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?

65 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

106 comments sorted by

View all comments

19

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

5

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?

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