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Exercises

Exercises for lower lats: underhand pulls, rows to the hip and pulldowns

Published October 29, 2026

The lower lats are the fibers that run from your lower spine and hip up to the arm, and they work hardest when you pull your elbows down and back toward your hips with the arms close to the body. The best exercises are the reverse-grip and close-grip lat pulldown, chin-ups, one-arm dumbbell and cable rows pulled to the hip, the underhand barbell row and the straight-arm pulldown. Do 10 to 20 back sets a week built around these, use a full stretch at the top of every rep, and stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure.

  1. Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown Lats
  2. One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lats, Upper Back
  3. Straight-Arm Pulldown Lats
  4. Single-Arm Lat Pulldown Lats
  5. Underhand Barbell Row Upper Back, Lats
  6. Chin-Up Lats

Close and underhand vertical pulls

A narrow or underhand grip keeps your elbows in front of you and lets them drive down to your sides, which is the line the lower lat fibers pull along. Wide overhand grips spread the work to the upper back instead.

Lats, underhand pulldown

Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown

Lats

An underhand, shoulder-width grip keeps the elbows tucked as they come down to your ribs, which is the path that loads the lower lats most. It is the first pulldown to pick for this goal.

How to do it

  1. Sit at a pulldown station with your thighs under the pads.
  2. Take the bar with palms facing you, hands about shoulder width.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest, driving your elbows down toward your hips.
  4. Let the bar rise slowly until your arms are straight overhead.

Cues

  • Chest up to meet the bar
  • Elbows down and back
  • Full stretch at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back to row the bar down: stay only slightly reclined.
  • Stopping with bent arms at the top: let the bar pull your arms straight before each rep.

Swap for: Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up, Chin-Up

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Lats, close neutral-grip pulldown

V-Bar Lat Pulldown

Lats

The close neutral handle lets you pull lower, toward your upper stomach, with the elbows tight to your sides. Most people can handle more weight here than on any other pulldown.

How to do it

  1. Clip the V handle to the high pulley, sit with your thighs locked in, and hold both sides of the handle with arms straight.
  2. Lean back slightly so the cable runs toward your upper chest.
  3. Pull the handle down to just below your collarbones, elbows pointing at the floor and close to your ribs.
  4. Return slowly until your arms are straight overhead.

Cues

  • Elbows close and pointing down
  • Handle to the top of the sternum
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the handle to your stomach with a big lean: that turns it into a row and takes the lats out of the stretch.
  • Letting the shoulders roll forward at the bottom: keep your chest up to meet the handle.

Swap for: Lat Pulldown, Neutral-Grip Pull-Up, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

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Lats, one-arm pulldown

Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Lats

One arm at a time lets you reach higher at the top and drive the elbow all the way down to your hip at the bottom, a longer range than any two-hand pulldown.

How to do it

  1. Attach a single handle to the high pulley, sit with your thighs locked under the pads, and hold the handle overhead with one hand.
  2. Let the cable pull your arm up and slightly in front of you until your lat is fully stretched.
  3. Drive your elbow down toward your hip, finishing with the handle beside your shoulder.
  4. Let the handle rise back to the stretch slowly, finish your reps, and switch sides.

Cues

  • Reach long at the top
  • Elbow to the hip
  • Torso stays square

Common mistakes

  • Rotating your torso to finish the rep: keep your chest facing the stack.
  • Rushing the lowering: the stretched top is where this exercise earns its place.

Swap for: Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown, One-Arm Dumbbell Row, V-Bar Lat Pulldown

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Lats and biceps, underhand pull-up

Chin-Up

Lats

The underhand grip brings the elbows down in front of the body, which suits the lower lats better than a wide pull-up. The best option when all you have is a bar.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with your palms toward you and hands shoulder-width.
  2. Pull your elbows down and back until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower to a full hang with straight arms.
  4. Keep your legs quiet and your body still between reps.

Cues

  • Palms toward you
  • Chin over the bar
  • Dead hang at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Kipping or kicking to finish: stop the set when you cannot pull cleanly.
  • Half reps at the top: straighten your arms fully every time.

Swap for: Close-Grip Chin-Up, Assisted Pull-Up

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Rows pulled to the hip

Rowing toward your hip instead of your chest and keeping the elbow close turns a row into a lat exercise. One-arm rows let the shoulder reach forward for a longer stretch.

Lats, one-arm row to the hip

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Pull the dumbbell toward your back pocket instead of your armpit and this becomes the best dumbbell exercise for the lower lats. The bench support lets you go heavy without tiring your lower back.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

Swap for: Band Bent-Over Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, Seated Cable Row

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Lats, one-arm cable row

Single-Arm Cable Row

Upper Back, Lats

The cable keeps tension at the front of the rep, where the lat is stretched, and the single arm lets the elbow travel past your body toward the hip.

How to do it

  1. Set a single handle at about chest height, stand facing the stack with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold the handle in one hand, arm extended and palm facing in.
  2. Soften your knees, lean forward slightly from the hips, and let your shoulder reach toward the stack with a slight turn of the torso.
  3. Row the handle toward your hip as you square your chest, elbow tight to your side.
  4. Return slowly to the reach, finish the set, then switch hands.

Cues

  • Reach, then pull
  • Elbow tight to the side
  • Finish square

Common mistakes

  • Twisting far back at the finish to move more weight: the rotation stays small.
  • Letting the stack yank your arm forward: control the return.

Swap for: Seated Cable Row, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, One-Arm Dumbbell Row

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Lats, underhand cable row

Reverse-Grip Cable Row

Lats

An underhand grip keeps the elbows close and drives them back toward the hips. It is a seated row you can push hard without your lower back doing any work.

How to do it

  1. Hook a straight bar onto the low pulley, sit on the bench with feet braced, and hold the bar with palms up at shoulder width.
  2. Sit tall with arms straight and knees softly bent.
  3. Pull the bar to your lower stomach, elbows brushing your sides, until they pass your torso.
  4. Return slowly to straight arms without leaning forward.

Cues

  • Palms up, elbows in
  • Bar to your waistband
  • Two seconds forward

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the bar high to your chest: aim lower so the elbows travel to the hips.
  • Leaning back hard at the end: if you need to swing, the stack is too heavy.

Swap for: Seated Cable Row, Underhand Barbell Row, Reverse-Grip Dumbbell Row

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Lats and upper back, underhand row

Underhand Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

The heaviest row on this page for the lats. The underhand grip brings the bar to your lower stomach, so the elbows travel along your sides.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar with your palms facing forward and hands a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Hinge forward with soft knees until your torso is just above level with the floor and the bar hangs straight below your shoulders.
  3. Row the bar toward your lower ribs with your elbows brushing your sides.
  4. Return to straight arms slowly, keeping your torso still.

Cues

  • Elbows skim your sides
  • Bar to your lower ribs
  • Wrists straight

Common mistakes

  • Curling the bar with your forearms: think about the elbows going back, not the hands coming up.
  • Taking a narrow grip that strains the wrists: keep your hands just outside shoulder width and the bar in the heel of your palm.

Swap for: Barbell Row, Meadows Row, Pendlay Row

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Lats, landmine one-arm row

Meadows Row

Upper Back, Lats

Rowing the end of a landmine bar from a staggered stance gives a deep stretch at the bottom and a pull toward the hip at the top. A favorite for lifters who have outgrown the heaviest dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of the bar into a corner or landmine and load the other end.
  2. Stand side on to the loaded end in a staggered stance, front knee bent, and rest your free forearm on that knee.
  3. Grip the sleeve end overhand and pull it up toward your hip, driving your elbow back and slightly out.
  4. Lower until your arm is fully straight and your shoulder dips toward the floor, then row again. Finish the set and switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow back and slightly out
  • Let the shoulder drop at the bottom
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Rotating your torso to heave the bar: keep your shoulders level and lighten the load.
  • Gripping the thick sleeve too far from the end: hold just behind the collar so your hand does not slip.

Swap for: Underhand Barbell Row, Seal Row, Barbell Row

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Straight-arm pulldowns and pullovers

With the elbows locked, the biceps cannot help, so the lats do all the work of bringing the arms down to your sides. Use these as finishers or as a warm-up that wakes up the lats before pulling.

Lats, straight-arm isolation

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Lats

The arms stay straight and sweep down to your thighs, which is the job of the lower lats with nothing else helping. Use it last for high reps, or first as a light warm-up set.

How to do it

  1. Attach a straight bar to a high pulley, take it palms down about shoulder width, and step back a couple of feet.
  2. Hinge forward slightly and hold the bar at about shoulder height with your arms long, a small fixed bend in your elbows, and brace your abs.
  3. Sweep the bar down in an arc until it reaches your thighs, squeezing your lats at the bottom.
  4. Let it rise back up under control until your arms are at shoulder height again, then repeat.

Cues

  • Arms long, elbows fixed
  • Bar to the thighs
  • Torso angle never changes

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows and turning it into a triceps pushdown: lighten the stack and keep the arms long.
  • Bobbing the torso up and down to move the weight: lock your hinge and move only the arms.

Swap for: Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, Dumbbell Lat Pullover, Lat Pulldown

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Lats, pullover

Dumbbell Lat Pullover

Lats

Lying on a bench, the dumbbell pulls your arms back behind your head into a long lat stretch, then you bring it back over your chest. The free-weight version of the straight-arm pulldown.

How to do it

  1. Lie on a flat bench with your head near one end and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Hold one dumbbell with both hands under the top plate, arms straight above your chest.
  3. Keep your elbows softly bent and fixed, and let the dumbbell travel back behind your head in an arc. Stop once your upper arms reach the line of your body.
  4. Pull it back over your chest along the same arc, feeling the pull come from your armpits, and repeat.

Cues

  • Ribs down, no arching
  • Pull with your armpits
  • Stop when upper arms line up with your torso

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows more as the dumbbell goes back, which turns it into a triceps extension: fix the elbow angle and lighten the load.
  • Letting your ribcage flare to go deeper: brace your abs and stop at the point where your back wants to arch.

Swap for: Straight-Arm Pulldown, Kettlebell Pullover, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Full gym, back lacks width low down

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets19 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Lat Pulldown, Pull-Up Bar, Cable Row

You train back twice a week in a gym and your back looks wide at the top but narrow near the waist.

Each day starts with a heavy underhand pull and adds a single-arm pull and an isolation finisher, 10 sets on day 1 and 9 on day 2. That is about 19 back sets a week, nearly all of them along the lower lat line.

Day 1: Row and pulldown
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Underhand Barbell Row2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 2 2:30 min
Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 1 2 min
Straight-Arm Pulldown 3 × 12–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Row and pulldown in the session builder

Day 2: Chin-ups and single-arm work
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Chin-Up 3 × 5–10 1 2:30 min
Single-Arm Cable RowPer arm. 3 × 10–12 1 75 s
Single-Arm Lat PulldownPer arm. 3 × 10–15 1 75 s

Open Day 2: Chin-ups and single-arm work in the session builder

How to run it
Use it on your two back or pull days, at least 48 hours apart. Your upper back rows can follow these or go on a separate day.
How to progress
Rows and pulldowns go up 5 lb or one plate when you can do the top of the rep range on all sets with 1 rep left. Chin-ups get a belt and plate after 10 clean reps at 1 in reserve.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home with dumbbells, a bench and a pull-up bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Dumbbells

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells, a flat bench and a doorway or rack pull-up bar.

Chin-ups, one-arm rows and pullovers cover the vertical pull, the row and the straight-arm sweep with no cables. 10 sets twice a week is 20 sets, enough to make up for lighter loads than a gym.

Chin-up, row, pullover
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Chin-Up 3 × 4–10 2 2:30 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 4 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Lat Pullover 3 × 10–15 2 75 s
How to run it
Do it on two non-consecutive days. Start with chin-ups while your grip is fresh.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of the range at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, then go up one dumbbell size. Once chin-ups reach 10, wear a backpack with weight in it.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Lower back already busy with squats and deadlifts

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentLat Pulldown, Cable Row

Heavy squats and deadlifts leave your lower back tired, so bent-over rows are off the menu for now.

Every lift here is seated or supported, so the lower back stays out of it while the lats get 9 hard sets per session. Twice a week keeps your back volume up during a heavy leg block.

Seated pulls
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
V-Bar Lat Pulldown1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 1 2 min
Reverse-Grip Cable Row 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Straight-Arm Pulldown 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Run it on two upper days. It does not need to be kept away from leg days.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of the range at 1 rep in reserve, then add one plate to the stack.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can you target the lower lats?

To a degree. The lat is one muscle, but its lower fibers run more vertically from the hip and lower spine, so pulls that bring the elbows down close to your sides and back toward your hips put more of the work on them.

What exercises target the lower lats?

Underhand and close-grip pulldowns, chin-ups, one-arm rows pulled to the hip, the underhand barbell row and the straight-arm pulldown.

How do I get a V-shaped back?

Grow the lats from top to bottom with 10 to 20 pulling sets a week, build the side delts for wider shoulders, and keep your waist lean. The lower lats are what make the V sweep down into the waist.

How do I make my lower lats wider?

Use a full stretch at the top of every pulldown and row, pull the elbows to your hips, and add load over time with double progression. Single-arm work helps because each side can stretch further.

Are wide-grip pull-ups good for lower lats?

They work the whole lat, but a wide grip moves more of the work toward the upper back. For the lower lats, a shoulder-width underhand or neutral grip is better.