+ 1 Back workouts - rows vs. Pulldowns
Back workouts - rows vs. Pulldowns
OPENING ARGUMENTS
Defense Rows are great for building a wide, thick back. They hit
all areas of the lats — as well as most other back muscles, such
as the middle traps, rhomboids and teres major.
... Prosecution Wide-grip pulldowns, as well as pullups, are one of
the best exercises for building wide lats due to the great stretch
they place on them and the downward motion of the arms.
EVIDENCE
One study found that when trained lifters did wide-grip overhand pulldowns, they used more muscle fibers in the lats than when they used an underhand grip or a neutral grip on a V-bar.
A study from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (Toronto) directly compared lat muscle activity on wide-grip pulldowns to that on rows. When subjects did seated cable rows, muscle activity of the lats was more than 40% greater than when they did wide-grip pulldowns.
VERDICT: ROWS
Rows appear to be a better exercise for stimulating more of the lat muscle fibers and, therefore, helping to build a bigger back.
SENTENCING
Starting most of your back workouts with rows will help you place more overload on the lats (resulting in increased muscle size). Although the Canadian study used the seated cable row, we suggest that you use the barbell or dumbbell row at the beginning of your workouts when you are strongest and include other versions of rows later in the workout. You should also do a variety of pulldowns and/or pullups and, occasionally, start your back workouts with pulldowns or pullups. If you can’t do more than 10 pullups, do them first in the workout (before you’re fatigued), so that you’ll be able to complete an adequate number of reps for stimulating muscle growth.
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I personally think pulldowns are kind of silly. Why use a machine to simulate the rom of chin ups instead of just doing chin ups?
Good deal. I do both; barbell and DB. Prefer DB but that just me. Then I switch hand posture to change the muscle. In other words. Pull with the hand facing my body and lower the DB with the DB looking back. Always, control weight. Not pulling like a manic using momentum. I know we seen that before.
I start w/ pulldowns, then bent over barbell rows, then seated narrow grip rows on cable machine, weighted back ext, and laying down on bench, overhead dumbell pullover.
My back is my favorite body part to work, I can hit 40 sets on back in an hour. the key for me is simple, never exceed 4 sets per exercise and always start different.
TBH, throughout all my schooling (exercise science major, physical therapy student), your muscle is going to grow from any stimulation, you can not force your muscle to grow a certain way, personally one should do whatever gives them the best 'feel'
that being said, i personally love rows, and will do some pulldowns to get a really good stretch at the end