Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

balletpolegirl
balletpolegirl Posts: 73 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello!
I'm following New Rules of Lifting for Women and am on Stage 1. I've been doing the alternative to the wide grip lat pulldown (dumbbell pullover) at home on the floor. Today I tried it at the gym with the proper machine.

Doing dumbbell pullovers at home on the floor I can manage 10kg for 12 reps.

At the gym on the proper lat pulldown machine I could barely manage 7 reps at 8kg.

Does that sound normal? Is the alternative exercise a lot easier than doing the real thing or is it just not a very good substitute?

Thanks :-)

Replies

  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
    you are comparing apples to oranges. you could also do lat pulldowns on a different machine and get different results again even tho they are the same movement. some cable machines just have more/less resistance etc..DB pull overs involve your chest and tris (depends on form to what extent), lat pull downs involve biceps. next time at gym do a set of each and see where you feel it and maybe that will help clarify.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Scratch my initial response I though you were doing pull overs at both times.

    When doing pull downs, visualize having strings attached to your elbows and pull from there, trying to pinch your shoulder blades together too.
  • balletpolegirl
    balletpolegirl Posts: 73 Member
    Ok thanks for that.
    I guess I just thought as they were suggested as an alternative that they'd be pretty similar. But obviously not, I will try again on my next visit! :-)
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Something is terribly wrong with your form on the pulldown if all you can manage is 8 kg.

    Chances are you aren't using your lats at all.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Something is terribly wrong with your form on the pulldown if all you can manage is 8 kg.

    Chances are you aren't using your lats at all.

    Or is it 8 plates, not 8Kgs? most likely the plates are either 5 or 10lbs each which would be 40 or 80 lbs, of if 5kgs each 88 lbs
  • balletpolegirl
    balletpolegirl Posts: 73 Member
    Hmmm..... I'm really doubting myself now.
    I shall have to look more closely next time I go.
  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
    i thought about something last night. is this what you are considering DB pull overs and lat pull downs? Just checking to see if you are confusing lat pull downs with straight arm pull downs... that could possibly answer why you are doing less weight.

    Wide grip pull down:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/wide-grip-lat-pulldown


    DB Pull over:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/straight-arm-dumbbell-pullover

    Here is what i would consider an alternative to DB pullover but is not a wide grip lat pull down. it is a straight arm pulldown:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/straight-arm-pulldown
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    i thought about something last night. is this what you are considering DB pull overs and lat pull downs? Just checking to see if you are confusing lat pull downs with straight arm pull downs... that could possibly answer why you are doing less weight.

    Wide grip pull down:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/wide-grip-lat-pulldown


    DB Pull over:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/straight-arm-dumbbell-pullover

    Here is what i would consider an alternative to DB pullover but is not a wide grip lat pull down. it is a straight arm pulldown:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/straight-arm-pulldown

    Is she is doing the straight arm pull-downs that would make for sense, and seems like a better alternative than the "regular" pull-downs.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    i thought about something last night. is this what you are considering DB pull overs and lat pull downs? Just checking to see if you are confusing lat pull downs with straight arm pull downs... that could possibly answer why you are doing less weight.

    Wide grip pull down:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/wide-grip-lat-pulldown


    DB Pull over:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/main/popup/name/straight-arm-dumbbell-pullover

    Here is what i would consider an alternative to DB pullover but is not a wide grip lat pull down. it is a straight arm pulldown:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/straight-arm-pulldown

    Is she is doing the straight arm pull-downs that would make for sense, and seems like a better alternative than the "regular" pull-downs.

    Could be. An 8 kg standard pulldown isn't just weak, its incredibly weak. My 3 year old can probably do an 8 kg lat pulldown. For an adult to be that low, you're either extremely out of shape, old and feeble, and/or doing it wrong.

    Given the OP's avi, chances are good extremely out of shape or old and feeble aren't the culprit.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Hello!
    I'm following New Rules of Lifting for Women and am on Stage 1. I've been doing the alternative to the wide grip lat pulldown (dumbbell pullover) at home on the floor. Today I tried it at the gym with the proper machine.

    Doing dumbbell pullovers at home on the floor I can manage 10kg for 12 reps.

    At the gym on the proper lat pulldown machine I could barely manage 7 reps at 8kg.

    Does that sound normal? Is the alternative exercise a lot easier than doing the real thing or is it just not a very good substitute?

    Thanks :-)
    Pullovers are easier to do because your arms are closer to the body. If you want something harder to do try "reverse pushups".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cszJcRz5UB0

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • balletpolegirl
    balletpolegirl Posts: 73 Member
    Thank you for your replies, I have just been back to the gym and feel like a fool!
    The 8 doesn't stand for 8kg, each plate is 5kg, so I was lifting 40kg.

    My bad!
  • refuseresist
    refuseresist Posts: 934 Member
    Thank you for your replies, I have just been back to the gym and feel like a fool!
    The 8 doesn't stand for 8kg, each plate is 5kg, so I was lifting 40kg.

    My bad!

    That's not bad, I am only doign 25kg at the moment
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Thank you for your replies, I have just been back to the gym and feel like a fool!
    The 8 doesn't stand for 8kg, each plate is 5kg, so I was lifting 40kg.

    My bad!

    That makes much more sense.

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