Hold a cable bar attachment overhead with a grip outside shoulder width—the same you’d use for a pull-up. Keeping the trunk braced and back in its neutral position, pull the bar to the collarbones, pulling the shoulder blades down and back. Return to the extended position under control.
 
Purpose
The lat pulldown builds most of the back and pulling musculature such as the lats, traps, posterior delts, biceps and forearms. It can be a substitute for pull-ups for athletes who either aren’t capable of them, or not capable of doing the rep numbers desired. It can also be used in addition to pull-ups for more volume training, or to allow many variations in grip, position and motion that are either impossible or too difficult to replicate with a pull-up.
 
Programming
Generally sets of 5-15 are appropriate.
 
Variations
The pulldown can be done with any grip width, a neutral grip, with rope handles or fat grips, with a supinated grip, with one arm, and with varying degrees of backward lean. Pulldowns can also be done with a band, although the resistance curve is backward, ie resistance is greatest as the movement is at its weakest point.