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Cable Close Grip Front Lat Pulldown animation

How to do the Cable Close Grip Front Lat Pulldown

BackBack & LatsCableBeginner

The cable close-grip front lat pulldown is one of the most effective tools for building a wide, strong back because the cable keeps tension on your lats through every inch of the movement. Master this pattern early and you lay the foundation for serious pulling strength for years to come.

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Muscles worked

Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Sit tall, grip the close-grip handle with palms facing each other, and lock your knees under the pad with a slight backward lean of about 15 degrees.
  2. Initiate the pull by depressing your shoulder blades downward, not by bending your arms first.
  3. Drive your elbows down and back toward your hips until the handle reaches upper chest height.
  4. Slowly return the handle upward over 2 to 3 seconds, letting your shoulder blades rise fully to stretch the lats before the next rep.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms instead of the lats: focus on driving your elbows toward your hip pockets and think of your hands as hooks rather than primary movers.
  • Excessive backward lean turning the movement into a row: keep your torso angle fixed throughout the set and resist the urge to swing when the weight gets challenging.
  • Cutting the eccentric short by letting the stack crash: control the return all the way to full shoulder elevation to maximize lat stretch and time under tension.

Pro tip — At the bottom of each rep, hold for a one-second pause and actively try to pull your elbows further down and together behind your torso, this brief isometric squeeze dramatically improves the mind-muscle connection and lat recruitment over time.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Back exercises

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