Grip width and forearm orientation significantly influence muscle activation patterns during lat pulldown exercises. For instance, a 2002 EMG study by Signorile et al. compared four grip variations—wide-anterior pronated, wide-posterior pronated, close pronated, and supinated—and found that the wide-anterior pronated grip elicited the highest latissimus dorsi activation during both concentric and eccentric phases. This suggests that grip shape can directly influence which muscles are most engaged during pulling movements
Studies sources:
Grip width and forearm orientation effects on muscle activity during the lat pull-down
A comparative electromyographical investigation of muscle utilization patterns using various hand positions during the lat pull-down
Effects of Grip Width on Muscle Strength and Activation in the Lat Pull-Down
