It’s always good to constantly add a little variety to your weight training workout by fitting in a different exercise every 2 to 3 weeks and rotating it into your workout routine. This is another way of doing a wide lat pull-down (wide arm positioning) using the FreeMotion lat pull-down machine which works your lateral muscles a little differently and places secondary emphasis on the trapezius muscles and the deltoid muscles.
There are three different types of exercises that you can do on this FreeMotion Lat machine that I want to discuss. You may not have this machine at the gym, if not, there may be or should be a similar one like this one and you can use it. I like to combine 2 types of hand grips for this lat pulldown into 1 exercise. In this one, you are going to begin with a wide grip and bring your hands into a close grip. The swivel pulleys on this machine are designed to give you a wider or unlimited range of motion to allow you to perform this exercise and hence FreeMotion is an appropriate name for their types of machines.
Method of Performance
- Adjust your seat (thigh pads) and set the weights on the weight stack to your desired amount. If this is the first time using this machine, I suggest that you set it very low so you can get the feel for this machine and the movement.
- Grab each handle with your palms facing forward. Pull each side down simultaneously and as you do so, you bring your hands slowly inwards (twist inwards) so that the palms almost face inwards at an angle towards and at the bottom of the movement.
- Use your core for stability and support – keep a tall sitting position, abs tucked in.
- As you let go or return to the starting position, you twist outwards so that at the top of the exercise the palms of your hands are facing forward.
- As you are pulling down, remember to breathe out and as you release or return to the starting position, breathe in.
- Do about 4-5 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
This is a very simple exercise to do that will provide you with a little variation to your back exercise workout routine and add some nice definition to your back.
Variations of this exercise
If you prefer, you can do this only with your palms facing forwards at all times or with your palms facing inwards. With your palms facing inwards, this exercise is more of a pull-in and works the lats a little differently and from a different angle.
Feel free to add in these three variations of this exercise into your workout and to rotate them over a 3 to 6 week period. I like to add one of them in to my workout every 2-3 weeks because there are so many different types of back exercises to go through over that period.
Also, if you do not have the FreeMotion machine at your gym or a similar one like it, you can use the cable pulley crossover work stations by putting a flat bench in between the two sides and adjusting the two handles to the proper desired height.
