Back · Cable machine

Lever Cross Lat Pulldown

The lever cross lat pulldown is a vertical pulling exercise designed to build the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and upper back using a converging movement path. It fits well in the middle or end of a back workout for lifters of any experience level aiming to maximize lat engagement.

Muscles: Back
Equipment: Cable machine
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Sit at a lat pulldown machine equipped with a crossbar or individual handles for each hand.
Adjust the knee pad to fit your height and sit with your thighs securely under it.
Grasp the crossbar or handles with an overhand grip, hands spaced wider than shoulder-width.
Lean back slightly and keep your back straight and chest up.
Inhale and brace your core. As you exhale, pull the bar or handles down towards your chest, leading with your elbows.
Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together and using your lat muscles to perform the pulldown.
Pull down until the bar or handles are level with your chest.
Slowly return to the starting position, extending your arms fully and controlling the movement.

Common mistakes

Leaning excessively backward turns the movement into a row and shifts tension away from the lats to the lower back.
Pulling predominantly with the biceps rather than driving the elbows down severely limits back recruitment.
Yanking the handles down with momentum prevents sustained tension and places unnecessary stress on the shoulder joints.

Tips

Focus on driving your elbows down toward your torso rather than pulling actively with your forearms.
Hold a brief pause at the bottom of the movement to achieve a full contraction of the back muscles.
Adjust the thigh pads firmly over your legs before starting to keep your pelvis secure throughout the set.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets for hypertrophy and strength.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Which muscles are targeted by the lever cross lat pulldown?

The exercise primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, with assistance from the rhomboids, rear deltoids, middle and lower trapezius, and biceps.

How can this exercise be substituted if the specific machine is unavailable?

It can be replicated on a standard dual-cable crossover station by setting the pulleys high and kneeling or sitting while pulling diagonally down.

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