The lat pulldown is one of the best lat builders going, and it’s the exercise most people default to for back width. It trains the lats through shoulder adduction by pulling a bar down to your chest, it’s easy to load, and it’s easy to learn. If you’ve got the machine, it’s a great one to build a back day around.
There are plenty of reasons to swap it out, though. Maybe your gym doesn’t have the machine, maybe you train at home, maybe one lat is bigger than the other, or maybe you’ve stalled and want a fresh angle. A lot of lifters also land here looking for a wide-grip lat pulldown alternative specifically, since that wide overhand grip is what builds the V-taper. Most of the options below cover that, and a couple need nothing but a band and a doorway.
I picked these 10 on how well they hit the lats, what equipment they need, and whether you can keep loading them over time. Some isolate the lats, some build thickness through rows, and a few you can run at home with zero machines. Find the two or three that fit your setup and rotate them.
Table of Contents
- 1 The 10 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives
- 2 Reasons to Choose a Lat Pulldown Alternative
- 3 Muscles Worked by the Lat Pulldown
- 4 Lat Pulldown Alternatives: FAQs
- 5 Key Takeaways
- 6 Other Alternative Exercises
- 6.1 The 9 Best Seated Cable Row Alternatives (2023)
- 6.2 The 8 Best Ab Rollout Alternatives
- 6.3 The 10 Best Front Squat Alternatives
- 6.4 The 8 Best Tricep Dip Alternatives
- 6.5 The 10 Best Dumbbell Pullover Alternatives
- 6.6 The 10 Best Bent Over Row Alternatives
- 6.7 The 7 Best Deadlift Alternatives
- 6.8 The 10 Best Box Jump Alternatives
- 6.9 The 9 Best Lunge Alternatives
- 6.10 The 10 Best Bulgarian Split Squat Alternatives
- 6.11 The 8 Best Decline Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.12 The 12 Best Pull-Up Alternatives
- 6.13 The 9 Best Barbell Row Alternatives
- 6.14 The 10 Best Pallof Press Alternatives
- 6.15 The 10 Best Overhead Press Alternatives
The 10 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives
- Single-Arm Pulldowns
- Cable Rope Pullover
- Dumbbell Pullovers
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
- Machine High Rows
- Close-Grip Cable Row
- Neutral Grip Machine Row
- Machine Lat Pullover
- Pull-Ups
- Band Straight Arm Pulldown
1. Single-Arm Pulldowns
When to Perform Single-Arm Pulldowns
A regular lat pulldown works both arms at once, which is fine until one lat is clearly stronger or bigger than the other. Then your dominant side just takes over. The single-arm version fixes that. You train one lat at a time, start with your weaker side, and match the reps on the strong side so it can’t bail you out. Give it a few weeks and it evens out your back left to right.
The best part is you don’t need a lat pulldown machine for it. Any cable stack with a D-handle works. It hits the lat through shoulder extension, so run it near the start of a back, pull, or upper-body day while you’re fresh.
How to Perform Single-Arm Pulldowns
- Adjust the cable pulley to the highest position, attach a D-handle to it, and select an appropriate amount of weight.
- Lay a mat on the ground 2-3 feet away from the base of the cable stack.
- Facing the cable stack, grab the handle using a neutral grip with your right hand.
- Take 2-3 steps back, place your right knee on the ground, and put your left leg forward.
- Take a deep breath and brace your core. Your arm should be extended up and out in front of you.
- Pull the cable down and back into your hip by bending the elbow, retracting your right shoulder blade, and contracting the lat.
- Once you feel a strong contraction in the lat, hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps.
- Once you finish your right side, do the same number of reps with the left arm.
In the video below, John “Mountain Dog” Meadows demonstrates how to properly execute the single-arm pulldown.
Tips for Single-Arm Pulldowns
- You can run this on a cable lat pulldown or a regular cable stack by kneeling on the ground.
- Start with your weaker side and match the reps on the stronger side.
- Keep a neutral or semi-supinated grip throughout.
- Drive your elbow back and down to hit the lat.
- Use a slow, controlled tempo.
2. Cable Rope Pullover
When to Perform the Cable Rope Pullover
This is the one I reach for when I want to isolate the lats and leave the biceps out of it. Your arms stay almost straight the whole time, so the lats do the pulling instead of handing the work off to your arms the way a row does. It’s a lat-width exercise, plain and simple.
Use a long rope so you get a deep stretch overhead and a longer range than a straight bar allows. If your gym only stocks short ropes, clip two together. I’d add this after your heavy pulling on a back, pull, or upper-body day.
How to Perform the Cable Rope Pullover
- Adjust a cable pulley to the highest position, attach a long rope to the cable, and select an appropriate amount of weight.
- Facing the cable stack, grab the end of the rope with a neutral or pronated grip.
- Take 2-3 steps away from the cable and assume a shoulder-width stance. Let your arms extend up and out in front of you. Keep your chest up and your spine neutral.
- Take a deep breath, then drive your elbows down and back while keeping your arms straight (a slight bend in the elbows is fine).
- Once you feel a strong contraction in the lats, pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly let your hands return to the starting position.
- Pause when you feel a stretch in your lats, then repeat for the desired number of reps.
Watch the video below from The Muscle Mentors for a full cable rope pullover tutorial.
Tips for the Cable Rope Pullover
- A long rope attachment increases your range of motion and lets you hit the lats harder.
- Don’t stand too far from the cable or the movement gets hard to control.
- Drive with your elbows and draw them down and back as far as you can.
The cable machine earns a spot on our list of the best gym machines for the back muscles.
3. Dumbbell Pullovers
When to Perform Dumbbell Pullovers
Old-school bodybuilders like Arnold and Dorian Yates built their backs partly on these, and they still hold up. A dumbbell pullover hits the lats and the chest at once, and all it takes is one dumbbell and a flat bench. That makes it my go-to lat exercise when there’s no cable or pulldown machine around, including a hotel gym or a basic home setup.
If you’ve got a band and a partner to anchor it, adding band tension to the dumbbell smooths out the strength curve so the lats stay loaded at the top, closer to what a cable gives you. Run it on a chest or back day, and to bias the lats over the chest, stop just short of locking the dumbbell out over your face.
How to Perform Dumbbell Pullovers
- Grab a dumbbell, lie with your back flat on a bench, and place your feet on the floor.
- Engage your core, grab the end of the dumbbell with your hands in a diamond shape, and lift it above your chest by extending your arms.
- Keep your lower back flat against the bench, your core braced, and a slight bend in your elbows. Your arms should stay relatively straight the entire time.
- Take a deep breath, then slowly lower your arms until your biceps are near your ears and the dumbbell is behind your head.
- Once you feel a stretch in your lats, pause for 1-2 seconds, then exhale as you bring your arms back to the start.
- At the top of the rep, squeeze your chest and lats for 1-2 seconds.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Watch the video below from Muscle & Strength for a dumbbell pullover tutorial.
Tips for Dumbbell Pullovers
- To keep the tension on the lats, stop just shy of bringing the dumbbell over your chest, then lower it back down.
- Add a band to the dumbbell for constant tension.
- Use a spotter if you plan to train to failure.
4. Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
When to Perform Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
The single-arm dumbbell row is the free-weight pick on this list. No machine, no cable, just a dumbbell and a bench, so it works anywhere. It hits the lats along with the rest of the back, and because you brace a knee and hand on the bench, you keep your lower back out of it the way a barbell row can’t.
Like the other one-arm exercises here, it’s great for ironing out a side-to-side imbalance. Start with your weaker arm and match the reps. To keep the load on the lat instead of the bicep, pull your elbow back toward your hip rather than straight up. Want more free-weight pulling ideas? Our bent-over row alternatives cover the rest. Run it on a back, pull, or upper-body day.
How to Perform Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
- You’ll need a dumbbell and a flat bench.
- Set a dumbbell next to the side of the bench.
- Place your left knee and hand on the bench, plant your right foot on the ground, and pick up the dumbbell with your right hand using a neutral grip.
- Brace your core and keep a neutral spine by looking straight down throughout. Let your arm hang straight down with the dumbbell toward the floor.
- Take a deep breath, then drive your elbow back toward your hip to pull the dumbbell up to your torso.
- Once you feel a strong contraction in your lats, pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back to the start.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch arms.
Scott Herman demonstrates how to perform the single-arm dumbbell row in the video below.
Tips for Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
- If your grip gives out first, use lifting straps.
- Don’t bend your arm too much or your bicep takes over from your lat.
- You can also do this standing as long as you have something to brace on, like the dumbbell rack.
5. Machine High Rows
When to Perform Machine High Rows
A machine high row is a solid pulldown swap when the pulldown station is taken, you’ve plateaued, or you just want more lat volume without much setup. A lot of these let you go one arm at a time too, which helps if one side lags.
The pull angle sits between a vertical pulldown and a horizontal row, so it trains the lats a little differently than a straight pulldown does. It’s also beginner-friendly. If you can’t do a pull-up yet, you can still load the lats here and build toward one. Plate-loaded versions feel like free weights, while pin-loaded cable versions keep constant tension. Either way it’s a compound back exercise, so program it on back, pull, or upper-body days. The exact setup varies by machine.
How to Perform Machine High Rows
- Adjust the seat so your knees are secure under the pads with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Load the machine or set the pin to an appropriate weight.
- Sit down and grab the handles with a pronated or supinated grip. Try both to see which feels best.
- Take a deep breath, then pull the handles toward your torso. Drive your elbows down and back.
- At the bottom of the rep, retract your shoulder blades, squeeze the lats, and hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly return the handles to the start.
- Once you feel a good stretch in the lats, repeat for the desired number of reps.
For a short machine high row demonstration, watch the video below from Joshua David Taubes.
Tips for Machine High Rows
- If you have a muscle or strength imbalance, run it one arm at a time.
- Try a pronated and a supinated grip to see which feels best.
- Pull with your elbows, not your biceps.
- Use lifting straps if your grip is the limiting factor and you want to keep the forearms out of it.
6. Close-Grip Cable Row
When to Perform Close-Grip Cable Rows
The pulldown builds width; the close-grip cable row builds thickness. It’s a horizontal pull, so on top of the lats it brings in the rhomboids, traps, biceps, and forearms. If your back looks wide from the front but flat from the side, this is the swap you want.
Sitting upright keeps your lower back and core out of it compared to a barbell row, which is a win if your low back gets cranky, and the cable holds tension the whole way. To keep the focus on the lats, pull the handle to your belly button with your shoulders down and back, not up to your chest. For more horizontal pulling options, see our cable row alternatives. Slot it into a back, pull, or upper-body day.
How to Perform Close-Grip Cable Rows
- Adjust the cable pulley to the lowest setting, attach a close-grip v-handle, and select an appropriate amount of weight.
- Sit upright on the floor facing the cable stack.
- Lean forward and grab the handle with a neutral grip. Keep a slight bend in your knees and extend your arms forward.
- Lean back until there’s tension on the cable. It’s normal to lean slightly forward and back as you row, but keep your spine neutral.
- Take a deep breath and brace your core. Pull the handle into your torso by drawing your elbows, shoulders, and shoulder blades down and back while leaning back slightly.
- Once the handle touches your torso, pause for 1-2 seconds and squeeze your back.
- Exhale as you return the handle to the start by extending your arms and leaning forward slightly. You should feel a stretch in your lats at the bottom.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
To see the close-grip cable row done right, watch the demonstration below from Apeiron.
Tips for Close-Grip Cable Rows
- Pull the handle into your belly button to target the lats better.
- Use a neutral grip.
- Exaggerate the stretch at the bottom of the rep to work the lats harder.
- Don’t shrug your shoulders.
- If two D-handles feel better on your wrists, use those instead.
7. Neutral Grip Machine Row
When to Perform the Neutral Grip Machine Row
This one is close-grip cable row territory, but your chest rests on a pad so there’s no leaning or balancing involved. Like the cable row it’s a horizontal pull, so it builds back thickness rather than the pure width a pulldown gives you.
The chest support makes it hard to cheat with momentum, which is why I like it for beginners and for high-rep burn sets at the end of a back day. Set the seat so you’re pulling the handles into your belly button with a neutral grip to bias the lats. Use it to replace or add to your pulldowns depending on what your gym has.
How to Perform the Neutral Grip Machine Row
- Adjust the seat and chest pad to the right height. The pad should sit near the top-middle of your chest with your feet planted on the floor, and you should be able to reach the handles easily. Then choose an appropriate weight.
- Sit down, plant your feet, and brace your chest against the pad. Your chest should stay on the pad the whole set.
- Reach forward and grab the handles with a neutral grip.
- Take a deep breath, then pull the handles toward you by flexing your elbows and retracting your shoulder blades.
- Once you feel a strong contraction in your lats and mid-back, pause for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you return the handles to the start by extending your arms and letting your shoulder blades go back to neutral.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
In the video below, My PT Hub shows you how to perform a neutral-grip seated machine row.
Tips for the Neutral Grip Machine Row
- Keep your chest pressed against the pad at all times.
- Pull with your elbows, not your biceps.
- Don’t shrug. Keep your shoulders down and back at the top of the rep.
8. Machine Lat Pullover
When to Perform the Machine Lat Pullover
The machine lat pullover is about as direct as lat training gets. Like the cable and dumbbell pullover, it cuts the biceps out, so the lats can’t pass the work off to your arms. That’s usually the reason people struggle to feel their back working in the first place.
It trains the lats through shoulder extension instead of the adduction a pulldown uses, so it’s a different angle on the same muscle. I’ll use it first in a session to wake up the mind-muscle connection before heavier pulling. The catch is that not every gym has one. If yours doesn’t, a band straight arm pulldown or cable rope pullover does the same job.
How to Perform the Machine Lat Pullover
- Adjust the seat so you can grab the handle with your upper arms resting on the support pads. Then select an appropriate weight.
- Sit down and place your upper arms on the pads. Grab the handle with a pronated grip.
- Take a deep breath, keep your chest up, and pull the handle down toward your waist using your lats.
- At the bottom of the rep, hold the contraction for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly return the handle to the start until you feel a deep stretch in your lats.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Jared Feather and Dr. Mike Israetel go over how to properly perform the machine lat pullover in the video below.
Tips for the Machine Lat Pullover
- Hold at the top and the bottom for 1-2 seconds.
- Keep your chest up.
- Don’t go too heavy, or you’ll cut your range of motion short.
- If the machine has a seat belt, use it to lock your body to the seat.
9. Pull-Ups
When to Perform Pull-Ups
The pull-up is the bodyweight king of vertical pulls and the most natural pulldown stand-in there is. People argue pulldown versus pull-up forever, but if you can do them, pull-ups win on carryover. All you need is a bar, so they’re perfect when you’re traveling or stuck at home with no machine.
Most people can’t crank out many clean reps, so use a band or an assisted machine until you can, and once bodyweight feels easy, hang a plate from a belt. Take a grip a little wider than shoulder width to bias the lats and build width. If you want more bar-free ways to train this pattern, our pull-up alternatives have you covered.
Pull-ups belong on back, pull, or upper-body days, and since pull ups work a wide range of muscles, save them for the start of your workout.
How to Perform Pull-Ups
- Set a box underneath a pull-up bar so you can easily grab the bar with a pronated grip.
- Reach up and grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Step off the box, bend your knees, and cross your legs behind you.
- Take a deep breath and start the movement by engaging your lats, pulling your shoulder blades down and back.
- Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar.
- At the top of the rep, squeeze your back and hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly lower yourself back to the start.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
To see the best way to perform a pull-up for a wide back, watch the video below from Jeff Nippard.
Tips for Pull-Ups
- Drive your upper chest toward the bar to hit the back better.
- Use chalk or grips if the bar is hard to hold.
- If you can only manage 1-2 reps, use a band or an assisted pull-up machine.
10. Band Straight Arm Pulldown
When to Perform Band Straight Arm Pulldowns
This is the home-gym standout. All it takes is a band and something to anchor it to, so it’s the easiest exercise here to run with almost no equipment. It’s also a great way to pre-activate the lats before you bench or pull.
Like the machine lat pullover, it’s about as close as you’ll get to isolating the lats, and it trains them in a different plane than a pulldown does. Keep your arms long and drive your elbows down and back. If you train at home and want one lat exercise that needs next to nothing, make it this one. Run it in a back, pull, or upper-body session, or just as a warm-up.
How to Perform Band Straight Arm Pulldowns
- Secure a resistance band to the top of a door frame or squat rack.
- Grab both ends of the band with a pronated grip.
- Take 2-3 steps back and assume a shoulder-width stance. Let your arms lift forward and up so your biceps are near your ears, with just a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lean forward slightly and push your hips back. Hold this position throughout the movement.
- Take a deep breath, then pull the band down toward the top of your legs while keeping your arms relatively straight.
- Once your elbows are behind your body and you feel a strong contraction in your lats, hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale as you slowly let your arms return to the start. You should feel a stretch in the lats at the top.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
To see the straight arm pulldown done with bands, watch the video below from Strong Athlete.
Tips for Band Straight Arm Pulldowns
- Keep your chest up.
- Drive your elbows back.
- Don’t use too heavy a band, so you can hit a full range of motion.
Reasons to Choose a Lat Pulldown Alternative
The lat pulldown is a great width builder that trains the lats through shoulder adduction, but it isn’t always the right call. You might train at home or be traveling with no machine to use. One lat might be bigger or stronger than the other, which a single-arm exercise fixes faster than anything. You might have stalled and want a fresh angle, or you might want more back thickness, which the rows on this list deliver better than any pulldown. Athletes who get tested on pull-ups are also better off practicing the real thing. None of that makes the pulldown a bad exercise. It just means you’ve got options, and swapping one in is always on the table no matter what your program says.
Muscles Worked by the Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown mainly works the lats, also known as the latissimus dorsi. It also brings in the biceps, rear delts, middle and lower traps, rhomboids, forearms, infraspinatus, and teres minor and major.
Primary Muscles
- Latissimus Dorsi
Secondary Muscles
- Rear Delts
- Trapezius
- Middle Fibers
- Lower Fibers
- Rhomboids
- Biceps
- Biceps Brachii
- Brachioradialis
- Brachialis
- Forearms
- Teres Minor
- Teres Major
- Infraspinatus
Lat Pulldown Alternatives: FAQs
What actions does the lat perform?
The lats handle shoulder adduction, shoulder extension, and internal rotation. Because the muscle does a few different jobs, you want exercises that hit it from different angles. A pull-up trains adduction and a cable pullover trains extension, so running both develops the lat more completely than hammering one exercise.
Is a lat pulldown the same as a pull-up?
They have a lot in common, but they aren’t the same. Both train the lats through shoulder adduction. On a lat pulldown you pull the bar to your body; on a pull-up you pull your body to the bar. The pull-up is more functional and brings in more muscle, so if you need to get better at pull-ups, do pull-ups. If you just want to load the lats, the pulldown is fine.
How can you do lat pulldowns at home?
The simplest home swap is the band straight arm pulldown. Anchor a resistance band to the top of a door frame or a squat rack and pull it down to your thighs with your arms long. You can also run banded lat pulldowns from a seated position, or use a dumbbell pullover if you have a bench. Of the bunch, the band straight arm pulldown needs the least gear and still hits the lats hard.
What’s the best wide-grip lat pulldown alternative?
Pull-ups are the closest wide-grip match since you take a wide overhand grip and build back width through the same shoulder adduction. If you want that width without a bar, the cable rope pullover and band straight arm pulldown both let you reach overhead and stretch the lats through a long range. Go wide on your pull-ups and lat-focused pullovers and you’ll build the same V-taper a wide-grip pulldown is after.
Key Takeaways
Pick the swap that matches your setup and your goal. Training at home with no machine? The band straight arm pulldown needs nothing but a band and a doorway, and a dumbbell pullover covers you if you’ve got a bench. Chasing a wider back? Wide-grip pull-ups are the closest thing to a wide-grip pulldown. Want the best cable option? The cable rope pullover isolates the lats through a long range with constant tension. And if you want to load it heavy, the close-grip cable row and machine high row let you pile on weight while building back thickness. You don’t need all 10. Grab the two or three that fit your equipment and rotate them.
Other Alternative Exercises
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.
