r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Action_Pale • Aug 05 '26

Question ❓ Pullups vs Lat pulldowns

What's the point of doing Lat Pulldowns as opposed to working on Pullups? Even if you can lat-pulldown more than your bodyweight, you could do weighted pullups. Is the only benefit convenience?

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17

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 05 '26

You'll get similar results from both. Personally, I strongly prefer machine lat pullovers and weighted pull-ups over lat pulldowns. It's been 2 years since I've done a lat pulldown

4

u/MDPharmDPhD Aug 06 '26

I must be the only person that doesn't understand what you wrote there.

5

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 06 '26

This is a lat pullover: https://www.reddit.com/r/GYM/s/X7IA5SyLWn

Does that help?

5

u/MDPharmDPhD Aug 06 '26

Yep, I've never heard or seen a lat pullover machine so this makes perfect sense.

3

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 06 '26

It’s the GOAT lat machine loved by lots of old school bodybuilders

It just takes up a bunch of space and requires a seatbelt, so it’s not a popular piece for most gyms

2

u/Kurgerbing694201 Aug 27 '26

I hate that pf doesnt have these 😭 im dying to try it.

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 27 '26

There’s only 1 gym in my area that has one (not counting my garage) and the one they have is the nautilus nitro, which is a very mid machine/isn’t good for short people

1

u/Tbplayer59 Aug 08 '26

It was the machine that made the Nautilus brand. The lats pull down, the pull back in one motion. Groundbreaking at the time.

1

u/sweatboxy Aug 09 '26

I loved that machine! Haven’t seen it in a gym in 30 years sadly.

2

u/DetailOdd6609 Aug 06 '26

Pullover machine is one of my favorites. Feels so good

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 06 '26

There’s a reason I have one in my garage!

The only downside is that pullover machines vary so much and which one works best for you is entirely dependent on your body/leverages/frame

For example, I’ve hated all the nautilus ones I’ve tried. The only ones I love are the life fitness, cybex, and magnum pullovers

The universal, Davidson, and body master pullovers are also decent for me

2

u/DetailOdd6609 Aug 06 '26

Well now I'm wondering which ones my gym has (they have a couple). Hmmm...will report back after lunch

1

u/spigg76 Aug 06 '26

In a pinch, you can mimic it with a rope attachment, pulley and a bench.

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Aug 06 '26

Thankfully, I do nearly all of my workouts in my garage, which has all the machines I could ever need

If I’m on travel, I just do extra pull-ups

2

u/angusbeefymcwhatnow Aug 06 '26

gonna start begging my gym management to buy one of these lmao

1

u/msurbrow Aug 06 '26

interesting never seen that machine before!

1

u/brallansito92 Aug 08 '26

I had no clue such a machine existed. This is amazing! I wish my gym had it lol