Alternating Cross Lat Pulldown Machine

Sit with your legs locked firmly under the thigh pads and grip one overhead handle in each hand. Lift your chest, pull your shoulders away from your ears, and start with both arms fully extended overhead.

Drive one elbow down toward your side and pull that handle to shoulder height. Keep the other arm extended overhead and think of the working-side lat pulling your elbow down.

Slowly return the handle until that arm is fully extended, then repeat with the other arm. Keep your chest and hips in place as you switch so your torso doesn't lean side to side.

Focus on the lat on the working side shortening and squeezing along your ribs. Keep the shoulder of the overhead arm down as well so tension in your lats never drops.

Twisting sideways or leaning far back as you pull lets momentum do the work instead of your lats. If the shoulder of the overhead arm shrugs toward your ear, your neck and traps tire out first.

Exhale as you pull one side and inhale as you return. Keeping the same breathing rhythm each time you switch arms makes it easier to match the tempo on both sides.

Check every rep that both handles reach the same height, and lower the weight if the weaker side comes up short. Because one arm holds overhead while the other pulls, side-to-side differences are easier to spot than when pulling with both hands.