GREAT Exercise For The Back On The Lat Machine

I wanted to go through a quick exercise you can do with the Lat Pull Down Machine [¹], which is great for the back.

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.

I had Orsy demonstrate. Grab the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Have a seat, hold that position, and let the weight stack pull up on your shoulders and mid-back to decompress your spine [²].

Hold for about 10 seconds, then step out of the machine and let the weight stack come back together. You will need to ensure the weight is set high enough to feel a nice release in the spine but not so high that it is painful in the back or shoulders.

Lat Pull Down Machine Exercise

Sitting often throughout the day can cause the spine to shrink and compress. This compression increases our lower backs, and we need to relieve that pressure. This is one of the reasons that sitting for long periods can cause lower back pain and tightness.

The lower back has a big job and holds more weight than any other part of the spine. Bent postures such as sitting increase the disc pressure in your spine. You have discs between each vertebra in your back, which are not made to be compressed.

If they are compressed too much, this can lead to disc herniation (when the disc breaks and fluid leaks out). The pressure on your spine while sitting increases by 300 percent compared to standing.

When this compression is repetitive and over a long period, it can cause serious problems. Most of us sit far too much, putting ourselves at risk for degenerative numbness, pain, weakness, and injury.

According to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of ten people in the United States experience back pain at some point. This is not so surprising when people spend close to eight hours a day seated.

Your spine is not designed to deal with stresses like this for long periods. That’s why it is essential to do exercises like the one in this post to correct the damage.

Notes And Tips For The Lat Machine Exercise

One way we can do this is with the Lat Pull Down Machine, letting the weight stack of the Lat Pull Down Machine pull our low backs and decompress our lower backs.

A key thing to remember is that it benefits about 95% of people. Approximately 5% of people will not respond well to this. If this exercise does not feel good or irritates your spine or shoulders, skip it. There are other ways to take care of your spine and decrease compression.

I encourage you to start light. Over-decompressing your back will irritate, just like compression, so don’t overdo it.

So there you go. If you’re at the gym after finishing the Lat Pull Down Machine exercise, give this decompression exercise a go. Your back will be happy that you are doing it.

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Take care!

Rick Kaselj, MS

If you are suffering from back discomfort, click here to check out the Low Back Pain Solved program.