Seated Row vs. Lateral Pulldown: Which Is Better?

Building a strong, well-defined back is crucial for any fitness routine, as it contributes to a powerful physique and better posture. While the pull-up is an excellent exercise, machine-based movements like the seated row and the lat pulldown offer a more accessible and controlled way to build serious back strength.

Both the seated row and lat pulldown are fantastic exercises, but they work your back in fundamentally different ways. The question isn’t which one is better, but rather which one is better for your specific goals. 

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the mechanics, benefits, and differences of the seated row and lat pulldown to help you build the back you’ve always wanted.

Contents

1. The Lat Pulldown: Building Back Width
2. The Seated Row: Building Back Thickness
3. Seated Row vs. Lat Pulldown: The Verdict
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. The Lat Pulldown: Building Back Width

The lat pulldown is a vertical pulling exercise, which means you’re pulling a weight down from above your head. This motion is a staple for creating that coveted “V-taper” look, where your back widens from your waist to your shoulders. It’s also an excellent alternative to the pull-up, allowing you to build the necessary strength to perform that bodyweight exercise later on.

The lat pulldown is highly scalable and perfect for all fitness levels. The fixed path of the machine provides stability, allowing you to focus on isolating the lats and building a strong mind-muscle connection.

What muscles does the lat pulldown work?

The lat pulldown primarily targets the latissimus dorsi (your lats), which are the large, wing-like muscles on the sides of your back that give you a wide, powerful look. In particular, it targets the upper and outer fibres of the lats.  It also engages other important muscles, including the biceps, rhomboids, and the lower and middle portions of your trapezius (traps).

The lat pulldown comes with many attachment variations, offering different grips that impact which muscles you emphasise:

• Wide Grip: Emphasises overall lat activation and back width.
• Medium Grip: Strikes a good balance between width and thickness.
• Close Grip (V-Bar or Underhand): Places more emphasis on the lower lats and biceps, allowing for a deeper stretch and contraction.

How to do a lat pulldown

To perform a lat pulldown correctly, follow these steps:

1. Sit down at the machine and adjust the knee pads so your thighs are securely under them. This will prevent your body from lifting up as you pull the weight.
2. Grasp the bar with a wide, overhand grip, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Keeping your chest up and lean back slightly. Then, pull the bar down toward your upper chest. Focus on driving the movement by pulling with your elbows, not your hands.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back at the bottom of the movement, feeling the contraction in your lats.
5. Slowly and with control, return the bar to the starting position, allowing your lats to stretch fully.

2. The Seated Row: Building Back Thickness

The seated row is a horizontal pulling exercise, where you pull a weight toward your torso. This motion is key to adding back thickness and density. 

The movement generated by correctly implementing the seated row helps to build the muscles located down the middle of your back.

This exercise requires more core engagement than the lat pulldown, as you need to maintain a stable torso throughout. It mimics real-world pulling motions, like rowing a boat, making it a highly functional exercise for building strength.

Which muscles does the seated row work?

While it also works the middle and lower fibres of the lats, the seated row places a greater emphasis on the muscles in the middle of your back. This includes the rhomboids, trapezius (mid and upper), and posterior deltoids (rear shoulders), all of which contribute to a strong, dense back and improved posture. It’s also excellent for developing your biceps and forearms.

The seated row is incredibly versatile, with different attachments and grips impacting the muscle emphasis, including:

• Close Grip (V-Bar/Neutral): Strong emphasis on mid-back thickness and a deep, powerful contraction.
• Wide Grip (Pronated): Can target the upper back and rear delts more, as you perform a wider pull.
• Underhand Grip: Increases biceps involvement and can help you achieve a deeper squeeze in the lower lats.

How to do a seated row

To perform a seated row correctly, follow these steps:

1. Sit on the machine with your feet on the foot platform and your knees slightly bent.
2. Maintain an upright posture with a straight back, avoiding any rounding of your lower spine.
3. Grasp the handle (a V-bar is a great option for a close grip) and pull it toward your lower abs or belly button.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together forcefully at the peak of the movement, focusing on the contraction in your mid-back.
5. Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position, controlling the stretch without letting your back round.

3. Seated Row vs. Lat Pulldown: The Verdict

So, which one is better? The truth is, neither is better, but they are both essential.

• The lat pulldown is king for back width and developing that classic V-taper.
• The seated row is your go-to for back thickness and a dense, muscular mid-back.

By including both a vertical pull (like the lat pulldown) and a horizontal pull (like the seated row) in your routine, you ensure that you’re hitting all the different fibres of your back muscles for comprehensive development. This balanced approach will lead to a stronger, more well-rounded physique and is key to avoiding muscle imbalances.

Sample Workout Integration

Here’s an example of how you could integrate both exercises into a single back workout:

Exercise	Focus	Sets	Reps
Lat Pulldowns	Compound Vertical Pull	3	8-12
Seated Rows	Compound Horizontal Pull	3	8-12
Face Pulls	Accessory (Rear Delts & Upper Traps)	3	15-20
Dumbbell Bicep Curls	Isolation	3	10-15

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

So, now you know how to integrate these key exercises into your gym routine. To get the most out of them, be mindful of these common mistakes:

• Using momentum: Don’t rock back and forth or use a jerking motion to move the weight. The goal is to move the weight with your muscles, not with momentum.
• No full range of motion: Make sure you’re getting a full stretch at the start and a strong squeeze at the end of each rep. This is the sweet spot if your goal is to build muscle.
• Ignoring your core: Keep your core engaged and your torso stable throughout the entire movement. This protects your spine and ensures you’re activating the right muscles.
• Ego lifting: Don’t go too heavy and sacrifice your form. It’s better to lift a lighter weight correctly than a heavy one improperly.

Sculpt the back of your dreams with FitKit

Ready to build the back of your dreams? Whether you’re setting up a home gym or improving your commercial space, FitKit has a wide selection of lat pulldown machines and seated row machines to help you achieve your fitness goals.

FitKit offers a range of new and used strength machines from leading brands like Life Fitness and Hammer Strength, ensuring you get top-quality equipment built to last. 

Related: 

Core Conditioning: Everything You Need To Know