
Log it. Let the app plan the next one.
Track your lat pulldown free. Swole.fit picks the next weight, counts your weekly sets and tells you when to deload.