Pull-ups and rows are seen as the gold standard for building a wide, thick back – and for good reason. They hit both the vertical and horizontal pulling motions that are key to building
But if those are the only two exercises you’re doing to train your back, you might be neglecting a key pulling: the diagonal pull.
That’s according to Daniel Vadnal from the FitnessFAQs YouTube channel, who insists working your back through an angled, diagonal pulling motion can help to target your lats.
Why You Need Diagonal Pulls
Diagonal pulls match the natural downward and inward angle of the muscle fibres in your lats, helping to provide a deep stretch around the rib cage.
‘[The diagonal pull] exists between a vertical and horizontal pull,’ Vadnal explains. ‘You’re working the angle between those two movements – in the past I only ever did pull-ups and rows, and I neglected this range of motion. I’ve found that since including diagonal pulls into my routine, it’s been awesome because I’m training a range of motion that I don’t usually train.
‘I’m able to target my lats in a different way. The lats are at maximum stretch when they’re reaching across the body because of how they leverage the rib cage and are anatomically positioned.’
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How to Do Diagonal Pulls
Vadnal’s preferred way to hit this motion is through the high row machine, which combines the constant tension of a row with the overhead stretch profile of a pulldown, and is capable of training both arms independently of each other. The nature of the machine means that you’re converging cross-body, matching the natural arm-adduction and scapular plane of your arms and shoulders, thus providing a strong stimulus for the lats. Plus, it allows for an even deeper contraction.
‘The true value of high rows is because of the arching motion of your upper arm – the biceps can’t really help, and that’s why it’s considered more of an isolation for your lats despite being a compound movement,’ Vadnal explains.
‘This is all based on anatomy and biomechanics relating to muscle fibre orientations, origins and insertions, plus the role of leverage on the lats. The high row basically hits the lats in a unique way compared to your purely vertical or purely horizontal pulls.’
An Alternative Way to Do Diagonal Pulls
While lots of gyms won’t have the high row machine, it’s still possible to perform the movement. Cross-body rows performed on a cable machine can achieve the same result.
How to Do a Diagonal Pull on a Cable Machine
- Standing or kneeling side on to a cable machine, reach across your body to grab the handle.
- Pull the weight across your torso toward the opposite hip. This mimics a similar resistance path, achieving a deep stretch in the lats as well as the contraction close to your body.
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