Lat pull ups or pull downs using weights?

[ViperGTS500]

I had a good question for lifting for your back. For lats, I usually do weighted lat pulldowns holding the bar in the middle and then on the side, but last week i just did 3 sets of pull ups. Which one is the best for your lats?

[Kiknskreem]

Wide grip chins own all.

[smitsky]

I believe that a variety of grips help the lats.

Right now I am focusing on Cable Rows for Lat development. I got a lot out of weighted pullups. I found I could do the most weight with a neutral grip.

[dieeiervonsatan]

Do both.

Are you deadlifting as well?

[ViperGTS500]

Do both.

Are you deadlifting as well?

yessir

[dieeiervonsatan]

yessir

i misread your question, i though u were talking about chins vs pull ups.

if you must choose do pull ups. Compound excerises > machines/iso excercises. You will benefit more in the long run from doing pull ups.

Always base your workouts around compound excerises, if you insist on doing machines, do em in the end to finish it off.

[Tyciol]

The question lacks detail.

Whatever gives more resistance is better. Doing both covers the potential benefits that might arise from subtle things like whether you move or the bar moves.

If you're using a weight on the lat pulldown machine that requires more strength than doing a chin-up, the machine's better.

Generally, chins are better to start with, lat pulldown is better to go to failure with. With a chin if you go to failure, you won't decelerate yourself very well dropping off which could be dangerous (especially with extra weight tied to you). With a lat pulldown, if you can't help but drop it then all you do is piss people off.

Lat pulldowns are better for doing dropsets because you can get much lower resistance numbers on them, with chins the least you can do is bodyweight unless you have one of those counterweight machines (and even then the counterweight usually goes up to 120, meaning the difference between your BW and that is the minimum. I think lat pulldown goes down to 20 or something so you could seriously totally work until you couldn't pull anything anymore.

If you happen to like lifting with straps then lat pulldown's probably easier too versus a chinning bar which is high up since you can just stand up and untie it. You could only really use straps on a chin bar that isn't elevated.

[DJAuto]

Personally, I like pullups and feel they have done more for me in comparison to pulldowns.

[eiker_ir]

Personally, I like pullups and feel they have done more for me in comparison to pulldowns.

x2

[ddrrtt]

I had a good question for lifting for your back. For lats, I usually do weighted lat pulldowns holding the bar in the middle and then on the side, but last week i just did 3 sets of pull ups. Which one is the best for your lats?

Agree fully with all previous posts, Plus

You are young, and your back is still probably "un-even", meaning if your right or left handed, that side will be your primary side, and a little stronger, and larger.

When I was your age, that was my problem. think abour occasionally changing up you pull downs with "One-Armed" pull downs. do it for a month to 1. change up your routine, and 2. to divide what ever you do with two hands, and do it with one. to see if you are stronger on your primary side, and two to if you are to begin to "evening up" your arms and lats.

Plus, it will look really bitchen to the women in the gym. and after about six months or so, you will be doing one arm pull ups with your body weight, then after 6 to nine months start doing weighted one arm pull-ups to break-up your routine, and really look bitchen to the ladies.

: )

[Bill_Rizer]

It really all depends on personal preference. The lat pulldown machine is one of the only machines that most bodybuilders advocate.

For me, I like doing wide grip pullups to the back of my neck. Not only do they give me a sense of satisfaction right after I do them, but they make my back feel like it's going to fall apart the next day (in a good way).

[ddrrtt]

It really all depends on personal preference. The lat pulldown machine is one of the only machines that most bodybuilders advocate.

For me, I like doing wide grip pullups to the back of my neck. Not only do they give me a sense of satisfaction right after I do them, but they make my back feel like it's going to fall apart the next day (in a good way).

OH yeeeaaaaaa, don't ya just love that feeling..................

[Tyciol]

Machines are great, I don't get why people dislike them.

[Adrenaline8530]

You really can't wrong with doing both. I personally like doing both.