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April 8th, 2007

Should you perform behind the neck pull downs?

by Martha Roberts-Schimmel from Elite Fitness Newsletter

I have been asked many times when out on the weight floor "should I do pull-downs behind the neck or in front?" by our members. The correct answer is in front as SWAC Personal Trainer Martha Schimmel states in the following article. Not only is this safer, but much more effective in great lat development. Thanks Martha for this article!-Christine

This is a question I felt necessary to address because I see this exercise performed daily. Lat development is sought after by both men and women alike, women for the toned look beneath that low back dress,and for men, to achieve a "V" shape that contributes to their masculine appeal.

Although most are driven to lat pull downs for the aesthetic appeal, the latissimus dorsi muscle not only contributes to correct posture, but it is the only muscle that bridges the spine to the shoulder. This is important during everyday lifts because the lat muscle acts as the most powerful extensor of the arm, so it helps to pull loads closer to the body and reduces the load on the spine.

Although behind the neck pull downs are popular among exercisers and athletes alike, this exercise puts the shoulder joint at risk of injury. The anterior capsule of the shoulder is made up of ligaments and connective tissue which are designed to restrict external rotation. Because most cable machines do not allow you to position your body so that the cable hangs directly above the base of the neck behind your head, you will not only be taking your shoulder beyond their optimal range of motion, it will be done repetitively under significant load. Additionally this is typically done with poor form where the exerciser protrudes the neck forward while allowing the forearms to move out of vertical plane, thereby putting excessive strain on the rotator cuff.

When you position yourself so that the cable and the bar hangs own directly in front of your nose while sitting with good upright posture, you are far less likely to force the shoulder joint into potentially damaging position. In doing so, you will effectively work the lat muscle producing maximum results. In light of this, are you willing to trade the possibility of injuring your shoulders for a dogmatic attraction to the Behind-the-Neck Pull-Down exercise? Take a step back to analyze an exercise to see if the risks may outweigh any benefits.

Another interesting fact concerning the latissimus dorsi-this muscle is far more developed in primates than in quadriped vertibrates. Essentially, these are the muscles that allow us to climb and swing from trees. Ok, most of us don't climb or swing from trees too much, but its nice to know that we can if we want and it might be another way to train those lats!-christine

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