Rows Vs. Pulldowns For Back

Motion-of-the-Ocean

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I've often read the claim that any row, whether it's barbell, dumbbell or machine, is a compound exercise and used to add thickness and mass to the lats; while pulldowns are more an isolation one and used to add width to the lats and give the torso a "V shape".

I always do both, usually alternating the back with chest (presses, rows, flyes and pulldowns in that order) for a total of two exercises for each and although each one feels somewhat different on the lats and adjoining muscles (such as feeling biceps helping out more on rows), I wonder if it is really targeting different parts of the same muscle. I would think that both rows and pulldowns should serve the same function...that of working the entire latissimus dorsi and thus making the muscles stronger and bigger.

So which of these two do you prefer for back work or do you do both and why? Do you notice a difference in rows versus pulldowns either while performing them or afterwards? Does you back muscles seem to respond to one better than the other as far as growth? Or do you think this is just an example of "bro-science" and something almost every bodybuilding magazine and website treats as gospel but might not be true?

While I believe there really is merit that exercises for other muscles like chest (presses vs. flyes) can be separated into mass building and "detail work", it just seems like rows and pulldowns accomplish the same thing even if they sometimes feel different.
 

longstroke7

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I always preferred pull downs over rows, with pull downs i can "feel" the muscles in my back being worked more so than I do with rows.

However, now that I have an at home set up, to supplement the back work that I get from deadlifting, I've incorporated rows with my dumb bells and barbell since I don't have a pull down machine or pull up bar.