Pulldown of the upper block to the chest: execution technique. Upper block row for the back Upper block row to the chest technique

To pump up your back muscles well, you need to perform special exercises. In this article we will look at how to do lat pulldowns to the chest and what muscles are involved.

Thanks to this exercise, a large number of muscles of the back, arms and chest are involved.

Basic

Mainly involved:

• teres major muscles;
• lats;
• biceps;
• brachial muscle.

Additional

When performing various types of deadlifts, additional muscles work:

• trapezoidal;
• diamond-shaped;
• pectoralis major;
• small pectoralis.

A person has more than 400 muscles. Each performs strictly its own specific function.

Exercise options and technique

This exercise can be performed in several ways.

When performing lat pulldowns to the chest, you need to take the handle of the machine with the widest possible grip, much wider than your shoulders. Then you need to sit tightly on the bench and press your hips with the upper bolster. Having assumed the starting position, you can begin the deadlift by jerking the handle towards you. Next, it should be pulled up to the upper chest. Not the entire movement should be performed as a jerk, but only the first part.

In the rest of the exercise, you need to tighten the handle by straining your back muscles. At the end of the exercise, it is advisable to bring your shoulder blades together and hold it for a couple of seconds, while straining your back. The handle of the exercise machine must not be lowered sharply to return to the starting position. It is necessary to smoothly, straining your back, return the handle back.

For information on the technique of performing lat pulldowns to the chest, watch this video:

In this design, the middle of the back works. Some athletes perform this exercise while leaning back. Thanks to this, the latissimus dorsi muscles work. But if the goal of the training is a pumped-up back, then the body should be kept perpendicular to the bench.

You cannot pull the handle using your body weight and return it back with muscle force. This can cause ligament damage.

This exercise is similar to the previous one. But, when performing such a pull-down of the upper block to the chest, the handle of the machine must be taken with a reverse grip. In this case, the palms should be turned towards you and close to each other. When performing this exercise, the load is placed on the latissimus dorsi muscles.

By doing a close-grip lat pull-down toward your chest, you'll work your biceps and a little less of your forearms. Your arms get tired much earlier than your back. Therefore, you will have to complete the exercise without fully loading your back. To solve this problem, you can use wrist straps and continue deadlifting without paying attention to arm fatigue.

There is another way to properly work out your back. To do this you need to use special equipment. Pay due attention to the position of your shoulders: when you take the handle of the exercise machine, you need to make circular movements with your shoulders forward and up, and then back and down. Your arms should be slightly bent and the handle of the machine should be down. In this position, you need to begin the deadlift, straightening your arms at the end of the movement. If you do everything correctly, your back will be well loaded, while your arms will rest.

Parallel Grip Chest Row

To perform this exercise, you need to install a special handle, which is used to pull the lower block. It consists of two parallel handles. The technique of this method is much easier than the first two. Having assumed the starting position, the body leans slightly back.

The middle of the chest acts as the point of contact. At the top of the exercise, the body needs to be pulled up as much as possible. You shouldn't lean too far back. Before pulling the handle down, you need to inhale, touching it to your chest - exhale.

When doing this, you do not need to straighten your arms completely. The elbows should always be in a slight bend to avoid sprains. You cannot throw the weight, but you always need to control it. Like other deadlifts, this one requires attention to your back and arms. When you lean back slightly, the teres dorsi muscles work.

In 1857, the first exercise machines were made by the porters - people from high society and the royal family ordered them in Russia.

How to avoid getting injured

In order to avoid injury, you need to fully follow some rules of execution.

Common Mistakes

Errors include:

• sudden lowering of the arms - with a large weight, injury to the shoulder and elbow joints is possible;
• incorrect weight;
• strong rounding of the back;
• incorrect motion vector;
• improper breathing.

You cannot lean forward: there will be no results in this position. Moreover, by overloading your back in this way, it is easy to get injured.

Tips for doing the exercise:

• the weight should be pulled with your back, but not with your hands;
• You can’t lean your body too far back;
• elbows always move along the body;
• the head should not tilt down;
• the handle must be pulled to the top of the chest;
• It is forbidden to make sudden jerks;
• no need to hunch your back and lower your shoulders;
• You can hold at the bottom for 2 counts and squeeze your back muscles.

How to replace the exercise

If you can’t go to the gym, but want to use your back like when doing lat pulldowns, then you need to know what you can do to replace the exercise.

Alternative exercises for the same muscle groups

An alternative to the exercise is the pull-up bar. The same muscle groups are involved.

How to replace the draft of the upper block of the house

The question often arises: what can replace the draft of the upper block of the house? If you have a crossbar, then there is no problem. If it is missing, then you can come up with something else. For example, you can replace it with bent-over barbell rows. The back muscles are engaged from a different angle, but this does not matter - the main thing is that they work well. If you decide to perform the exercise with dumbbells, the grip can be straight (as with a barbell) or neutral (dumbbells parallel to the body).

The second replacement exercise is. It is performed while lying on a bench, with your arms and the barbell held behind your head so that the bar of the barbell is far from your forehead. This angle should be maintained throughout the entire movement. You need to work the barbell until your back feels a good stretch.

The pull-down of the upper block to the chest in a sitting position differs from pull-ups in that all attention can be paid to working the back. You can also change the weight, which is good for beginners. And remember - you can work out your back efficiently only if you follow the correct technique.

Vertical block thrust is a basic exercise for developing back muscles. This exercise works the shoulder and elbow joints, and because of this, many muscles are involved in the work. This exercise is biomechanically similar to a pull-up, only here we are not pulling ourselves towards the bar, but rather the block towards ourselves. This is one of the best exercises specifically for increasing the latissimus muscles, which give the V-shaped back.

If you are a beginner and do not have enough strength to do pull-ups, start with a block, these exercises are almost identical, only with a block you can start with a lighter weight. This way you can get stronger, gain strength and be able to do pull-ups in the future.

Types of rods

Upper pulley to chest

1.Large row with a narrow grip

2.Wide grip

3.Parallel grip

4. Reverse grip lat pulldown

This will engage more of the biceps, but you will be able to lower the block down to the chest, which will allow you to shift the emphasis to the bottom of the lats. This variety is more suitable for experienced athletes.

Pull-down of the upper block behind the head

This is a more professional technique that allows you to shift the load from the middle of your back to the very top.

Nuances of performing the exercise

Since, in addition to the latissimus muscles, the biceps are actively working, our task is to learn to include the arms to a minimum and pull primarily with the back.

1. You need to experiment with your grip.

On the one hand, the wider the grip, the more the back works; the narrower the grip, the more the biceps work. On the other hand, the wider the grip, the less amplitude we have; the narrower the grip, the lower we can lower the handle.

You need to try different grips in order to find the golden mean for you. Because Everyone has different muscle attachments and different heights, there is no single scheme for everyone.

2. It is important to maintain a deflection in the lower back.

As soon as you start slouching, the latissimus muscles will begin to contract poorly and the load will begin to transfer to the arms, but we don’t need this, we’re training our back!

3. Force vector.

Many people lean too far back, and when they pull the block, it turns out that the cable goes at an angle and this is not correct. We need to move as close as possible to the machine and lean back a little, so that when we pull the cable, it moves exactly perpendicular to the floor.

4. At what point and to what limit should the block be pulled?

If we do pull-down of a vertical block to the chest, then the handle should fall on the collarbone. Many people make the mistake of not pulling towards themselves, but in front of them, and this is not correct, because... the load will go to the biceps.

If we do traction of a vertical block behind the head, then you need to pull the handle along the back of the head and lower it to the earlobes. You don't need to go too low, otherwise you can stretch your shoulder, because... such a craving is not entirely natural in nature.

5. Turn off the biceps.

To pull from your lats, you need to imagine that your arms end at your elbows and your hands are just hooks to hold the weight. When you start to pull, you should imagine that there are rollers under your elbows, and you are pressing on them with your elbows. Your task is not to bend your arms, but to pull your elbows down. You don’t need to dig into the handle too much, don’t squeeze your hands too hard, and for the first time you can wrap yourself with straps, this will take the load off your forearms and you can concentrate more on working your back.

How much and when to do?

Since this is a basic exercise, it should be placed at the beginning or middle of the workout. We perform 3-4 approaches in the range from 6 to 12 repetitions.

The vertical pull-down exercise is one of the most effective in terms of developing the upper back. A well-developed back is very important not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also from a health point of view, because posture, the position of the shoulder girdle and, as a result, the health of the spine and internal organs greatly depend on it. The vertical block row is popular both among bodybuilders and among ordinary guests of a fitness club, including girls. The exercise is performed on a special simulator, quite simple to perform, not dangerous, so anyone can master it, the main thing is to understand the technique and choose the appropriate weight.

Another important thing is that this exercise is perfect for beginners to prepare the muscles for more complex exercises, for example, with the help of deadlifts you can learn how to pull yourself up in the future, especially for girls.

The main muscle groups that are involved in the work:

• Teres major muscle of the back;
• Lower trapezius muscle;
• Diamond-shaped;
• Brachioradialis and biceps.

Since this exercise has different variations, i.e. Not only is the classic pull of a vertical block performed to the chest, but also behind the head, and the grip also changes - wide, narrow, reverse, as well as a vertical pull with one hand, then the load on the muscles involved in the work also varies. But the main muscles, the development of which is pursued in this exercise, are, of course, the latissimus dorsi, teres major and lower trapezius.

We analyzed the anatomy of the latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles in, let’s look at the anatomy of the trapezius, which is included in the work on the simulator when performing rows both to the chest and behind the head.

Trapezius muscle

Its structure is similar to a triangle. Located on the back of the neck and thoracic spine. It originates on the occipital bone, the spinous processes of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. The upper fibers of this muscle go down and to the sides, attaching to the acromial end of the clavicle. The middle ones go horizontally and are attached to the acromion of the scapula, and the lower ones are directed upward and to the sides and are fixed on the spine of the scapula.

As can be seen from the description, the directions of the fibers are different, hence the conclusion that they perform somewhat different functions. So, the upper bundles of the trapezius muscle lift the shoulder blades up, the middle bundles bring them together to the spine, the lower bundles lower them. If all fibers are engaged simultaneously, the scapula rotates. These functions are available with a fixed spine and head. If the belt of the upper limbs is fixed, and the head and spine move, then the muscle is responsible for straightening the head and spine and tilting the head to the sides.

As you can see, this muscle is important in fixing the shoulder blades, neck, head and spine, and therefore has a direct impact on posture.

Exercise technique

Now let’s get straight to the exercise itself – how to correctly perform it on the machine with different grips to the chest and behind the head.

Chest cravings

• Take the bar of the machine with a narrow or wide grip;
• Sit facing the machine, fixing your hips under the roller;
• Inhale and as you exhale, pull the bar to the middle of your chest, while moving your elbows back, sticking out your chest.

While performing this exercise, you should not lean back. Your body is fixed, movement occurs only in the shoulder girdle, the thoracic spine bends slightly.

Head Pull

The technique for performing this variation is similar, with the exception of a few points:

• The grip is only wide;
• As you exhale, pull the bar not to your chest, but behind your head, bringing your shoulder blades together as much as possible.

Rows with narrow, wide and reverse grip

The difference in grip distributes the load on different bundles. For example, wide-grip vertical rows place more stress on the lats, while additionally stretching the connective tissues. The wider the grip, the more load is placed on the latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles, and a larger area is captured. The narrower the grip, the more load is placed on the trapezius muscle, as well as on the posterior bundles of the deltoid muscle.

For girls, the exercise with a regular or narrow grip is most suitable. By the way, this exercise is especially recommended for girls without a natural waist, since widening the back makes the waist visually narrower, but you should also not forget that you need to do exercises for the buttocks to make the effect more noticeable.

Vertical rows with a reverse grip on the simulator allow you to maximally involve the biceps of the shoulder in the work.

One arm row

The one-arm vertical row is technically no different from the previous exercises. The only difference is that you perform the exercise more isolated and clearly. As you know, a person always has one limb stronger than the other to some extent, especially if there are any pathologies, for example, curvature of the spine (even very slight), shortening of one of the limbs, as well as hypotonicity or hypertonicity of some muscle group etc. All this leads to the fact that one part of the body is forced to compensate and work harder. Therefore, in training it is very important to pay separate attention to each limb for uniform development. The same applies to vertical traction. When you do a regular row on a machine with both arms, one is bound to take on more load, so it's important to also practice one-arm vertical rows. This rule is important for both men and girls.

Contraindications

This exercise has virtually no contraindications. These include only injuries to the shoulder girdle, hands or elbows. In addition, you must carefully perform this exercise if you have a hernia in the thoracic spine. In general, if you have any pathologies, you must first consult a doctor and, if necessary, conduct training focused on your problems. It is worth noting that rowing on a simulator is also used in rehabilitation centers, but it must be performed under supervision.

Another important detail is that vertical rows with a wide grip behind the head are suitable only for those who have a mobile shoulder girdle and allow them to perform a similar range of movements. If you feel that you cannot fully perform the exercise without compromising technique, then limit it to a regular or narrow grip and pull to the chest.

The content of the article:

Today we will look in as much detail as possible at such an exercise as the pull-down of the upper block to the chest. Like other bodybuilding movements, it has some features that will allow you to get the most out of it. Let's also note those muscles that are actively involved in the work when performing the movement: the latissimus, the large round muscle, the rhomboids, as well as the large and small muscles of the chest.

Why use lat pulldowns to the chest?

First of all, thanks to this movement, you can strengthen the muscles of your arms and back. Moreover, when performed correctly, it can also increase muscle mass, and not just increase endurance or give muscles definition. You can also use it to prepare for doing pull-ups if you don’t have enough strength for this yet. A lot of guys are not able to do pull-ups and there is no need to be shy about it. You just need to pull yourself together and make some effort.

Let's look at the differences that lat pulldowns have in comparison with classic pull-ups. First of all, rowing on a machine is considered an isolated movement, and pull-ups, in turn, are considered a basic movement. However, this is not entirely true and the block pull can also be considered a basic movement, although some muscles are isolated when performing it.

If we talk about the benefits of this movement, then first of all you do not have to climb onto the horizontal bar. This is useful for those athletes who cannot yet do pull-ups, since you will have to work much harder on the horizontal bar. The second advantage of this movement follows from the previous one - you will prepare the muscles for pull-ups. It is also worth noting the fact that adjusting the load on a block simulator is much easier than on a horizontal bar. And the last argument in favor of including lat pulldowns in your training program is the excellent development of the back and biceps muscles.

How to properly perform lat pulldowns to the chest?

It is important to ensure that your feet are positioned strictly under the bolsters and your shins are at right angles to the ground. After this, lean back slightly so that the blocks rise five or six centimeters. When you have completed all the steps described above, you have taken the correct starting position.

When performing pulldowns of the upper block to the chest, the handle should not move in a strictly vertical plane. The motion vector should be slightly deviated. This can be achieved by tilting the body back. It is very important to remember that the movement should not be performed by bending the elbow joints. Pull the blocks with your shoulder blades, bringing them together.

Only when the shoulder blades are completely retracted do the arms come into play, namely, the elbow joints are bent and the handle is brought to the chest. In this position, you should take a short pause and return to the starting position. It is important to perform the movement smoothly and eliminate jerking. This is achieved by choosing the correct working weight. Let's repeat the movement algorithm that you should use when performing a pull-down of the upper block to the chest: from the initial position, bring your shoulder blades together, after which your arms come into play, completing the movement, and you just have to pause and then return to the original position.

Types of lat pulldowns to the chest

Pulldown of the upper block to the chest, wide straight grip

It is very important that the jerk is present only at the very beginning of the movement of the blocks. In the final position, pause briefly so that the muscles are under maximum load. When returning the blocks to their original position, also avoid jerking movements. As a result, your muscles should be tense throughout the entire set.

This type of deadlift is primarily aimed at strengthening the middle section of the back muscles, but the latissimus are somewhat deprived in terms of participation in the work. If you've watched video tutorials on deadlifts, you may have noticed that many pro-builders lean their torso back quite a bit. This helps to use heavier weights and also shift the load onto the wings a little.

Some professionals advise performing the exercise with a straight back, while lowering the handle as low as possible and pausing at the lowest point of the trajectory. This style of movement involves maximum work of the middle back and rhomboid muscles. However, you should remember that in this situation you will have to use slightly lighter weights.

Pulldown to the chest, narrow reverse grip

In other words, this type of overhead pull-down to the chest will most likely not allow you to properly work your back. But there is a way out of this situation - wrist straps. Thanks to the use of this sports accessory, you will be able to continue performing the movement when the muscles of the forearms get tired. You can also overcome forearm fatigue using a special technique.

The position of the shoulder joints is very important here. When you grab the handle, move your shoulder joints in a circular motion. First feed them forward and up, then back and down. This will cause the elbow joints to bend slightly and the pulleys to drop. Note that while performing circular movements with the shoulder joints, it is advisable to ask a friend to hold the handle of the simulator. On the other hand, you can do it without outside help.

Once you have completed the movements described above, begin to pull the blocks towards the chest and do not forget that the arms should straighten only at the final stage of the movement. As a result, the muscles of the arms are almost completely isolated and only the wings take part in the work. To control the movement, we recommend reducing the working weight.

Upper block row to the chest, parallel grip

In the initial position, it is necessary to slightly tilt the body back, and the handles must be pulled towards the center of the chest. In the extreme upper position of the trajectory, it is necessary to stretch the body as high as possible. Also keep an eye on that. So that the body does not lean too far back. Otherwise, part of the movement will be performed using body weight and thus the exercise will lose its effectiveness. As with any variation of this movement, pulling the blocks requires only the strength of the back muscles. Inhale before starting the movement, and exhale when you complete the pull.

Please note that when using a parallel grip, you should not straighten your arms completely. To avoid muscle strain, the elbow joints should be slightly bent at the top point of the trajectory. For maximum safety, never throw weights. You must be in complete control throughout the set.

There are a large number of myths around block exercise machines. So very often you can come across statements that pulling the upper block to the chest is an isolated movement, which is completely untrue. Since several joints are involved in the work when performing it, block pulls should be considered basic movements.

Denis Borisov will tell you how to perform lat pull-downs in the following video:

The reverse grip lat pulldown is an excellent compound exercise that works the latissimus dorsi muscles well. The shoulder muscles, biceps, and back muscles are directly involved in the work. In addition, many muscles receive static load. Since several joints are involved in the movement, this version of the deadlift can be classified as a basic or multi-joint exercise.

Many people say that this type of row can be used both for pumping up the back and for working out the biceps, since the exercise is essentially an analogue of pull-ups with a reverse grip. This is true, however, not everyone will be able to purposefully focus the load on one or another muscle group. In truth, don't worry too much about this and use these rows solely to work the lower and inner wings, which is what they are designed for, and do more targeted exercises for the biceps.

You should not use heavy weights on the block machine. Lat rows are designed to work a specific muscle group before performing any strength exercise, such as a deadlift or bent-over barbell row. Perform reverse-grip rows at the beginning of your workout or at the end to further target the target muscle. As you lower the weight, try to stretch your lats as much as possible at the top to achieve greater muscle growth.

ANATOMY

To better understand how this exercise works, you need to understand its anatomy. So, the main load, as you understand, falls on the wings, namely the latissimus dorsi muscles. In addition to them, the work includes trapezius, biceps, shoulders, forearms and the teres major dorsi muscle.

As for the joints, if an athlete uses the exercise purposefully and specifically works the latissimus muscles, two joints are involved in the work: the shoulder and the elbow. If you still want to try to direct the load specifically to the biceps, one joint will be involved in the work, namely the elbow. Once again I say that it is best to work the biceps brachii muscle with more targeted exercises. Pumping up your biceps in this way can be useful on the street, when there is practically nothing at hand except a horizontal bar and parallel bars. Then you can use an analogue and pump up your biceps with pull-ups with a reverse grip. In the gym, it is better to perform exercises that will focus the load on your arms, and you will be comfortable doing it.

TECHNIQUE OF EXERCISE

Reverse-grip lat pull-downs should be performed in a cable machine. The weight should be set moderately, so that it is not too light, but not too heavy. If you use a lot of weight, there will be an involuntary violation of the technique of performing the exercise, but if the weight is too light, there will be no benefit from the movements in terms of gaining muscle mass.

1. To begin with, you should set up the simulator, put the rollers at the desired level so that it is convenient to fix the athlete’s knees, so that the pelvis is in a stationary state. Set your working weight, grab the bar with a reverse grip, the distance between your hands is approximately the same as shoulder width. Sit on the machine with your knees under the bolsters. The back is straight, slightly arched at the lower back, the gaze is directed upward. This will be your starting position.
2. Inhale, hold your breath and smoothly pull the bar towards the top of your chest.
3. Having reached the bottom point, inhale and return to the starting position. You must control your weight at all stages of the movement. Do not lower the cable sharply, relaxing your hands at the top point. Always control every movement.

ADVIСE

1. The cable must be in a vertical position in relation to the floor. To do this, you need to sit as close to the machine as possible and bend your lower back a little.
2. The exercise must be performed correctly. For example, you should not tilt your upper body back, thereby reducing the load on the target muscle group, namely the wings. You should only make a slight bend in the lower back.
3. As mentioned above, you should not take too much weight, since in addition to violating the technique, the load will drop significantly, and third-party muscles, such as the biceps, will be involved in the work.
4. To make it easier to keep your back straight, you should hold your breath while moving the cable down to create pressure inside the body, which undoubtedly helps in maintaining the spine.
5. If you want to try loading your biceps with this exercise, you should use less weight than you used to train your back, as it is a more isolating load. Also, the biceps are much smaller than the lats, so the weight there should be an order of magnitude less.