Iso-Lateral Front Pulldown Grip Strength

[C_Okyen]

I traditionally use free weights and a small amount of machines for back routine and on a rare occasion use the iso-lateral machines. I have always noticed I can't do nearly as much weight on the Iso-Lateral Front Pulldown machine as the norm and in respect to the High Row machine from H.S. I believe it has to do with my grip strength, yet weighted pull-ups do not kill my grip nor does pulldowns as badly as this machine. I have asked people and they all suspect it's a grip issue caused by me pulling the weight by my wrist in stead of with the back. Any comments?

Thank You!

[Lifter]

That sounds like a likely suspect. Like Dorian, I found as my back strength increased I eventually had to resort to either straps or hooks to enable me to keep hoisting heavier and heavier poundages without my grip becoming an issue. No shame in that, after all the back is the second largest bodypart, so naturally it is capable of some monsterous weights. If it enables you to milk each set to the ultimate conclusion then it is well-warranted.

[MichaelJohn]

I have experience with that machine. Not only does it have grip circumference that is larger than a barbell or otherwise which would have you squeezing it (the machine) tighter, it is also in the mechanics of the machine that makes the difference.

When you do your chins, or your pulldowns on a cable machine there is only one rotational axis...your shoulder. But the source of resistance and it's moving force (you) in this conventional version of the exercise moves in a relatively and unobstructed straight line. You are allowed to sway your body on chins or move the cable up or down a little with no added resistance.

However, on the H.S. machine there 2 rotational axis...the added one is on the shoulder pin on the machine. The source of resistance remains in a fixed arc around this axis. But the moving force (you) needs to move in a straight line against this arc...this adds a little more resistance than the weight alone. Depending on your height adjustment of the seat, somewhere along the path of the machine arc you will be pulling in a direction with more force toward yourself rather than more downward and thus reducing the amount of leverage against the weight and more of it in a straight line against the handles and machine structure. That would put more stress on your grip than it takes otherwise to keep the resistance moving in exactly the direction you pull it.
Try sitting at a lower position.

[williamsmith]

I have experience with that machine. Not only does it have grip circumference that is larger than a barbell or otherwise which would have you squeezing it tighter.

[alexdenipaul]

I’m personal trainer Mike Coangelo. I’m here at Fit for Life Training Studio in Glassboro, New Jersey on behalf of Expert Village. We’re going to go over, in this clip, how to do a V-bar pull down. What you want to do is you want to approach the bar like so. There are two handles to it. You sit in your seat. What you want to do is get your feet in front of you. You’re going to be looking right up at the bar. So what you want to do is angle your back just a little bit back , so that when you bring the bar down , it’ll hit your chest. So you bring it down, squeeze your shoulder blades together, come up slowly, let them separate, come down slowly, and squeeze.