One Arm Wide Lat Pulldown Machine

Sit tall with your chest lifted, grip the wide handles, keep your wrists neutral, and pull your shoulders down. Do not force an excessively wide grip; find a width where your shoulders feel comfortable and your elbows can open naturally to the sides.

Drive your elbows down and out as you pull the handles toward your upper chest. Do not reach your neck toward the handles; lift your chest toward them as you pull to strongly contract your upper back and outer lats.

Pause briefly at the lowest point, then slowly straighten your arms and return overhead. Keep your core engaged so your torso does not collapse forward on the way back.

Pull with the sense that your outer lats and upper back spread wide, then draw together. You are using the right muscles when your elbows open out and the outside of your armpits feels like it is shortening.

An overly wide grip that limits your range, or a rushed, momentum-driven pull, makes your shoulders and neck fatigue first. Pulling the handles excessively high brings in too much upper trap, so find a range that fits your structure.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you return. Steady breathing keeps tension in your upper back from becoming excessive and makes it easier to control your rep speed.

In the wide-grip variation, where you feel the work matters more than how many reps you do. With a light weight, first find the motion that contracts your outer lats and upper back together; once it is consistent, add weight.