For lat growth
For lat growth, lat pulldown rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch, easier on the joints.
Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Lat Pulldown. Full overhead stretch for the lats and microloadable from day one.
Seated Cable Row. A stable, easily loaded row. Let the shoulders reach forward at the start to load the back in its stretch.
For swimming, lat pulldown rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to swimming.
For lat growth, lat pulldown rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch, easier on the joints. Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Lat pulldown needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Seated cable row needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Lat pulldown: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for seated cable row.