Brandon Curry has a reputation for demonstrating functional workouts that bring Olympia-winning results, so when the big man saw some recent comments concerning the narrow grip lat pulldown on social media, he was quick to correct the record.
Curry says that his eyebrows were recently raised when he read negative comments below a video of fellow bodybuilder Victor Martinez. Apparently, the “Dominican Dominator” had been criticized for having his arms bent while executing narrow grip lat pulldowns. This led Curry, incensed by what he saw on the socials, to post his own video, explaining that straight arms should be avoided for maximum results.
“I realize a lot of people look at (Martinez) and say that he’s doing it wrong. Well, I think he’s doing it right,” said the 2019 Mr. Olympia Champion.
Brandon Curry’s Lat Pulldown Technique to Increase Lat Activation
The narrow grip lat pulldown can be executed while seated on a cable station to isolate the upper body, and is an exercise designed to add thickness to the back. When you work with a wide grip, lat pulldowns build the winged appearance by growing the lats, but if you want to add mass to the middle of your back, a narrow grip is your go-to.
Start With A Bent Elbow
Curry, concerned that unqualified social media commentators were proposing a straight arm start, decided to demonstrate the move for himself. “One of the most effective ways, I think, is you start with a bent elbow,” explained the big man, while resisting the urge to flare his elbows out to the sides. Curry elevated his shoulders but kept the arms slightly creased. “Let the lats stretch, then pull down,” he coached. “But never let those arms fully extend. Just elevate the shoulders and let the lat stretch… now that’s a lat pulldown.”
Focus on the Scapula Not Range of Motion
Curry concluded that starting out with a bent elbow took out some of the arm flexing that would be required at the top of the pull. Instead, he focused on raising and lowering his scapula. “Arms are besides the point,” he told his own 1-million-plus Instagram followers. “You’re trying to train your back, not trying to train your arms. So, let your back go through the range of motion, and don’t worry about the range of motion in your arms. That’s a tip for you.”
With his point well made, Curry had one final word for the “experts” on social media. “Whenever you think somebody’s doing something wrong, you may just not know the nuance to what they’re really doing right.”
It’s good to know that tried and tested champions like Brandon Curry and Victor Martinez have our backs!
