JEFF: Am I good here?
JESSE: A little bit to the right.
JEFF: My right?
Here?
JESSE: Yeah, your right.
JEFF: Okay.
JESSE: A little bit more.
JEFF: Yeah.
JESSE: Okay, now get your right hand up.
JEFF: What do you mean?
Why?
JESSE: Just – just put it up.
JEFF: Okay.
JESSE: Like that.
Yep.
A little to your left.
Now look to the right.
JEFF: Oh, you f**k.
What's up, guys?
Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX.com.
God, it was so nice when he wasn’t here.
He can stay in Italy next time, as far as I’m concerned.
JESSE: Come on!
They all missed me!
JEFF: Nobody missed you, Jesse.
Get out of here!
But today I will tell you this.
I’m going to show you a few things that you’re never going to see – including
that, right there.
But I’m going to show you some lat pulldown variations that you probably haven’t done
before.
You know, this lat pulldown machine is more versatile than you think.
It actually helps work a lot more of the key muscles than you’re maybe giving it credit
for.
I put a whole video out last week on some of the ways you can utilize it to progress
the contraction in the lats.
But it doesn’t have to end there.
We can do a lot of cool things and I’m going to show you those variations starting now.
Did you ever think, first of all, about disconnecting the bar and putting the rope on here?
You probably did, and you probably did some kind of close grip variation of a pulldown,
but you can turn this into one of my favorite exercises of all time.
That is the face pulldown.
You guys know how much I like the face pull.
I tell you to do it after your workout.
Every time you train you should do the face pull.
But here, the face pulldown allows me to anchor my body, get a little more stability from
below, add a little heavier weight to the equation here, and we can take the face pull
in a different plane.
We’re not taking it horizontal, we’re taking it on a more vertical plane.
You can clearly see the benefits here.
It still hits the rotator cuff as you externally rotate on the way back.
It still hits the posterior deltoid.
It still hits the upper traps.
It still hits the missed scapular muscles.
It’s hitting all the muscles that we’re benefiting from in the face pull, but with
more stability from below, and it gives us a great option.
Number two: we’ll stick with the rope.
You guys also know how much I love the straight arm pushdown.
I program it all the time.
I say how much it actually carries over, even as an accessory lift to the deadlift.
What we can do in this pulldown position is utilize the rope, so we gain some extra travel.
So, I don’t hit a bottm position with the straight bar here.
I can keep going until I get my elbow almost directly against my side, in a fully adducted
position to activate the lats.
We’ve taken the benefit of the straight arm pushdown, added some stability from below,
and given us that nice, controlled stretch on the lats on the way up, to give us another
weapon, and another way to use the lat pulldown machine.
Now we get rid of these guys.
Jesse, can you hold these for me, please?
Can you come reach for these?
Can you cup them from the bottom?
JESSE: Just like that?
JEFF: Good job.
Nicely done.
All right.
Now what we do is put the bar up.
Now, with the bar we have some other options here as well.
We don’t always have to do the straight versions of the lat pulldown, or the underhand
version.
All the things I’ve showed you before.
The variety of training can go back to something different.
That is the concept of straight arm scapular strength.
I’ve talked about how important this is in so many elements of athletic training.
Once again, we can do this here.
I featured this on Instagram.
If you aren’t following me already, you should.
As a matter of fact, I had my longtime fitness idol, Sylvester Stallone, who actually follows
and comments on our stuff because he finds it helpful.
I really think that the stuff I post over there is going to be helpful to you as well.
This is one of them.
This is a straight arm scapular pulldown.
So, what we do is get our elbows out in front of our body, we do a traditional pulldown,
but when we get to the bottom, instead of just riding it back up, here’s where you
test your straight arm scapular strength.
Try to extend your arms out in front of you.
Immediately, because the moment arm is increasing, that weight feels a hell of a lot heavier.
And your ability to hold it there, parallel to the ground – it’s going to want to
travel up.
You want to see if you can hold it out there.
Hold it for two or three seconds, bring it back in, and then let it ride up.
Some people say “Jeff, this is kind of like that headbanger pullup that you did.”
It is.
And, once again, it’s a variation to build scapular strength because of how important
this quality is.
It sets the foundation.
It builds the foundational strength of the scapula that feeds into the shoulder.
It all starts back here first.
There’s a foundation on it.
If you can’t do this, you’ve got to make sure you’re building this strength.
The great thing about this exercise is, we can scale it because we can go up the stack.
You don’t have to be able to handle your bodyweight in full, as you do on the headbanger
pullup.
Last, but not least, we saved the little on for last.
That is the scap pulldown.
Again, this one might get you some stares in the gym, but if they knew a little better
they wouldn’t be.
The scapular strength, once again, is one of the key components that you need to develop.
More importantly, have you ever addressed the muscles of the mid-traps and the lower
traps?
If you’re following ATHLEANX, you certainly have because you realize the importance they
play in keeping a sound, safe, stable shoulder.
But a lot of guys don’t.
This scap pulldown gives you that opportunity.
What you do is keep your arms locked out straight.
The goal here is to let your shoulders start in a nice, shrugged up position, up against
your ears, as high as you can.
Then your goal is to try and create as much room and distance between your shoulders and
your ears by pulling straight down with your shoulder blades, depressing your shoulder
blades.
The number one job here of the mid and lower traps to help you accomplish that.
This exercise done for quality reps is what’s key.
I don’t care how many you can do.
I don’t care how fast you can do them.
The key – and I don’t care how much weight you can do.
The key is racking up good, quality reps, one after the next to get another option here
other than the traditional pulldown that will help your long-term development of your entire
shoulder and back.
Not just your lats.
So, there you have it, guys.
There are four new ways that you can take the once, one-dimensional lat pulldown machine
and start tapping into the untapped potential development of your back.
Guys, if you’re looking for a complete training program, step by step the ATHLEANX training
program puts the science back in strength.
They’re all available for you over at ATHLEANX.com.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already subscribed, please do so and turn on those
notifications so you never miss a video.
All right, guys.
I’ll be back here again soon.
In the meantime, I’ve got to go take a call here.
It’s from the Italian embassy.
I have a deal I’m negotiating here.
I have a deal to try and get Jesse out of here for good.
All I’m asking for is a little bit of homemade pasta.
That’s it.
JESSE: A little bit?
How much is a little bit, Jeff?!
JEFF: Just 30lbs.
JESSE: 30lbs of pasta?
JEFF: You’re worth it.
Believe me, you’re worth it.
You’re worth it all.
JESSE: I think I’m worth more than that.
JEFF: All right, guys.
I’ll see you soon.