Should I Take a Wide Grip or Close Grip for Lat Pulldowns?
July 01 2011
This is the most common question I get asked when I talk about lat pull downs to a new client. As you will see, this question also gets to the root of one of the major problems.
Does changing grip width make a difference?
The Magnitude of Effect: In research, they call this the “magnitude of the effect”. If you change your grip from narrow to wide grip, how big of a difference will it make on your physique? Good researchers worry about the clinical significance than just statistical significance.
Even if you do all the adjustments with the grip, 90% of the people who come to the gym will never come to that single digit body fat level where they could tell these small difference in lats. They should focus or worry about things which will make the biggest difference.
Population: If you are a bodybuilder, you are justified worrying about the grip width and such. You will be getting down to 4-6% body fat levels where the judges can clearly see how well your lats look in the lat spread pose.
This is one reason why wise men say never copy routines of bodybuilders. Their goals are way different from the majority of the population and their training will reflect them. Their priorities are a lot different than yours. This also one reason why ‘some’ bodybuilders do not make the greatest of trainers.
Other examples: Some other examples where people worry about the minutiae and forget the big picture are:
1. Spending hours doing cardio but have no clue about their food and calorie intake
2.Doing high reps to burn more calories or /and trying to burn calories using weights
3.Focusing on isolation exercises like curls & shoulder raises
4.Doing half an hour of ab exercises
5.Eating a ton of protein , but not getting enough calories in the first place.
I will stop here, but I can just keep going.
So what should I focus on?
Three things: The three most important aspects which will make the biggest difference in your physique are your diet, weight progression, and sleep.
Just pull: As long as you are pulling and getting stronger, you are doing it right. It doesn’t really matter if you are doing lat pulldowns or chin ups, close grip or narrow grip or whatever.
If you are good with the first 3 points, then you are welcome to worry about little things like how many reps, which grip, and so forth.
But does the grip width make a difference?
- The wide grip pulldowns to the chest showed the greatest activity for the lattisimus dorsi compared to wide grip pull downs behind the neck, closed grip pull-downs (V grip), or a supinated grip.
- A recent study (2010) concluded that that the width do not really matter, what matters is the wrist position (pronated or supinated). A pronated wrist position ,irrespective of the width, is optimal for maximally activating the lats
Practical Applications
- A comfortable grip width for lat pull downs ,with pronated wrists, pulled to the front is the best position for lat pulldowns
- Focus on your diet, weight progression and sleep. These are the top things which will make the biggest difference in your physique.
- Anytime you start to worry about certain aspects of your workout, ask how big of a difference will it make in your physique?
Reference 1
Reference 2
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| Sat July 02, 2011 
Good stuff. The take-home is to not sweat the small stuff. I’d be interested in what difference pull-down grip makes in muscles like the biceps. Just looking at the exercise you would think supination would result in more bicep activation, but maybe not. I was reading somewhere on the glute guy’s web site about studies on pushups show that the narrow position results in more pec activation. That’s just the opposite of what’s been thought. It’s interesting, but in the end it’s not going to matter to the average Joe too much.
Bill
Bill
Anoop | Sat July 02, 2011 
Hi Bill,
Thanks for commenting.
Exactly. It is just funny when I hear first time clients who cannot make it 3 workouts in a row worry about their grip width and such. 90% of the people would have an above average physique if they worry about their diet, workout progression and maybe sleep too.
Even bodybuilders can only tell these weak points when they are up on the stage with extreme levels of bodyfat. They are training all those details for that 10-15 min of glory on the podium. It is not worth people’s time to worry about these, and most will not hit a 5% body fat in their life, ever. And if they do, it won’t be in front of judges eyeing for the slightest flaw.
And don’t take me wrong, I love to go into the details. I used to work in a lab which researched molecular pathways involved in muscle loss. I just don’t think it is what most people need. It is just taking their eyes off from the big picture.
| Sat July 02, 2011 
Great article Anoop. I like your training related articles the best.
| Sat July 02, 2011 
Good one!
| Sun July 03, 2011 
Missing the shoulder health aspect. One of the most frequently injured joints in the weight training population.
IIRC Abduction and external rotation (as it occurs in a wide vs. close grip) places the shoulder joint in a more dangerous position. (referenced in Cressey’s material for example)
I enjoy your work & keep on writing 
Anoop | Sun July 03, 2011
Thanks Omar, Sony & Dominik for commenting.
The high-five position (abducted-external rotation under load) is more of a problem in behind the neck pulldowns. Since you pulling in front of you, there is not much external rotation to worry about in a regular pulldowns.
| Tue July 05, 2011 
Nice post. And let’s not forget good form and execution on the list of “what matters.” Lots of people do pulldowns and totally miss the negative.
I remember, years ago, Dorian Yates was quoted in one of the muscle mags as preferring BB rows using a shoulder-width underhand grip. I am sure that sent LOTS of young men to the gym doing the same.
For me, changing grips is more about keeping things interesting in the gym. I use them all and also change where I place my hands on the bar. It’s what keeps me going to the gym for 20 years.
Anoop | Wed July 06, 2011
Thanks Kathleen! I agree and the pulling with the biceps too. Maybe another time.
| Fri July 08, 2011 
Focus on your diet, weight progression and sleep. These are the top things which will make the biggest difference in your physique.
Above comments are the best take away any person who is training.
people focus more on the grip of the bar then the food they eat.
sometime i see people going crazy with supinated close grip pull down, i feel close grip pull fatigues bicep much before the back. the whole purpose of doing exercise as gone waste.
Anoop | Mon July 11, 2011
Thanks for the comment, Harish.
| Tue August 16, 2011 
Great work as usual Anoop. I am linking to this in the question of the month in my fitness email newsletter. Keep up the excellent writing!
Joe
| Tue February 21, 2012 
Mike Reinold thinks that a pronated grip may be safer for the general population, as the biceps tendon at the shoulder is continuous with the labrum, and a pronated grip reduces the tension here. If the lat EMG is better, and the evidence says it could be safer, those are good reasons for me.
| Sun February 26, 2012 
HI I APPRECIATE ALL OF U FOR PUTTING EFFORTS
PRONATED GRIP IS YOUR NATURAL AND FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH TO CLIMB SO AS PER MY EXPERIENCE YOU CAN PULL MORE POUNDAGE,....
JLO FITNESS
JAYESH LOPES
| Fri March 02, 2012 
on which planet is a pronated grip most natural? because on this planet a neutral grip is. neutral grip @ shoulder width ... get off the internet and get after it.
| Fri March 23, 2012 
Neutral grip @ shoulder width is indeed the most natural and strongest grip. Second is supinated and third pronated. Yes, we usually use pronated grip when climbing fences etc. as there is no choice but to use that wrist position.
And I wouldn’t use wide grip of any kind on weighted pullups.
Anoop | Sun March 25, 2012
And the whole point of the article is not to mull over the minutae. And you guys are dong exactly the very same by arguing over pronated and supinated.
If supinated is more comfortable, use that.
| Sun March 25, 2012
I HAVE NOT MENTIONED IN MY BLOG THAT U SHOULD NOT USE SHOULDER WIDTH BUT I HAVE STRESSED ON PRONATED GRIP TO BE USED FOR CLIMBING WALL .FINE IF MY FRIENDS (dano N Chinups rule) CLIMB A WALL WITH SUPINE I HAVE NO ISSUE PLZ TRY..
N PLZ GIVE ME EXAMPLES…THANKS
HI..ANOOP I NT THR TO ARGUE
WHY PRONATED GRIP IS NATURAL GRIP
1)AS I MENTIONED IF U WANT TO CLIMB U CAN CLIMB A WALL ONLY WITH PRONETED GRIP ON THIS PLANET…
2)IF U WANNA WRITE SOMETHING ONLY PRONATION WILL DO..ON THIS PLANET
3)EVEN U WANT TO EAT OR HAVE SOUP U R WRIST HAS TO MOVE FROM PRONATION TO SUPINATON ON THIS PLANET…
THANKS
JAYESH LOPES
| Mon April 02, 2012 
useless article. kind of upset i read through it.
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