Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

What is the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown?

The close-grip lat pulldown is a machine vertical pull performed with the hands set narrow, usually on a close V-handle or a narrow section of the bar. The close grip lengthens the range and lets the elbows drive down close to the body, biasing the lower lats and giving a strong stretch and contraction, a favourite for adding lat thickness and lower-lat detail.

Muscles worked

Primary: Back

The lats are the prime mover, and the close grip lets the elbows tuck and travel through a long range, emphasising the lower lats as the handle reaches the chest.

Secondary: Biceps

The biceps assist by flexing the elbows, taking a fair share because the close grip puts them in a strong pulling position.

How to perform the Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

1. Attach a close-grip V-handle to the lat pulldown and secure your thighs under the pad with feet flat on the floor.
2. Grip the handle with the hands close together, sit tall, and let the arms extend fully overhead into a deep lat stretch.
3. The narrow grip lengthens the range of motion and lets the elbows drive far down along the sides for a strong lat contraction.
4. Depress the shoulder blades, then pull the handle to the lower chest by driving the elbows straight down and into the ribs.
5. Touch the handle to the lower chest and squeeze the lats at the bottom without leaning way back into a row.
6. Extend the arms overhead under control into the full stretch before the next repetition.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A bilateral vertical pull with a narrow grip: the shoulders extend and adduct while the elbows flex and stay close to the torso, pulling the handle to the upper chest through a slightly longer range than a wide grip. As a compound pull the guided path isolates the back, and the close hand spacing shifts emphasis toward the lower lats.

Form cues

• •Grip the narrow handle, anchor the thighs, and keep the torso close to upright with a small lean at the stretch.
• •Pull the handle to the upper chest by driving the elbows down and back close to the ribs.
• •Reach for a full overhead stretch at the top to load the lats through their whole range.
• •Pause and squeeze the lats at the bottom rather than yanking the handle down with the arms.

Common mistakes

• •Leaning way back and turning the close-grip pulldown into a seated row.
• •Curling with the biceps instead of driving the elbows straight down into the ribs.
• •Cutting the overhead stretch short so the narrow grip never lengthens the lats fully.
• •Shrugging the shoulders up at the bottom rather than keeping the blades set down.

Variations & alternatives

• •Standard lat pulldown: a wider grip that biases the upper lats and back width.
• •Neutral-grip pulldown: a similar close, palms-facing pull that’s easy on the shoulders.
• •Reverse-grip pulldown: an underhand grip that also emphasises the lower lats.
• •Single-arm lat pulldown: one side at a time to even out imbalances through a full range.

Conventional Deadlift

Back · Barbell

Barbell Row

Back · Barbell

Pull-Up

Back · Bodyweight

Lat Pulldown

Back · Machine

Seated Cable Row

Back · Cable

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the close-grip lat pulldown as a primary or secondary vertical pull in the library’s 10–15 rep range, where a long range and a strong contraction matter more than heavy load. Its lower-lat emphasis makes it a good complement to wide-grip pulls that hit the upper back. Chase a full stretch and hard squeeze on each rep and run two to four sets.

Frequently asked questions