Back · Pulldown and pull-up
Close-Grip Lat Pulldown
The Close-Grip Lat Pulldown mainly trains your lats. Also working: biceps, upper back and forearms.
Both cables
Stable
How to do it
- Kneel in front of the machine, arms extended, chest up
- Lean back slightly and stay there
- Pull the handle to your upper chest, elbows tight to your body
- Extend slowly and let your shoulders rise at the top
Coach’s tip
For most people the close neutral grip is the strongest pulldown variation. Clipping both cables to one handle doubles the possible load: with a single cable, strong lifters run out of weight fast.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the top, both cables clipped to the same attachment
Grip
V-handle or neutral-grip bar
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
You need
one of: V-handle, Neutral-grip bar
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (pulldown and pull-up). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown work?
Mainly the lats. The biceps, upper back and forearms help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the top, both cables clipped to the same attachment. Grip: V-handle or neutral-grip bar.
Can I do the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Close-Grip Lat Pulldown needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Pull-Up and One-Cable Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown instead.
What can I do instead of the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown?
For the same movement: Pull-Up, Band-Assisted Pull-Up and Kneeling Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Close-Grip Lat Pulldown in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.