Many observers labor under the misconception that towering specimens like IFBB Pro, Petar Klancir, must increase their weight for success, but as endurance athletes and bodybuilding coaches recently explained, mastering optimal muscle gains from moves like lat pulldowns requires form more than speed.
The Croatian megastar understands that over-enthusiasm and underestimating a particular exercise can lead to muscle fatigue, so he makes sure to adopt proper technique when performing lat pulldowns. And, in a recent Instagram appearance, the big man clearly explained how you can follow his representatives.
What is a lat pulldown and what muscles does it work?
Either on a specially designed machine, or using a cable station, lat pulldowns target the latissimus dorsi muscle. It is the largest muscle of the upper body, and is located in the mid and lower back, providing a winged appearance when developed through resistance training.
Lat pulldowns increase muscle size and strength, and are popular because the action of pulling the bar or handle from top to bottom and toward the midsection is relatively easy to understand. But don’t be fooled into thinking you’re working efficiently unless you fix the following common mistakes.
Petar Klansir Has 3 Ways to Fix Your Lat Pulldown
Mistake #1: Swinging Your Body to Lose Weight
Although the act of lifting the weight from the sky may encourage the act of swinging, doing so will miss the purpose of the exercise. “Stop swinging your body to lift the weight,” advises Clanceir. “Keep your torso stable and pull the bar to your upper chest.”
Why this fix works: Keeping the upper body stable will ensure that the lats are targeted, rather than recruiting additional muscles through stabilizing the swing.
Mistake #2: Starting with your shoulder blades retracted
“Don’t start by squeezing your shoulder blades back,” says Clancer. “Reach up, extend your scapula (shoulder blade) and hold it as you pull,” he explains.
Why this fix works: To lengthen the lats, the muscles need to stretch, so starting with squeezed shoulder blades will have the opposite effect. Stretching your shoulder blades, especially at the top of the stretch, will promote a deeper stretch rather than promoting muscle growth.
Mistake #3: Letting your elbows flare out
While lowering the bar requires bending the elbows, the actual mid-arm position is important for great form on the lat pulldown. “Don’t stick your elbows out,” Klensir coaches. “Lock them in and move them toward your hips.”
Why this fix works: Driving the elbows down will avoid the temptation to push them out to the side and this should be avoided as doing so can transfer the load upwards towards the shoulders rather than the lats.
“Fix these three mistakes and your lat pulldowns will feel completely different,” the big man advises. And, with a giant like Clansir, who wouldn’t trust their advice?
To follow Petar Klancir on Instagram, Click here.
