KEY AREAS: Lats, Biceps, Forearms, Abs, Shoulders, Upper Back
START POSITION: Stand beneath a cable machine after already attaching a wide bar. Adjust the machine weight to match your ability. Then grab the bar with an overhand grip and with your hands as wide as possible (slightly wider than shoulder width). Sit down, allowing your own body weight to assist you in pulling down the bar as you sit. Follow through as you sit down to pull the bar to the top of your chest and keep your chin up, looking straight forward. Secure your thighs so that they do not lift up as the bar goes up.
NOTES: The Wide Grip Lat Pulldown is a cornerstone of any serious Back workout. As you can see from the Key Areas engaged (above), it is a veritable Compound Exercise which engages many more musles than just the back, and hence it is a fabulous exercise to do near the start of your Back session. This is because when you are working more muscle groups simultaneously you are doing more work, burning more calories and generating more body heat.
It is important to do compound exercises near the beginning of a particular gym session, before you do more Isolated muscle exercise and smaller (more fragile) muscles. You should always be as warmed up as possible before working out small muscles (for example the lower back). Remember – BIG muscles FIRST.