The assisted pull-up is the bridge between machine-based vertical pulling (lat pulldown, band lat pulldown) and bodyweight pull-ups. It uses an assisted pull-up machine (the kind with a kneeling or standing platform that counterweights a portion of your bodyweight) to make the full pull-up pattern achievable while you build the strength to do it unassisted. … Read more
The lat pulldown is the classic gym machine version of vertical pulling — and for most men over 50, it’s the practical alternative to pull-ups. Pull-ups require lifting your entire bodyweight; the lat pulldown lets you start with manageable loads and progress precisely as you get stronger. It’s also the gym counterpart to the band … Read more
The band lat pulldown is the first vertical pulling exercise in the men50.fitness matrix — and that matters. Rows (the horizontal pulling exercises) train the rhomboids and mid-back. Vertical pulling — pulling things down from overhead, or pulling yourself up — trains the lats, the broad muscles on the sides of the back that create … Read more