I've heard that when doing the pulldown, either as a warm-up or as a standard set, I shouldn't go behind the neck. Is this true?

Question :
I've heard that when doing the pulldown, either as a warm-up or as a standard set, I shouldn't go behind the neck. Is this true?

Reply :
A lot of people project their head forward too far (while pulling the bar down), and in doing so create stress on the cervical spine. But it's a great exercise, especially as a finishing movement. If you face away from the machine, the bar comes down perfectly and you don't have to jerk your head forward. And not having the knee support automatically reduces the amount of weight that you can do.

The pulldown is a very effective exercise when done correctly. Keep your chest up the entire time, and think about squeezing the middle of your back. You can alternate front pulldowns (bring the bar to the very top of the chest) or behind the neck, just make sure you don't bring the bar down too far, use very heavy weights or push your head forward in a jerky fashion.

Performed correctly, the pull-down is a valuable addition to your exercise arsenal. The pulldown is a great way to achieve the V-taper, both for beginners and the highly trained.