How do lat pulldowns even work??

[dhehasga]

I can do reps effortlessly full stack on the lat machine (seen in the vid). While my friend(stronger than me, can do 10 pull ups and is fatter than me 10 kgs) can only pull 70. How is that even possible?? He should be doing more than me right??

 

[Bipolar2Cel]

Probably one uses more leaning back and momentum than the other and also turning it into more of a hybrid row. Proper way to do pull-downs is staying strictly vertical and use zero momentum and focus on maximum ROM, and holding the squeeze with as much depression of scapulae + adduction together as possible on each rep before slowly going back up. Pull-downs are ideally performed strictly vertically with full ROM and squeeze at the bottom to maximally target lats, lower traps and lowermost portions of serratus anterior. Always good for rhomboids, rear delts, really upper back spare upper traps too when performed correctly. Most guys maxing the stack use trash form with lots of momentum and backwards lean turning it into a row or hybrid row.


Edit: Strictly performed full ROM full squeeze pull-downs is one of the best compound lifts you can do for lowermost serratus anterior ie the serratus fingers.

 

[dhehasga]

Probably one uses more leaning back and momentum than the other and also turning it into more of a hybrid row. Proper way to do pull-downs is staying strictly vertical and use zero momentum and focus on maximum ROM, and holding the squeeze with as much depression of scapulae + adduction together as possible on each rep before slowly going back up. Pull-downs are ideally performed strictly vertically with full ROM and squeeze at the bottom to maximally target lats, lower traps and lowermost portions of serratus anterior. Always good for rhomboids, rear delts, really upper back spare upper traps too when performed correctly. Most guys maxing the stack use trash form with lots of momentum and backwards lean turning it into a row or hybrid row.


Edit: Strictly performed full ROM full squeeze pull-downs is one of the best compound lifts you can do for lowermost serratus anterior ie the serratus fingers.

is the form in the vid good or trash

 

[Bipolar2Cel]

is the form in the vid good or trash

Not terrible, better than most gym bros. I would remove the leaning back and momentum and stay strictly vertical, also bar should touch the chest and you should hold it against the chest for a sec for the full squeeze, then slow negatives. You would have to drop the weight a lot probably to perform them more strict like this but it is better for gains anyway and using lats more, better for lowermost fibers of serratus anterior(the fingers on your ribs), lower traps and rhomboids and rear delts too.