FST7-Tip: Use dual cable lat pulldowns to build a bigger back.

Sep 19, 2023

By Nutrition Monsters

Gebruik dual cable lat pulldowns om een grotere rug te bouwen

If you aim for complete back development with maximum width and detail, the way you activate your lats is crucial. The traditional lat pulldown with a fixed, straight bar is an excellent foundation but has biomechanical limitations. Because your hands are fixed to one bar, you cannot adjust the angle during the movement. The solution from the Pro Creator? The Dual Cable Lat Pulldown. By training with two independent cables, you force your back muscles into an unprecedented contraction and muscle thickness.

The 24-time Olympia-winning coach Hany Rambod advises performing this exercise with utmost precision within your FST-7 (Fascia Stretch Training) program. Because the cables move independently, you can pull your elbows much further down and inward at the bottom point of the movement, close along your body. This results in a more intense shortening and contraction of the latissimus dorsi that is simply impossible with a normal bar. Let the weight rise in a controlled manner for a deep stretch at the top, and pull the cables explosively down from your elbows while keeping your chest slightly pushed upward.

Pro tip from the Pro Creator: To maximize the extreme muscle activation and blood flow of the dual cable pulldown, optimal cell hydration is essential to stretch the muscle fascia:

Create a brutal 3D pump: Take a dose of Evogen EVP AQ 30 minutes before your back workout. This liquid glycerol supplement draws massive amounts of water into your bloodstream and muscle cells, creating a gigantic pump and maximum muscle thickness without stimulants.
Buffer the intense acidity: Drink Evogen Amino KEM during your heavy sets. This provides your back muscles with all 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) and high-quality electrolytes to immediately prevent muscle breakdown during training.
Acute recovery after training: Nourish the micro-tears in your lats immediately after the last set with a scoop of Evogen IsoJect whey isolate for rapid muscle recovery and growth.

Related reading

FST-7 Tips for Dumbbell Lat Pull-overs: Maximum Back Width
FST-7 Guideline: When to Increase the Weight?
The Secret Behind a 3D Muscle Pump Without Carbs: Why Glycerol Is Essential During Cutting

Discover our collections Ready to take your back width to an unprecedented elite level? Discover the targeted collections at nutritionmonsters.com:

Muscle Building (for complete strength stacks)
Pre-workout (such as Evogen EVP AQ for a liquid pump)
Intra-workout (such as Evogen Amino KEM against muscle breakdown)
Proteins (such as Evogen IsoJect for immediate recovery)
Weight Loss
Health & Wellness

FAQ

Why is liquid glycerol (EVP AQ) so effective in an FST-7 back workout?

The back is a huge muscle group that can hold a massive blood volume. The liquid glycerol in Evogen EVP AQ increases the osmotic pressure, pushing extra fluid into your bloodstream and muscle cells. During the constant tension of the cables, this increased volume creates extreme pressure on the muscle walls, optimally stretching the tough muscle fascia from the inside out.

Can I use dual cable lat pulldowns for the infamous 7 FST-7 sets?

Yes, this is one of the very best exercises for the final 7 pump sets. Because cables provide constant tension throughout the entire movement—even at the top point—the muscles are continuously engaged. Keep the rest time strictly to 30 seconds, focus on the burning pump, and immediately reduce the weight if you can no longer complete the full range of motion.

How do I prevent my biceps from taking over during pulling exercises?

Many athletes pull the weight down with their hands and arms, causing the biceps to take over. To prevent this, you should visualize your hands purely as hooks. Mentally focus on starting and controlling the movement from your elbows. Consciously press your elbows down toward your side pockets; this largely disengages the arms and isolates the back.

Does this exercise help more with building back width or back thickness?

The dual cable lat pulldown excels in both aspects. The deep stretch at the top of the movement stimulates the width of your lats (the v-shape). However, because you can pull your elbows much further back and inward at the bottom than with a fixed bar, you also engage the lower lats and the muscles around your shoulder blades more intensely, resulting in extra muscle thickness.

What makes the dual cable lat pulldown better than a regular lat pulldown?

In a regular lat pulldown, the bar fixes the position of your wrists and elbows. The dual cable pulldown uses two separate cables, allowing your arms to follow their natural, slightly diagonal muscle fiber direction (line of pull). This reduces stress on your shoulder joints and enables you to engage your lats much more deeply at the end of the movement.

FST7-Tip: Use dual cable lat pulldowns to build a bigger back.

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