Shoulder Pain on the Lat Pulldown: Causes, Fixes and a Plan

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999: you suddenly can't fully lift both arms and keep them there, because of weakness or numbness in one arm, especially if one side of your face droops or you slur your words or sound confused. It could be a stroke. Call even if the signs have stopped.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden weakness lifting the arm after an injury or fall. A rotator cuff tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral to a shoulder specialist. After a dislocation in anyone over 40, the rotator cuff should be checked: about 40% have a tear.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): a sudden pop or snap with pain at the shoulder or upper arm during a lift, with or without a bulge low in the upper arm. It's usually a torn long head of the biceps. Most need no operation, but the rotator cuff can tear at the same time.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.
Same day: clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms, that is getting worse; problems with balance or walking since the neck pain started; or neck pain with a severe headache.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): the shoulder or arm is hot, swollen or red, or you have a high temperature (although not everyone has one) or feel unwell. A joint infection needs same-day care.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain that is getting worse or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or it is very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Your shoulder has partly or fully come out of joint, or you worry it might.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
Painful clicking or snapping at the front of the shoulder, or a feeling of something slipping there. The tendon can slip out of its groove, usually alongside a rotator cuff tear, so ask for an assessment.
A sudden pain or pop at the back of the armpit or below the shoulder blade during a hard pull, then bruising there or new weakness pulling your arm down and in: get it checked within days by a GP or sports medicine doctor, because a torn lat or teres major is rare, often missed at first, and bigger tears in athletes are sometimes repaired (our suggestion).
Not improving after a good 3 months of exercise, or the arm is clearly weak: ask for a specialist opinion.
A shoulder blade that suddenly sticks out, or new weakness lifting, pushing or carrying: see a GP. Nerve tests may be needed to find which nerve is affected and how badly.
Pain on top of the shoulder with no injury that hasn't eased after 6 to 12 weeks of changing your training: ask a GP or physiotherapist for an assessment.
A past history of cancer, an unexplained lump or swelling, weight loss, or pain that is constant and does not ease when you change position.
See a GP if you have pain and stiffness for more than a week, especially if you're over 50, it's in both shoulders (often the neck and hips too) and the stiffness lasts longer than 45 minutes in the morning. It can be polymyalgia rheumatica.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The front or outside of the shoulder and upper arm, at the top with your arms overhead, lifting the arm out or reaching behind you for a coat

Usually rotator cuff related pain, often called impingement: the commonest cause of shoulder pain. A shorter top, a lighter weight and rotator cuff work usually help.

Read: Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff pain) →A tender spot in the groove at the front of the shoulder, sometimes with a snap, worse with overhead lifting and an underhand grip

Often the long head of the biceps tendon, usually alongside the rotator cuff. A palms-facing grip often helps.

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →Deep at the back of the shoulder with the arm up and turned out, or a clunk, a dead arm or a feeling it will slip, especially behind the neck

Possibly a loose front of the shoulder (instability) or a deep pinch at the back of the joint, especially after a past dislocation or with very flexible joints. Pull to the front with a narrower grip.

Read: Shoulder dislocation and instability →On top of the shoulder, one finger on the end of the collarbone

The AC joint (acromioclavicular joint), including weightlifter's shoulder, which typically hurts with bench presses and chest flies.

Read: AC joint injury and pain →Deep clicking, catching or locking in the shoulder, sometimes after a jerk or a slip of the bar

Sometimes a tear at the top of the labrum, the rim of the socket, though labral changes are common on scans of shoulders that don't hurt.

Read: SLAP tear →The back of the armpit or below the shoulder blade after a sudden pop or sharp pain during a hard pull, then bruising there

Rarely a torn lat or teres major, which is often missed at first. Get it checked within days, as the warning signs say.

Read: Back of shoulder pain →Sudden weakness lifting the arm after a jerk, a slip or a fall

Possibly a rotator cuff tear. Get a same-day check.

Read: Rotator cuff tear →An ache around or under the shoulder blade during or after rows and pulldowns

Usually the shoulder blade muscles, sometimes the neck: shoulder blade pain is a common symptom of a trapped nerve in the neck and can come weeks before arm pain.

Read: Pain under the shoulder blade →From the neck down the arm, with pins and needles, burning or numbness, changing as you move your neck

A nerve in the neck, even if your neck doesn't hurt.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →The inside or front of the elbow rather than the shoulder, with gripping or palms-up pulling

Golfer's elbow, the ulnar nerve or the biceps tendon at the elbow. Our pull-up elbow guide covers them.

Read: Elbow pain in pull-ups →An ache in the lats, shoulders and arms a day or two after a big session, not during the pull

Muscle soreness. Muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains, especially with dark pee, need a same-day check.

Read: Shoulder pain after a workout →Mainly on pull-ups, chin-ups or dead hangs

Our pull-up guide covers the bar, grips and hanging.

Read: Shoulder pain in pull-ups →Mainly when you press overhead

Our overhead press guide covers the bar path, grip and range.

Read: Shoulder pain overhead pressing →

Understand it

What no study has counted, and what a pulldown asks of the shoulderEmerging evidence

No study counts what causes shoulder pain on the lat pulldown, and none has tested grip, range, lean or behind-the-neck pulling against pain. Even a large survey of 1,387 gym users that asked about 49 exercises had no pulldown item. So the map on this page comes from lab studies of muscle activity and shoulder position, studies of weight trainers' shoulders, trials of rotator cuff related pain and NHS pages. Reviews put up to 36% of documented resistance training injuries at the shoulder, mostly from surveys looking back.

Sitting with your thighs under the pads, you pull a bar from overhead to your upper chest with the lats (the broad muscles down the sides of your back), the teres major, the shoulder blade muscles and the biceps, then let it rise until your arms are straight. Compared with a chin-up, it moved the shoulder and the base of the neck less in a lab study. At the top your arms are fully overhead, the position that brings on rotator cuff related pain: NHS inform describes pain in the upper arm with activities that involve lifting the arm above shoulder level. The gap under the acromion (the bony roof of the shoulder) is narrowest with the arm high: in 12 volunteers it shrank from about 7.0 mm with the arm 30 degrees out to 3.9 mm at 120 degrees, measured without a weight.

Pulling behind the neck adds a "high-five" position, with the upper arm out to the side and turned back, and people with less shoulder range have to bend the neck forward to let the bar pass.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Where it hurts sorts the causesEmerging evidence

NHS inform calls subacromial (rotator cuff related) pain the most common reason for shoulder pain; it hurts in the upper arm with lifting the arm above shoulder level and reaching behind the back. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says biceps tendon pain is felt at the front of the shoulder and worsens with overhead lifting; palms-back grips work the biceps harder in chin-ups, so a sore biceps tendon often complains with underhand pulldowns (our reading).

In 20 weightlifters with a hidden looseness at the front of the shoulder, the pain came with the arm out to the side and turned back, the position of a behind-the-neck pulldown; 13 of 23 shoulders settled with rehabilitation and a change of technique, and all 20 went back to lifting. A deep pinch at the back of the joint (internal impingement) is linked with subtle looseness and is treated without surgery first. Pain on top, at the end of the collarbone, is the AC joint; weightlifter's shoulder there typically hurts with bench presses and chest flies. Labral tears at the top of the socket are linked with overhead sport and are treated first with physiotherapy.

Tears of the lat or teres major are rare, mostly in overhead athletes, but have been reported in weightlifters and CrossFit athletes: sudden pain, sometimes a pop, then bruising or swelling in the back of the armpit and weakness pulling the arm down and in. One 55-year-old bodybuilder tore his lat tendon during a pull-up; no reported case names the pulldown machine. Shoulder blade pain was reported in 72% of studies of a trapped nerve in the neck, sometimes weeks before arm pain.

Sources 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Behind the neck: what the evidence does and doesn't sayEmerging evidence

Three small lab studies agree that it adds nothing for the lats. A wide grip to the front drew the most lat activity of four hand positions in 10 men; lat activity was the same with front, behind-the-neck and V-bar pulldowns in 24 trained men, whose authors concluded that the behind-the-neck version "is not a good lat pull-down technique and should be avoided"; and in 14 trained men the front version drew more activity in the main muscles, and they lifted about 15% less behind the neck (59.3 kg against 70.0 kg for 8 reps). Those are muscle activity reasons, not injury data.

The only study linking it to the shoulder found more signs of a loose front of the shoulder in 123 weight trainers than in 36 men who didn't lift, associated with behind-the-neck pulldowns and military presses, and fewer in those who trained their outward rotators. It was a snapshot of healthy men, so it can't show cause, and its authors called for trials. A 2026 review says the case against behind-the-neck pulldowns rests on reasoning about joint position, not measured injuries, and one lab group would build up to it in people with enough range. So "never safe" overstates it; "no reason to do it while your shoulder hurts" fits the evidence.

Sources 21, 22, 7, 14, 23, 8

The top of the pull, and why stopping a little short may helpEmerging evidence

At the top, with the arms fully overhead, the gap under the acromion is smallest, and the rotator cuff tendon normally touches the rim of the socket: at about 123 degrees of arm elevation in 20 shoulder models built from scans, and in all 37 people without symptoms filmed with a moving X-ray. That contact appears normal; no one has measured it under load on a pulldown.

Stopping a little short of a full overhead stretch while the shoulder is sore is our inference from these studies, not a tested treatment. It costs the lats little: in a held pull-down, lat activity fell as the arm rose from 60 to 120 degrees, and pulling down with the arm at shoulder height widened the space under the acromion in 20 healthy volunteers (enough to matter only in the men). At the bottom, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) stops the pull when the elbows stop moving down and start moving back, because pulling further "places additional stresses into the shoulder joint".

Sources 6, 24, 25, 26, 27, 3

What a scan shows, and when it mattersStrong evidence

Not at first, for an ache at the front or outside of the shoulder. In 96 people without shoulder pain, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed rotator cuff tears in 34% (54% of those over 60), and across 30 studies (6,112 shoulders) cuff changes rose from 9.7% of people aged 20 and under to 62% at 80 and over, whether or not they hurt. An NHS trust leaflet says scans are not needed in most cases, and that what they find often doesn't explain the pain.

A scan matters after a dislocation, which needs hospital treatment; for sudden weakness after an injury, a possible cuff tear; for a suspected lat or teres major tear, where MRI grades the tear (in one series, bigger tears treated without surgery often failed); and for pain that isn't settling after about 3 months of good rehabilitation.

Sources 28, 29, 30, 31, 9, 17

How it usually goesStrong evidence

In 349 people with new shoulder pain in Dutch general practice, 23% had recovered at 1 month and 59% at a year, faster after overuse or a slight injury and slower with neck pain or severe pain during the day. Across 16 cohort studies, only about half of new episodes fully recovered within 6 months. These are general shoulder pain figures, not lifters'.

The NHS says shoulder pain can take 6 months or longer to recover, and NHS inform expects new pain to begin to settle within 6 weeks. An NHS trust leaflet says it may take up to 12 weeks before exercise makes a big change. All 20 weightlifters with hidden looseness went back to lifting. No one can promise a date.

Sources 32, 33, 9, 34, 30, 12

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Grip width: it matters less than gym lore saysEmerging evidence

In 15 men, grips of 1, 1.5 and 2 times shoulder width gave similar lat, trapezius and infraspinatus activity, with slightly less weight lifted at the widest (77.3 kg against about 80 kg for 6 reps). In 40 men with at least 5 years' training, seven grips (wide, narrow, palms forward, palms back, palms facing and two with a lean) worked the lats the same, and in 12 men grip width didn't change lat activity. A 2026 review calls the effects of grip width inconsistent.

So the grip that doesn't hurt is the right one: usually shoulder width, or palms facing, which a coaching article from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) calls often the most shoulder-friendly. None of these studies measured pain.

Sources 35, 36, 37, 23, 38

The palm-up grip: "the safest" in one handout, harder on the cuff in lab studiesMixed evidence

A hospital handout for lifters says pulldowns should be done "in front of the head, to the chest, with a medium width (not wide) grip" and that the "palm-up grip is the safest". Lab studies of pull-ups point the other way for a sore front of the shoulder: an underhand grip starts the shoulder turned far out, a shoulder model found it asks proportionally more of the rotator cuff, and chin-ups work the biceps harder than pull-ups.

Neither claim has been tested against pain, and none of the studies used a pulldown machine. Use whichever grip doesn't hurt; with pain at the front of the shoulder, try palms facing before palms up.

Sources 39, 40, 41, 11, 38

Exercise is the treatment for rotator cuff related painStrong evidence

In 102 people with long-standing rotator cuff related pain on a surgery waiting list, 12 weeks of specific rotator cuff and shoulder blade exercises gave a good result in 69% against 24% with general exercise, and fewer chose surgery (20% against 63%). In 708 UK adults with a new rotator cuff problem, one physiotherapy session of advice with a home programme did as well over a year as up to six sessions of progressive exercise.

Progressive, resisted exercise did better than placebo or nothing by about 15 points out of 100 in a low-certainty review of 7 trials, and a single self-managed exercise, 3 sets of 10 to 15 twice a day with pain that is no worse once you stop, did about as well as usual physiotherapy in 86 people. NHS trust leaflets ask for exercises most days and build from 20 to 30 second holds to light raises, side-lying outward rotation (4 sets of 6 to 8) and rows (3 sets of 6 to 8), and NHS inform starts at 2 to 3 repetitions at a time, building to a maximum of 2 sets of 15. Most people in these trials were middle-aged, not lifters, and none was about the pulldown.

Sources 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 30, 47, 48

Weight trainers' shoulders and outward rotator strengthEmerging evidence

In studies of recreational weight trainers, training the outward rotators of the shoulder went with fewer signs of a loose shoulder (159 men) and of impingement (77 men), and lifters with impingement signs had weaker outward rotators and lower trapezius than lifters without (55 men). These are snapshots, so they show an association, not that the exercises prevent pain. They are why the plan keeps rotator cuff work going.

Sources 14, 49, 50

Injections and surgeryStrong evidence

A steroid injection under the acromion gave a modest benefit at 8 weeks and none over a year in 708 UK adults, and a Cochrane review of 26 trials found any benefit small and not well maintained. Decompression surgery did no better than a placebo operation in 313 people.

A complete tear of the long head of the biceps shows as a "Popeye" bulge in the upper arm; our biceps tendinitis guide covers when surgery is considered. Lat and teres major tears are usually managed without surgery, though bigger tears in athletes may be repaired.

Sources 43, 51, 52, 17, 10

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, back to where it was by your next sessionEmerging evidence

This guide uses the shoulder hub's rule, as our pull-up, bench press and dips guides do. During shoulder strengthening, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable, and a little is expected. By your next session it should be back to where it was before. If it isn't, use a lighter band or weight or a smaller range next time, not nothing. It comes from the trial of 102 people above, whose patients were not allowed to go above 5 out of 10 but were encouraged to feel some pain, with any rise settled before the next session or the load came down. NHS inform's shoulder exercises call 4 to 5 out of 10 acceptable pain and want it no worse the morning after, and in long-lasting pain, exercise into some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise (7 trials, 385 people). An NHS trust leaflet says some pain while exercising is normal and expected if it settles shortly after. A hospital handout for lifters is stricter: don't work through pain in the shoulder joint.

For pulldowns (our suggestion, built on the same rule): judge each set by its last reps, and use the step of the plan (rows and a pull-down from shoulder height, front pulldowns with a shorter top, full pulldowns, then one-arm, straight-arm and underhand versions), the grip and the height the bar rises to where those reps stay at 5 out of 10 or less and the shoulder is back to its usual level by your next session. If it isn't, go back one step, not to nothing.

A burn in the lats is fine. A sharp pinch at the top or front of the shoulder, a catch or a feeling of slipping means stop that position. A pop, bruising in the armpit, sudden weakness, chest pain or pins and needles that don't go away aren't pain-rule questions: see the warning signs.

Sources 42, 48, 53, 30, 39

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep pulling, below shoulder height

About the first 2 weeks, rotator cuff work most days and pulling 2 or 3 times a week: keep the lats and upper back working without the arms going overhead, and start the rotator cuff and shoulder blade work the trials used. With a diagnosed condition (a rotator cuff tear, a dislocation or a loose shoulder, a labral tear, biceps tendon pain, a torn lat), that guide's plan comes first; after surgery, your surgical team's plan does.

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, light band, elbow at your side, twice a day, within the pain rule · The Holmgren trial's sets, repetitions and frequency. If 15 hurts, start with NHS inform's 2 to 3 at a time

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Seated band pull-down (from shoulder height) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated band pull-down (from shoulder height)Beginner · A band + An anchor point + A bench or box

3 sets of 8, the band set so the reps don't hurt, pulling down from shoulder height, not from overhead · The move page's dose (a shoulder programme for wheelchair users): the pulldown's movement without the overhead start

Harder: Straight-arm pulldown

Chest-supported dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 6 to 8, holding 2 s at the top, palms facing in · An NHS trust leaflet's dumbbell row dose (North Cheshire and Mersey), as our pull-up guide uses it

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, thumbs up, to shoulder height, lowering slowly · The Holmgren trial's sets and repetitions, as in our pull-up guide

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Move on when: Daily life and the stage 1 moves pass the pain rule for a week, and you can lift your arms overhead with no more than mild pain (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Bring the pulldown back, to the front, with a shorter top

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 pulling sessions a week: front pulldowns with the grip that doesn't hurt, the bar rising a little further each week, and stronger outward rotators and shoulder blade muscles.

V-bar pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoV-bar pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 8 to 12 to the top of the chest, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, the bar rising only as far as stays within the pain rule · As in our pull-up guides (editorial); palms facing

Harder: Pull-up

Shoulder-width lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoShoulder-width lat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 10, to the collarbone · The dose our shoulder impingement guide gives the pulldown to the front (editorial); a shoulder-width bar

Harder: Pull-up

Machine high row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoMachine high rowBeginner · Strength machine

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose: a pull from above and in front, between a row and a pulldown

Harder: Bent-over dumbbell row, palms in

Side-lying dumbbell external rotation (on a bench) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying dumbbell external rotation (on a bench)Beginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

8 to 15 reps, working up to 3 sets, with a light dumbbell · The move page's dose (an NHS Ayrshire and Arran leaflet)

Easier: Standing band external rotation · Harder: Incline reverse fly with external rotation

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 rounds of 8 of each shape · As in our pull-up guide (editorial)

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, once a day · The Holmgren trial moved to once a day from week 8; doing it sooner here is our suggestion

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Move on when: 3 sets of 10 to 12 front pulldowns with a palms-facing or shoulder-width grip, the bar rising to straight arms, pass the pain rule for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Full pulldowns, then your usual back day

From about week 6, often later: your usual pulldowns at a normal load, one change at a time by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to pulldowns after shoulder pain, so the order is editorial.

Lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, a little wider than your shoulders, to the upper chest · The dose our lat pulldown guide takes from full-body gym workout A (editorial); add about 5% to 10% at a time, as a hospital handout advises

Harder: Pull-up

One-arm lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoOne-arm lat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side · Our lat pulldown guide's starting point (editorial)

Harder: Pull-up

Straight-arm pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStraight-arm pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 · Our lat pulldown guide's starting point (editorial). Leave it for now if the top of the arc pinches

Easier: Seated band pull-down (from shoulder height) · Harder: Pull-up

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

3 sets of 12 to 15 · As in our bench press and dips guides (editorial)

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Cable external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable external rotationBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, twice a week, kept going · Editorial: the trials' rotator cuff work as a habit. Outward rotator training went with fewer shoulder signs in weight trainers (an association)

Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Underhand close-grip lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoUnderhand close-grip lat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, last, once the front of the shoulder has settled · The move page's dose

Harder: Band-assisted pull-up

Move on when: Your usual pulldown sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. Keeping the rotator cuff work twice a week is our suggestion, and if it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your pulldown for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show all of these. They come from ACE, NASM, a hospital handout and small lab studies; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the pulldown for shoulder pain.

1. Pull to the top or middle of your chest, in front of your head, never behind the neck while it's sore. The front version works the lats as well or better, and a hospital handout says the same.
2. Grip shoulder width or a little wider, or a V-bar with palms facing: whichever doesn't hurt. Leave the very wide grip for later, and with pain at the front of the shoulder, the underhand grip too.
3. The bottom: stop the pull when your elbows stop moving down and start moving back, as ACE teaches.
4. The top: let the bar rise under control, a little short of a full overhead stretch while it's sore, and build the range back over the weeks (our suggestion; the space under the acromion is smallest with the arms high).
5. Shoulders down first, a lean back of no more than about 30 degrees, chin tucked, no shrugging.
6. Lighter, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, adding 5% to 10% at a time only after a session that passed the pain rule, as the hospital handout advises.
7. At the end of a set, stand up with the bar or guide it up slowly rather than letting the stack yank your arms up (our lat pulldown guide's step).
8. Pulling down is part of the treatment: a pull-down with the arm at shoulder height widened the space under the acromion in healthy volunteers, which is why the plan starts there.

Sources 3, 39, 35, 36, 38, 11, 6, 27

Keep using the arm

The NHS says "do not completely stop using your shoulder", because this can stop it getting better, and "do not make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment" while it hurts; try shoulder exercises for 6 to 8 weeks to stop the pain coming back. A wrapped pack of frozen peas or a wrapped hot water bottle for up to 20 minutes a few times a day can ease it.

Everyday life comes back alongside the plan: reach up to shelves and put a coat on slowly while the front of the shoulder is sore, carry shopping close to your body, sleep on the other side with a pillow under the sore arm (editorial), and swim the strokes that don't hurt (editorial). Climbing and other overhead sport come back last (editorial).

Some shoulder pain isn't the shoulder. Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, can be a heart attack: call 999.

Sources 9, 5, 10, 54

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how pulldowns come back after shoulder pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. One change at a time: the range at the top, then reps, then load, then a wider grip, then the underhand grip.
2. Add load in steps of about 5% to 10% after a session that passed the pain rule.
3. Behind-the-neck pulldowns: leave them out while it's sore, and for good if they bring the pain back; the front version trains the same muscles. If you want them back, only once you can hold the bar behind your head without bending your neck forward, light and last.
4. Pull-ups and chin-ups follow our pull-up guide.
5. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing.

Sources 39, 22, 7

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Behind-the-neck pulldowns while it's sore	No extra lat work, about 15% less weight and more shoulder range needed in lab studies, and they went with loose-shoulder signs in weight trainers.	Pull to the front, to the upper chest.Try: Shoulder-width lat pulldown
A very wide grip on the lat pulldown	No more lat activity and a little less weight, and wide grips put the shoulder up and turned out in pull-up studies.	Shoulder width, or a V-bar with palms facing.Try: V-bar pulldown
Underhand pulldowns with pain at the front of the shoulder	More biceps work, and the shoulder starts turned far out, in lab studies of pull-ups and chin-ups.	A V-bar with palms facing.Try: V-bar pulldown
Pulling the bar low onto your chest with your shoulders rolled forward	ACE stops the pull when the elbows stop moving down and start moving back.	Stop at the upper chest.
Letting the stack yank your arms up, or long stretches at the top	The space under the acromion is smallest with the arms high (our inference).	A controlled, slightly shorter top.
Leaning far back and swinging the weight down	It turns the pull into a heave; ACE keeps the lean under about 30 degrees.	A small, fixed lean.
Sets to failure and heavy singles	A hospital handout advises against training to the point of failure.	Stop 2 or 3 reps short.
Long dead hangs to "open the shoulder"	No study shows they treat rotator cuff pain, and the space under the acromion is smallest overhead.	Rotator cuff work.Try: Standing band external rotation
Resting the arm completely	The NHS says this can stop the shoulder getting better.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Band row
Pulling through a clunk, a dead arm or a feeling of slipping	It can mean the shoulder is loose.	Stop that position and get it checked.

Routines to follow

Lat workout: pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns and rows (gym)

A gym lat workout: lat pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns, one-arm cable pulls and a row with your elbows close, with sets, reps, rest and easier options.

40 minIntermediate8 movesPull-up bar, A cable machine

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

Pull day workout B

Pull day B: cable rows, lat pulldowns, one-arm dumbbell rows, reverse flyes, incline curls and back extensions, with sets, reps and rest.

50 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A cable machine

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

Pull-up progression workout

Work up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.

25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A step

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my shoulder hurt on the lat pulldown?

At the top your arms are fully overhead, the position that brings out rotator cuff pain, and the space under the bony roof of the shoulder is smallest there. Where it hurts is the best clue: the front or outside points to the rotator cuff, a spot at the front to the biceps tendon, and deep at the back with a feeling of slipping to a loose shoulder.

Why does the front of my shoulder hurt on pulldowns?

Usually the rotator cuff or the long head of the biceps, which the AAOS says hurts with overhead lifting. Try a palms-facing grip, a shorter top and a lighter weight. A pop with a bulge in the upper arm needs a same-day check.

Are behind-the-neck pulldowns bad for your shoulders?

No study has counted injuries from them, but they work the lats no better than pulling to the front, need more shoulder range, and weight trainers who did them more often had signs of a loose shoulder. While your shoulder hurts there's no reason to do them.

What grip is best for a sore shoulder?

The one that doesn't hurt, usually shoulder width or palms facing. Grips from 1 to 2 times shoulder width, and seven different grips in another study, worked the lats about the same. One handout calls the palm-up grip the safest, but lab studies suggest it asks more of the rotator cuff and biceps.

Should I stop doing lat pulldowns?

Change them rather than stop pulling: rows and a pull-down from shoulder height first, then front pulldowns with a shorter top, keeping pain at 5 out of 10 or less and back to normal by your next session. The NHS says don't stop using the shoulder completely.

How far should I pull the bar down?

To the top or middle of your chest, in front of your head. ACE stops the pull when your elbows stop moving down and start moving back.

Why does it hurt at the top, when my arms are straight?

That is the overhead position where rotator cuff pain shows and the space under the acromion is smallest. For now, let the bar rise a little short of a full stretch and build the range back over the weeks; that is our suggestion rather than a tested treatment.

Why does the back of my armpit hurt after pulldowns?

Usually tired or sore lats. A sudden pop or sharp pain there during a heavy pull, then bruising or weakness pulling down, can rarely be a torn lat or teres major and needs checking within days.

Is the lat pulldown better than pull-ups for a sore shoulder?

It lets you choose the load, and it moved the shoulder and neck less than a chin-up in a lab study, so it is a good step back towards pull-ups. Our pull-up guide covers the bar.

Do I need a scan?

Not at first: rotator cuff changes are common in shoulders that don't hurt. A scan matters after a dislocation or a fall, for sudden weakness or a suspected lat tear, or for pain that isn't settling after about 3 months of rehabilitation.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. In general practice, 59% of people with new shoulder pain had recovered at a year, faster after overuse, and the NHS says it can take 6 months or longer. Many people keep doing changed pulldowns throughout.

When should I see a doctor?

Go to A&E for a shoulder that looks out of place, call 999 for chest pain that feels tight or spreads, and get a same-day check for sudden weakness, a pop with a bulge, pins and needles that don't go away or a hot, swollen shoulder. See a GP or physiotherapist if it's no better after 2 weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Shoulder pain on the lat pulldown: the front of the shoulder, behind the neck, grip and what helps

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

What no study has counted, and what a pulldown asks of the shoulderEmerging evidence

Where it hurts sorts the causesEmerging evidence

Behind the neck: what the evidence does and doesn't sayEmerging evidence

The top of the pull, and why stopping a little short may helpEmerging evidence

What a scan shows, and when it mattersStrong evidence

How it usually goesStrong evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Grip width: it matters less than gym lore saysEmerging evidence

The palm-up grip: "the safest" in one handout, harder on the cuff in lab studiesMixed evidence

Exercise is the treatment for rotator cuff related painStrong evidence

Weight trainers' shoulders and outward rotator strengthEmerging evidence

Injections and surgeryStrong evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, back to where it was by your next sessionEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Keep pulling, below shoulder height

Bring the pulldown back, to the front, with a shorter top

Full pulldowns, then your usual back day

What to change for now

Your pulldown for now (written steps)

Keep using the arm

Back to your usual training (written steps)

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Lat workout: pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns and rows (gym)

Back workout (gym)

Pull day workout B

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

Pull-up progression workout

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources