I used to think lat pulldown grip variations didn’t matter that much firstly. Wide grip? Always my go-to. Everyone said it was “best for lats,” so I just stuck with it.
But then I hit a plateau. My back wasn’t growing, and the movement started feeling… off. Around that time, I stumbled across a Reddit thread where people were debating the best grip for actually targeting your lats.
That post got me curious. So I decided to switch things up—try different grips, pay attention to how they felt, and see what really hit my lats best.
Spoiler: grip angle changes everything.
Lat Pulldown Grip Variations I Actually Tried
So yeah, I kinda went down the rabbit hole with lat pulldown grip variations—tried a bunch. Afterwards, I figured out which ones really fired up my lats, which fell flat, and basically why some just hit different. Funny enough, switching grips felt more impactful than just piling on more barbell rows—sometimes it’s not about going heavier, it’s about pulling smarter.
- Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
- Close Grip Lat Pulldown
- Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
- Supinated Lat Pulldown (Reverse Grip)
- Single Arm Lat Pulldown
- Straight Arm Pulldowns
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- I grab the bar wide—past shoulder width.
- Lean back just a bit, then pull to my upper chest.
- It hits the upper lats nicely, but only if I stay strict.
- No swinging—clean reps only.
Target Area: Upper lats and teres major. You’ll also feel it in your upper back and rear delts.
Benefits
This one feels like a lat move, especially when you get the stretch at the top. But for me, it was more of a “back in general” pull—not super dialed into my lats. Still great, just not the most lat-isolated for my build.
Close Grip Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- V-bar, elbows tight.
- I pull straight down to my chest and squeeze hard.
- Feels more in the lower lats and mid-back.
- It’s tighter, more controlled—less showy, more grow-y.
Target Area: Lower lats, mid-back, and even a bit of biceps.
Benefits
Honestly? This one surprised me. I felt a much stronger squeeze in my lower lats than with wide grip. It also gave me more control and range. Great for building depth in the back.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- Grab parallel handles (palms facing each other).
- Sit tall, pull down toward your collarbone or upper chest.
Target Area: Mid and lower lats, and a bit of rhomboid and trap.
Benefits
Felt super natural on my shoulders. No weird stress. It let me pull with power and still stay lat-focused. If you want something joint-friendly that still works, this one’s solid.
Supinated (Reverse) Grip Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- I start with an underhand grip, keeping it about shoulder-width apart.
- Then, I tuck my elbows in tight while keeping my chest up throughout the movement.
- This one lights up my lower lats.
- Also easier on my shoulders—big plus.
Target Area: Lower lats, biceps, and sometimes even the pecs a little.
Benefits
Felt kind of like a chin-up, honestly. Tons of stretch at the top and a strong pull. Great if you want to hit lats and arms. Also helped me build control and focus more on form.
Single Arm Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- Use a single handle on a pulley.
- Sit sideways on the seat, brace yourself, and pull with one arm—elbow driving down and back.
Target Area: Lats (especially one side at a time), obliques (stabilizing), and a bit of mid-back.
Benefits
This one made my weaker lat work harder. No cheating, no momentum—just strict pulling. Also helped me fix imbalances I didn’t even know I had.
Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
How to do it
- Stand up, grab a straight bar or rope overhead.
- Lock your elbows and pull the bar down in an arc to your hips.
- Think: “arms straight, lats tight.”
Target Area: Lats only. Seriously—if you do it right, it’s all lats.
Benefits
Pure isolation. I usually throw this in at the end as a finisher. It torches the lats and makes them burn in a good way. Not super heavy, but super effective.
Every one of these lat pulldown grip variations gave me something different. I didn’t drop wide grip completely—but mixing them in changed how my back felt and looked over time.
So… Which Grip Actually Hits the Lats Best?
For me, it was a tie between reverse grip and close grip.
They gave me the best stretch, best squeeze, and honestly just felt like “yep, that’s the lats working.”
But everyone’s built different—so test a few and track what you feel.
How I Rotate Lat Pulldown Grip Variations Without Overthinking It
I used to hit wide grip every back day. Same bar, same angle, same routine. But honestly? I wasn’t getting the gains I wanted. So I started playing around with different lat pulldown grip variations—and it made a big difference.
Now, I don’t just pick a grip at random. I plan it out a little without making it complicated.
Here’s how I do it:
- Pull day 1: I’ll go with close grip or neutral grip—something that lets me pull heavier and really focus on the squeeze.
- Pull day 2 (if I do one): I switch to supinated or single-arm, just to change the angle and keep things fresh.
- Finisher sets: That’s where I throw in straight arm pulldowns. Burnout city.
I mix vertical pulls (like pulldowns) with horizontal rows, too. That keeps my lats and mid-back balanced. Not everything needs to be a lat pulldown—but when I do pick a variation, I try to match it to what the rest of my back workout needs.
So… How Often Do I Switch Grips?
Good question—I used to wonder the same thing. Should I change it every workout? Every week?
Here’s what I found worked best:
- Basically, if my lats stop feeling sore—or the movement starts feeling kinda stale—I mix things up.
- And if my shoulders or elbows start acting weird, I’ll usually switch to something easier on the joints, like neutral or single-arm.
- If I’m progressing just fine? I might stick with one variation for 3–4 weeks, then rotate.
Basically, I don’t treat all lat pulldown grip variations the same. Some feel better for strength, some for mind-muscle connection. So yeah, I just rotate grips based on how my back’s feeling and what I’m chasing that month. Simple as that.
Honestly, just switching up my lat pulldown grip variations changed the game for my back training. Try a few, see what clicks—and trust your lats to let you know what’s working.
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