Behind Neck Lat Pulldown
In SetGrip: Lat Pulldown (Behind Neck)
Sending the bar behind your head keeps your torso strictly vertical, removing the backward lean that often creeps into a front pulldown as sets get heavy. The trade-off is a real shoulder mobility demand: if the bar cannot clear your head without your neck craning forward, stick with the standard version instead.
How to do the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown
- Adjust the cable machine so that the pulley is at the highest position.
- Sit facing the machine with your feet flat on the ground and your knees slightly bent.
- Grasp the cable attachment with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
- Pull the cable attachment down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the cable back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Pull the elbows toward your hips, not the bar toward your chin.
Muscles worked
Primary
Lats · Back
The lats pull the upper arm down and in, and you should feel a stretch at the top of the rep and a squeeze at the bottom along the sides of the back.
Common mistakes
- Rowing the bar — a slight lean is fine but if the torso swings past 30 degrees you are rowing, not pulling down; sit tall and let the elbows travel straight down.
- Pulling behind the neck by accident — unless you are deliberately training the behind-the-neck version light with good shoulder mobility, bring the bar to the top of the chest and no further.
- Starting with the arms — initiate by pulling the shoulders down away from the ears, then let the elbows follow.
- Stack slamming on the return — control the bar all the way back up until the arms are straight and the lats are stretched.
Sets, reps and where it fits
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 6–12 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 12–20 | 60 s |
Pulldowns go after pull-ups or as the main vertical pull if you cannot do pull-ups yet. Superset with a straight arm pulldown or cable row on the same stack.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without cable
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown work?
The Behind Neck Lat Pulldown primarily works the lats. It also involves the biceps, rhomboids and delts, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.
Is the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown good for beginners?
Yes. The Behind Neck Lat Pulldown is rated beginner: it uses a cable and the movement is simple to learn. Start light, focus on the full range of motion and add load once every rep looks the same.
What can I do instead of the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown?
If you cannot do the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown, try the Underhand Grip Back Supported Banded Lat Pulldown, the Machine Lat Pulldown or the Reverse Grip Plate Loaded Machine Lat Pulldown. Each of them trains the lats through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.
How many sets and reps should I do?
It depends on your goal. For the Behind Neck Lat Pulldown, a sensible starting point is strength: 4–5 × 3–6 with 2–3 min rest; muscle growth: 3–4 × 6–12 with 90–120 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 12–20 with 60 s rest. Put it early in the session while you are fresh, before isolation work for the same muscles.
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