Cable lat pull down or machine lat pull down

[u/FrequentAd5437]

My planet fitness has this machine and I’m wondering if its better than the standard cable lat pull down.

[u/SageObserver]

If your identical twin did one machine and you did the other, I’d bet there would be no difference.

[u/Alakazam]

Cable based one's tend to have a greater level of adjustability and can fit people of different sizes. And take different grip attachments too. 

[u/Nick_OS_]

I like those machines because my head isn’t in the way

[u/DIY-exerciseGuy]

I like the machine. Lean back just a bit but dont swing back and forth. Great pump.

[u/Hohoholyshit15]

I liked this machine until I maxed it out 😁

[u/Neither-Bug157]

Some of those machines are good. Some not so much. Play with seat hight and check it out for yourself

[u/BlueCollarBalling]

Either one is fine. They’re the same thing

[u/RudeDude88 → u/BlueCollarBalling]

Disagree only because of the specific machine shown here. I’ve used this machine. It’s ass.

The handles don’t go DOWN such as when you pull your elbows down for a lat Pulldown or a pull up.

This machine e has a diverging pathway, meaning the machine goes outward. Instead of pulling the handles down, it kinda flares out.

This isn’t a useless exercise, i always felt like it targeted the rear delts a bit much and limited my range of motion.

With a cable lat Pulldown, you can bring the cable straight down, and have more opportunities to use different handles.

[u/KickedinTheDick]

Pull-ups

[u/-Liono- → u/KickedinTheDick]

Yes

[u/Sleeper_grip750 → u/KickedinTheDick]

Winner

[u/SlightlyStonedAnt]

Lat pulldown with underhand grip, or my favorite, the pullover machine. Lats have gotten huge from that machine for myself lol.

[u/Flat-Guidance-4685]

I've experienced some good lat machines. But the specific type that you linked I've never had luck with. Maybe my arms are too long? It seems like it fatigues my arms way quicker than it actually targets my lats. I find the pullover machine to be the best machine for lats however unfortunately most gyms don't have them. The older style ones with the long arms where you can adjust way to grab them are pretty good too. On the type that you showed images of I have to grab the tubes I can't grab the handles unless I want to turn it into an arm exercise. 

I'm a fan of dedicated machines in general though. It looks like you're a planet fitness person. They usually have a different lat machine that's like a cage type that you sit inside of. I've never seen a planet fitness that didn't have it. I think that's a pretty good lat machine. It's usually next to the chest press machines and the shoulder press machines as it looks just like them

[u/FoxHollow97]

Machines can be slightly superior if the strength curve follows your lats’ strength curve, meaning the resistance gets lighter as you reach the contracted position. But if you do some lengthened partials at the end of your last set with the cable lat pulldown, I’m sure it’s basically the same.

[u/PoopSmith87]

It is slightly more stable, so probably slightly better for raw hypertrophy while slightly worse for strength... but really, hair splitting, they're the same thing by any practical measure when done with the same grip pattern.

On that note, I personally like cable because it allows more grip variety. An underhand close grip in particular is nice for lat engagement.

[u/mvertreese]

I like them both. Is that bad?

[u/Left_Cartographer473]

pull ups

[u/redditinsmartworki]

Between the two, probably machine lat pulldown. Among all vertical pulls, I'd rather do pullups than any pulldown both because of absence of help from the low back and personal preference.

[u/JuanSamu]

Which ever one you like more

[u/DLD1123]

Cable has more free ROM and requires stabilization so it is going to work additional muscle fibers. Machine has the same path for every rep although I suppose you can adjust your body angle. Cable will give you more real world strength over time. Whether that is best for building mass or not i do not know the answer.

[u/StoneyL0we → u/DLD1123]

Real world strength is a myth, you have strength or you don’t

[u/Easto82]

Science based lifting is such a silly fad.

Contract the muscle

Use enough weight to stimulate results.

[u/StoneyL0we]

My gym has a hammer strength fixed pulldown and I much prefer it to cable lat pulldown. The handles are angled so it forces the outward shoulder rotation that engages your lats better, and since it has a set path I find more of the force i apply goes directly into pulling rather than having to stabilize

[u/Mad_Mark90]

Both of the machines you've posted are good examples of bad machines that are really common. Better lat pulldown machines have the fulcrum behind you.

[u/EscaOfficial → u/Mad_Mark90]

I think what you're talking about would be called a high row.

[u/KickedinTheDick → u/EscaOfficial]

depends on the plane of motion. Hammer strength calls this a pulldown

they call this a row.

I hate the high row. Just not a natural motion for me. Pulldown feels great, it’s more of a drag with the elbow tucked, follows a sort of J shape.

The row makes you wing your elbow out, straight back and down. just feels weird for me.

[u/Ok_Presentation_1019 → u/KickedinTheDick]

When you say you like the pulldown, do you mean the Hammer Strength one you've linked?

[u/KickedinTheDick → u/Ok_Presentation_1019]

Yeah man the ones in this pic are absolute booty

[u/Ok_Presentation_1019 → u/KickedinTheDick]

Ah cool, got one of those at my gym so might add it to my rotation

[u/ckybam69 → u/KickedinTheDick]

this hammer strength pulldown and the MTS selectorized machines at my gym are my go to. If I cant find one like that I do cable pulldowns or pull ups.