If you ask anyone who’s built a big back how they did it, they’ll probably list a mix of back exercises like pullups, chinups, and the classic overhand lat pulldown. But there’s one underrated move you might be missing that can hit parts of your back you didn’t even know existed. The reverse-grip lat pulldown builds on the foundation of regular lat pulldowns, using a supinated grip that targets your lats in a new way, draws more from your lower lats, and really hammers your biceps.
It’s the cable machine equivalent of a chinup and delivers the kind of pulling strength and muscle growth that standard variations can’t match. Strength coaches turn to it to improve chinup performance, add serious width and thickness to the back, and sneak in an extra arm workout without adding more isolation lifts.
This variation is simple to load over time and effective for lifters at every level. Learn why it earns a spot in serious training programs, how to nail the form, and the most innovative ways to work it into your workouts for maximum strength and size.
Why Strength Coaches Swear by the Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
Changing your grip changes which muscles work hardest and how they’re recruited. The reverse grip lat pulldown shifts both the path of your elbows and the way your back and arms share the load, making it a go-to for building pulling strength and size.
Using a supinated (palms-up) grip tucks your elbows closer to your sides as you pull. This narrower path targets the lower portion of your lats, the muscles that give your back that wide, flared look, while also pulling in help from the teres major and other supporting muscles that stabilize your shoulder blades. You also get a bigger stretch at the top and a stronger squeeze at the bottom, which boosts muscle recruitment through a full range of motion.
That same grip puts your biceps in a stronger position, similar to how they work during a chin-up. Along with the lats, your biceps, brachialis, and forearms all get a significant workload. This not only builds back width but also adds extra arm training without adding more exercises to your program.
Related: 14 Best Lat Exercises to Widen and Strengthen Your Back
How to Perform the Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
Nail these steps to keep the focus on your lats and biceps, avoid momentum, and get the most from every rep.
- Set up the bar and seat. Attach a straight or slightly curved lat pulldown bar to the cable. Adjust the thigh pad so your legs stay firmly in place without lifting during the pull.
- Grab the bar palms-up. Take a shoulder-width supinated grip with your palms facing you and your thumbs wrapped around the bar.
- Sit tall with a slight lean. Keep your chest lifted and lean back about 10 to 15 degrees so the pull stays vertical and lat-focused.
- Drive with your elbows. Initiate the pull by bringing your elbows down and in toward your ribcage. Keep your wrists neutral and grip firm, but let your back do the work.
- Squeeze at the bottom. When the bar reaches the top of your chest, pause for a full second and contract your lats hard.
- Control the upward phase. Let the bar return slowly over two to three seconds until your arms are entirely straight and your lats stretch before starting the next rep.
Pro Tips for Better Results
Small changes in grip, tempo, and technique can completely change how this move feels and how much muscle you build. These tips help you get more from every set.
Dialing in your grip, tempo, and positioning can turn this into a serious back-and-biceps growth tool. Use these adjustments to make each set count.
- Use a Full Range of Motion: At the top, let your arms extend until you feel a full stretch through your lats. At the bottom, drive your elbows down into your sides for maximum contraction.
- Control the Return: The upward phase is where most lifters lose tension. Guide the bar back to the start over two to three seconds so your lats stay engaged the entire time.
- Lock Your Torso: Keep your chest tall and your body still so your lats and biceps do the work, not momentum.
- Train It Early: Use this first or second in your workout so you can move more weight with perfect form.
- Adjust Grip Width With Purpose: Go slightly closer than shoulder-width for more biceps recruitment, or stay at shoulder-width to emphasize the lats.
Related: The 3/7 Training Method That Builds Muscle Shockingly Fast
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even minor form breakdowns can shift the focus away from your lats and reduce the effectiveness of the movement. Avoid these pitfalls for better results.
Leaning Back Too Far
Excessive lean turns the movement into a row, which shifts emphasis to more horizontal pulling muscles and takes focus off the lats. Keep your torso just slightly angled so the motion stays vertical and isolates the lats as much as possible.
Overloading the Weight
Chasing bigger numbers at the expense of control leads to momentum doing the work instead of your muscles. Choose a weight you can lower slowly, pause at the bottom, and move through the full range without compromising your form.
Cutting the Range Short
Let the bar rise high enough to fully stretch your lats before starting the next rep to maximize muscle recruitment.
How to Program It for Maximum Back and Biceps Gains
Placing the exercise at the right point in your workout and programming it with the proper rep ranges makes a massive difference in results. Here’s how to make it count.
- Best Placement: Use it early in your back or pull day, after a main heavy lift like deadlifts, rows, or pull-ups.
- Sets & Reps: Perform three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps for strength and size. Go heavier for six to eight reps or lighter for 12 to 15 reps with control.
- Tempo: Lower for two to three seconds and pause for one to two seconds at the bottom on each rep.
- Pairing Tip: Superset with a horizontal pull, like a seated row, for a complete back pump.
- Progression Strategy: Increase weight once you can hit all reps with strict form.
- Biceps Bonus: Since this move trains your biceps heavily, you can reduce direct arm work to avoid overtraining.
Sample Back and Biceps Workout Featuring the Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
Use this workout to build a bigger, stronger back while taking advantage of the reverse grip lat pulldown’s biceps bonus.
Training Notes
- Rest 90 seconds between compound lifts and 60 seconds on isolation moves.
- Keep every rep smooth and controlled to maximize muscle tension.
- Adjust sets and reps to match your recovery and training experience.
Deadlifts
How to Do It
- With a barbell in front of you, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Roll the barbell up to your shins, to start.
- Bend down to grasp it outside your knees.
- Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, push through your heels and extend your hips until you’re standing with the bar in front of your thighs.
- Make sure to keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement.
- Perform four sets of five reps.
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
How to Do It
- Sitting on a bench or with your knees under the pad of a lat pulldown station, reach up and grasp the handle with your palm facing you.
- Pull it down to your collarbone, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull.
- With control, bring the bar back to the starting position.
- That’s one rep.
- Complete three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Related: 10 Best Back Exercises for Beginners to Build Foundational Size and Strength
Barbell Bentover Rows
How to Do It
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width and let it hang in front of your thighs, to start.
- Bend at the hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly.
- That’s one rep.
- Perform three sets of eight to 10 reps.
Seated Cable Rows
How to Do It
- Attach a straight bar to the pulley of a seated row station, to start.
- Sit on the bench (or floor) with your feet against the foot plate and knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your lower back flat, bend forward at the hips to grasp the bar and row it to your sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades together in the end position.
- Extend your arms and feel the stretch in your back before beginning the next rep.
- Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Curls
How to Do It
- Set an adjustable bench to a 45- to 60-degree angle and sit back on it with dumbbells, to start.
- Keeping your upper arms at your sides, curl until the dumbbells come close to your chest.
- Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Hammer Curls
How to Do It
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other.
- Keep your upper arms at your sides and curl the weights up.
- That’s one rep.
- Complete two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Related: This 1970s Back Exercise Is Quietly Making a Comeback Among Pros