The Narrow Pulldown is a beginner-friendly machine strength exercise that targets the lats and middle back, with the biceps and traps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesLats, Middle Back
Secondary musclesBiceps, Traps
EquipmentMachine
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Narrow Pulldown
Attach a close-grip V-handle to the cable and sit on the machine with your thighs locked under the pad.
Grip the handle with palms facing each other and let your arms extend fully overhead.
Lean your torso back about 10 to 15 degrees and pull your shoulder blades down to set the lats.
Pull the handle down to your upper chest by driving the elbows down close to the sides of your body.
Pause briefly at the bottom with the handle at your collarbones, squeezing the lower lats hard.
Let the handle travel slowly back overhead over 2 to 3 seconds until your arms are fully extended.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Bias-loads the lower lats with a narrow, biceps-friendly grip.
Trains the vertical pull through a longer range than the wide-grip version.
Adds variation to pulldown programming for balanced lat development.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Pulling with the biceps and forearms instead of leading with the elbows and back.
Leaning too far back so the lift turns into a row instead of a vertical pull.
Cutting the top range short and never letting the arms fully extend overhead.
Letting the stack snap up at the top, removing the slow return portion of each rep.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Narrow Pulldown, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
