Underhand Lat Pulldown: How-to, Tips & More

The Underhand Lat Pulldown is a beginner compound exercise for your lats. You do it with lat pulldown machine and straight bar. It is a good fit when your goal is muscle growth.

Besides the lats, it also works your biceps and upper back, so it fits well in a session that trains those muscles together.

Muscles worked

Lats muscle

Lats

Primary

Biceps muscle

Biceps

Secondary

Upper back muscle

Upper back

Secondary

How to do the Underhand Lat Pulldown

  1. Sit at the pulldown and grip the bar palms toward you, shoulder width.
  2. Lean back slightly.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest.
  4. Let it rise slowly until your arms are straight.

Underhand Lat Pulldown tips

  • The underhand grip brings the biceps in more.

Sets and reps

Most lifters do well with 8 to 15 reps per set, and 8 to 15 reps is where this exercise tends to work best. Use a weight that leaves one or two reps in reserve on every set, and add weight once you can complete all your sets at the top of the range. It also works well in a superset with an exercise for the opposite muscles. You can finish with a drop set when you want extra volume.

Equipment

Lat pulldown machine, Straight bar

Type

Compound

Underhand Lat Pulldown alternatives

More lats exercises

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Underhand Lat Pulldown work?

The Underhand Lat Pulldown mainly works your lats, with help from your biceps and upper back.

How many sets and reps should I do?

A good starting point is 8 to 15 reps per set, and many lifters get the best results between 8 to 15 reps. Use a weight that leaves one or two reps in reserve.

Is the Underhand Lat Pulldown good for beginners?

Yes. The Underhand Lat Pulldown is considered beginner and is a good choice if you are new to training. Start light and focus on form.

What equipment do I need for the Underhand Lat Pulldown?

You need lat pulldown machine and straight bar.

Underhand Lat Pulldown demonstration

Add Underhand Lat Pulldown to your program

Bite fills in your weights, tracks your progress and tells you when to go heavier.

Download on the App StoreComing soon