STANDARD
The Lat Pull-Down is the fifth exercise in the strength training machine drill.
This exercise develops strength in the arm and back muscles.
Figure 15-9 on page 15-8 shows the exercise as a Soldier conducts it:
Starting Position
The starting position for the Lat Pull-Down is the Sitting position with the knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor.
From the starting position, select the appropriate weight and ensure the pin is secure in the weight stack.
Sit erect and adjust the roller pad so it sits firmly against the upper thigh and hip.
Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip and assume a Sitting position with the hips against the roller pad and the feet flat on the ground.
Check the upper body is perpendicular to the floor.
Count
● On count 1, keeping the arms straight and elbows rotated out to the side and slightly flexed, simultaneously bend the elbows and pull the bar toward the shoulders until the upper arms are parallel to the ground.
● On count 2, return to the starting position by slowly extending the elbows.
Repetitions
Repeat this movement for the correct number of repetitions and sets required to meet the goal of the strength machine session.
STRAIGHT-ARM LAT PULL-DOWN
The Straight-Arm Lat Pull-Down is performed the same as the Lat Pull-Down.
However, it uses a much smaller range of motion.
The elbows remain fully extended and the arms straight.
As with the Straight-Arm Pull exercise in Climbing Drill 1, the movement has the effect of raising the head between the arms.
The chest will move up toward the bar and the shoulder blades will move together.
SINGLE-ARM LAT PULL-DOWN
The Single-Arm Lat Pull-Down is performed much like the Lat Pull-Down, using only one arm at a time (see figure 15-10).
The range of motion and resistance is decreased for the injured side.
As the Soldier’s condition improves, the range of motion and resistance may gradually increase until the exercise is performed to standard.
However, do not increase both of these factors at the same time.
The Single-Arm Lat Pull-Down is used to maintain a heavy resistance on the good side, reduce the resistance on the injured side, or both.