V Pulling for a bigger back.

If you want to grow a stronger and more defined back, you want to incorporate some form of horizontal and vertical pulling in your training. Today, let’s focus on the vertical pull by discussing two popular back exercises: The Pull-Up and Lat Pulldown.
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First of all, if we look at muscle activation research comparing the pull-up and lat pulldown, we don’t see much difference in lat engagement. So for training your lats, these 2 exercises are similarly effective. But there are subtle differences between the two exercises to keep in mind. For one, pull-ups require more core stability since you move freely through space and need to keep a tight upper body. With the lat pulldown, you are locked into a machine that stabilizes you.
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Also, pull-ups can usually be considered more “functional” since you practice carrying around your own bodyweight. On the other hand, the benefit of lat pulldowns is that you can more easily control how much weight you lift. If you can’t carry your own bodyweight yet, starting with lat pulldowns to build up your vertical pulling strength is a great option.
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On the second slide of this post, you can find an easy progression model for getting towards your first pull-up. Once you can pull 60-70% of your own bodyweight with the pulldown machine, you can practice with negative pull-ups and eventually transition into doing bodyweight pull-ups.
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1. Doma, K., Deakin, G. B., & Ness, K. F. (2013). Kinematic and electromyographic comparisons between chin-ups and lat-pull down exercises. Sports biomechanics, 12(3), 302-313.