angle on lat pulldowns

[eat big]

so when i do lat pulldowns, im sitting straight up, i dont move back at all and i pull the bar to my upper chest. i see these other people who lean back so far when they pull. its almost as if they are doing a wide grip row, instead of a pulldown. but the thing is they have some size to them. which way is correct, leaning back or straight up?

 

[bignate73]

i lean back slightly, to move my face out of the way of the bar. the main thing you want to avoid is your shoulders internally rotating. example, when you pull the bar, it your elbows should move in the same direction as the cable/bar is traveling. it should form a straight line. alot of people move the bar at any cost and the bar travels down and their elbows drift back, while their hands continue down. concurrently they tend to also round their back and "crunch" slightly. this is compensation. a strong lat pulldown you have your abs lengthened slightly and the movement should be as if someone is pulling you at the elbows. think of strings on your elbows and the motion is mostly in the upper back/shoulder blades.

 

[eat big]

yeah i move back slightly too so i can pull it down to my upper chest. i do make a straight line down. my elbows move in towards my lats so that when im touching my chest with the bar they (elbows) are almost touching my lats, almost. im almost 1005 sure im doing them right now bc it is like strings are attached to my elbows. i use my shoulder blades a lot too like you said. good reply, thanks man, i was just wondering if it was ok to move back bc i see most people moving so far back that they are at a 140 degree anlge with the seat, whereas it should be about 90 or just above. good reply. k to you