EXECUTION
* Stand close to the bar of a Smith machine, set at knee-height or lower.
* Take a wide stance, lean forward from your hips and flex your knees until your torso is about 45 degrees to the floor and your shoulders are past the bar.
* Grasp the bar with a pronated grip (palms toward you), slightly wider than shoulder width. Fully extend your arms to vertical or angled slightly toward you.
* Before you begin the pull, isometrically contract your lower-back muscles to hold your spine in its normal curvature and your glutes and hamstrings, which keep your torso in its 45-degree angle.
* Inhale and hold your breath as you release the safety catches. Start with your arms straight but not locked out.
* Leading with your elbows, use your back and shoulder muscles to pull the bar as high as possible or until it touches your upper abs. Hold momentarily, then exhale as you lower the bar under control to the start position.
TIPS
* Don't raise your torso during execution. It should remain level to the ground or angled slightly upward at all times, especially during the pulling action. Keep your core tight to ensure this.
* At the top of the movement, retract your shoulders and squeeze to fully contract the middle trapezius and rhomboid muscles and build thickness.
* Grasp the bar outside shoulder-width apart so you can get your elbows above the level of your back and fully retract your shoulders during the pull. This is the key to maximum contraction of the latissimus dorsi, especially the upper portion.
* You need to properly position your feet and body in this exercise, since you cannot control the path of the bar. To make adjustments, move your body forward or backward to ensure a full range of motion. Experiment with a lighter weight until you get a feel for the movement.
* To help prevent lower-back injury, maintain a slight arch in it at all times. Pulling with a rounded spine, especially if coupled with movement of the torso, can be highly dangerous to your discs.
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