anyone prefer pull-ups over lat pulldowns?

b52

b52

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I guess this would really depend on your weight, and how strong you are but then again maybe not. Anyway, I love pull-ups. I like loading up the weight belt and doing them, over pull downs. I let myself hang all the way down for a half second and do another rep until i can't go no more. usually 6-8 reps with added weight. one of the most basic but most effective exercises for back imo.
 
i love weighted wide pull ups. one of my favorite excercises. those, rows, and deads all great
 
I prefer pullups, did them for years and highly recommend them for widening the lats and overall back structure. I can't do them anymore due to rotor cuff issues. Also, even if I could, my bdwt now prevents me from getting enuff reps in. I believe pullups allows for so much more of a deep stretch at the bottom that it actually widens the scapula. Many have said the same, although its still a debatable topic. Most can't get quite the same contraction with pullups as with pulldowns unless they are stong enuff to actually pull their chest up to touch the bar. Even so, the phenomonal stretch and tension at the bottom to mid ROM is killa. I'd alternate pullups and pulldowns to get the best of both worlds. Of any bdpt, I often get asked in the gym how I built my lats, and pullups is always mentioned first in my answer. :)

p.s...One of the main problems you see with guys doing pullups is they only come down 3/4 of the way. Then they wonder why they still have no lats. They might be able to bang out 12-15 3/4 reps and they end up getting a bicep pump instead.lol They are missing out on a very important part - the bottom stretch - which also makes them harder to do.
 
Dawgpound_Hank said:
I prefer pullups, did them for years and highly recommend them for widening the lats and overall back structure. I can't do them anymore due to rotor cuff issues. Also, even if I could, my bdwt now prevents me from getting enuff reps in. I believe pullups allows for so much more of a deep stretch at the bottom that it actually widens the scapula. Many have said the same, although its still a debatable topic. Most can't get quite the same contraction with pullups as with pulldowns unless they are stong enuff to actually pull their chest up to touch the bar. Even so, the phenomonal stretch and tension at the bottom to mid ROM is killa. I'd alternate pullups and pulldowns to get the best of both worlds. Of any bdpt, I often get asked in the gym how I built my lats, and pullups is always mentioned first in my answer. :)

p.s...One of the main problems you see with guys doing pullups is they only come down 3/4 of the way. Then they wonder why they still have no lats. They might be able to bang out 12-15 3/4 reps and they end up getting a bicep pump instead.lol They are missing out on a very important part - the bottom stretch - which also makes them harder to do.
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ive been guilty of this for years
 
i usually stick to lat pull downs but now and again ill either add pull ups into the routine ontop of pull downs or switch it up and use pull ups instead
 
Dawgpound_Hank said:
p.s...One of the main problems you see with guys doing pullups is they only come down 3/4 of the way. Then they wonder why they still have no lats. They might be able to bang out 12-15 3/4 reps and they end up getting a bicep pump instead.lol They are missing out on a very important part - the bottom stretch - which also makes them harder to do.
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yeah, i see that a lot too. You gotta let yourself hang fully stretched out after every rep. You get damn strong doing them too. I know some guys that have been lifting for years and can't even do a proper one. They always cheat on them.
 
wg pronated grip pull ups and cg supinated straight bar pd's are my two staple lat movements.
 
I always envied the guys that go over and knock out reps with a 45lb plate hanging from the belt. I could never do that. Then again, I've weighed 220+ since the age of 17.lol :p

I remember when I first started kicking the iron for football around 14 y.o. I weighed like 175 and would go over to the school yard and do sets of wg chins for an hour...just chins. Shit at 175 I could knock out 15 reps most sets and get like 22 on my first set. I remember that 22 like yesterday haha...the good ol' days of being "light"! :D I think that played a big role in me getting some lats pretty early on.

I did them correctly from jump as I remember the article in Muscle Builder about Arnie talking about "Chinning to get wide". He stressed to come all the way down to a dead hang at the start of each rep. He also discussed his "50 program"...where when he weighed 240+, he couldnt do that many reps in a set, so he would just shoot to do a total of 50 reps, no matter how many sets it took.
 
Just for shits and giggles, heres a a couple back comparison shots from over the years. The 1st pic was backstage at my first bb show at 16 in 1980...I weighed 190. The last 2 pix was from 2005 or 2006 I forget exact...I was bulking and weighed like 275. Did many of pulllups between those pix haha! :D
 
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Dawgpound_Hank said:
p.s...One of the main problems you see with guys doing pullups is they only come down 3/4 of the way. Then they wonder why they still have no lats. They might be able to bang out 12-15 3/4 reps and they end up getting a bicep pump instead.lol They are missing out on a very important part - the bottom stretch - which also makes them harder to do.
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very good point! always have to do a pull up from a dead hang. i see these new circuit guys at my gym doing kipped pull ups, only down half way and using leg momentum to get back up
 
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