Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown

Sit tall with your chest open, grip the handles, and secure your lower body firmly with the thigh pads. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, and first create a long stretch through your lats.

Drive your elbows down as you pull the handles toward the area just below your collarbones. Think about moving your elbows down rather than yanking with your hands to load your lats properly.

Briefly squeeze your back at the lowest point, then slowly straighten your arms and return the handles overhead. Control the return so your shoulders do not shoot up, and the next rep can feel the same.

Pull as if your lats are drawing your body down. If you feel only your arms working, lower the weight and focus on the path of your elbows.

Leaning far backward or pulling only with your arms shifts the work to your lower back and biceps instead of your back. Rushing the upward phase shortens the stretch in your lats, so give the return just as much attention.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you return overhead. A steady breathing rhythm keeps your torso from rocking and makes the movement much more stable.

Repeating the same movement with the same torso angle matters more than how far you bring the handles down. First, check whether you can pause for 1 second at the bottom and control the return for 2 seconds.