Machine Lat Pullover

How to do it

1. Set the seat so your shoulders line up with the machine's pivot and load the weight.
2. Sit down, fasten the seat belt if one is fitted, and press your back into the pad.
3. Place your forearms on the pads or take the handles with the elbows bent and fixed.
4. Pull your upper arms down and forward in an arc until your elbows reach your ribs.
5. Hold the contraction briefly with the shoulder blades depressed.
6. Let the arms travel back overhead under control until the lats lengthen, then repeat.

Common mistakes

• Changing the elbow angle mid-rep turns the pullover into a pressdown and takes the lats out of the movement.
• Letting the torso lean forward to finish the rep replaces lat work with trunk flexion.
• Cutting the overhead range short keeps the lats out of the stretched position where most of the stimulus lives.
• Loading too heavily forces the shoulders past a comfortable overhead range and stresses the joint capsule.