rows for thickness - pull downs for width

[muscleman-2013]

or is that a myth?

do both exercises achieved BOTH thickness and width?

[light weight baby]

i dont think anyone really knows for sure

[Julio Ceasar]

thick lats make your back thick...pulldowns build lats, pulldowns make your back thick!

SImpel as that. Every muscle in your back will create thickness!

All people i know having weak back mostly do heavy rowing excercises...I think all form of pulldowns will give a much greater backdevelopment bcz of the full movement stretch all the way and the contract... And lots of lots of set for the upper back/rear delt. Then some stiffed deadlift normal deadlift and seatet rows with full stretch...

I think dorian motivated a lot of people doing standing barbell rows that excersise just look and feel like shit, no movement whatsoever, and 99% of folks like to put on more weight they can handle and just meet the bar with the chest...witch actually mean no back development what so ever...

[anabolicguru]

thick lats make your back thick...pulldowns build lats, pulldowns make your back thick!

SImpel as that. Every muscle in your back will create thickness!

All people i know having weak back mostly do heavy rowing excercises...I think all form of pulldowns will give a much greater backdevelopment bcz of the full movement stretch all the way and the contract... And lots of lots of set for the upper back/rear delt. Then some stiffed deadlift normal deadlift and seatet rows with full stretch...

I think dorian motivated a lot of people doing standing barbell rows that excersise just look and feel like shit, no movement whatsoever, and 99% of folks like to put on more weight they can handle and just meet the bar with the chest...witch actually mean no back development what so ever...

Don't know about that, some of the strongest bodybuilders have a really impressive back, Branch, johnnie, Ronnie, Dorian.  Thickness comes from Heavy lifting (relatively speaking), and you can lift heavy during rowing/deadlift movements,  you can't lift as heavy doing pulldowns.  It's like comparing Heavy Squats to Heavy leg extensions.

[kreator]

thick lats make your back thick...pulldowns build lats, pulldowns make your back thick!

SImpel as that. Every muscle in your back will create thickness!

All people i know having weak back mostly do heavy rowing excercises...I think all form of pulldowns will give a much greater backdevelopment bcz of the full movement stretch all the way and the contract... And lots of lots of set for the upper back/rear delt. Then some stiffed deadlift normal deadlift and seatet rows with full stretch...

I think dorian motivated a lot of people doing standing barbell rows that excersise just look and feel like shit, no movement whatsoever, and 99% of folks like to put on more weight they can handle and just meet the bar with the chest...witch actually mean no back development what so ever...

this exercise is highly effective when it's executed correctly ...scapular retraction, extension and abduction in the shoulder joint and elbow flexion are the main movements in this exercise ...first one mostly engages the middle traps and rhomboids, second one mostly lats, third one rear deltoids and the last one biceps ...but unfortunately most people put on too much weight thus their middle traps and rhomboids become too weak to pull the shoulder blades together ( scapular retraction ) which should be the number 1 goal with this exercise.

Scapular retraction (shoulder blades coming together) should be the first movement with all exercises that involve rowing. Otherwise you're just building your lats and are on a good way to fucking up your upper back posture.

[denarii]

I only ever made gains naturally lifting heavy. went backwards when I tried volume. i think pull down exercises are the best.

[falco]

If you have the genes for a thick back, it doesn't matter the exercise.

[OB1]

I only ever made gains naturally lifting heavy. went backwards when I tried volume. i think pull down exercises are the best.

Pull down exercises work well for me, too.
That and heavy rowing.

[SuperTed]

Don't know about that, some of the strongest bodybuilders have a really impressive back, Branch, johnnie, Ronnie, Dorian.  Thickness comes from Heavy lifting (relatively speaking), and you can lift heavy during rowing/deadlift movements,  you can't lift as heavy doing pulldowns.  It's like comparing Heavy Squats to Heavy leg extensions.

On the other hand you have someone like McCarver who is stronger than all the names you mentioned, yet who's back is his main weakness.
As falco has said, if you have a genetically good bodypart, it will develop nicely regardless of how you train it as long as there is a sufficient amount of stimuli.

[Henda]

Rows work both aspects just fine, I'm sure pulldowns do also I just prefer rowing personally.

[Rambone]

I feel like rows hit my lats a hell of a lot better than any pulldown or pull-up. I always thought the wide grip puts your lats in a weaker position and you end up using your rhomboids, traps, and rear delts a lot more than you you would doing rows

[Nether Animal]

Pull downs only ever seem to make my traps and rear delts sore.

[denarii]

Pull downs only ever seem to make my traps and rear delts sore.

because you are pulling diagonally not downwards and bringing those muscles in which are weaker than the lat.

[Dr Dutch]

There is no such thing as thickness vs width.....just muscle size.

[Disco187]

Barbell rows reverse grip and one arm dumbell rows hands down where the best two exercises for a all around bigger back. (proper form of course)
also rack pulls do wonders for traps. this is one exercise that seamed to work best at lower reps, heavier weight. just the soreness in my traps next day was always more prominant then any type of shrug

[Henda]

because you are pulling diagonally not downwards and bringing those muscles in which are weaker than the lat.

Yes, listen to this man his form on pulldowns is impeccable best ive seen

[delta9mda]

If you have the genes for a thick back, it doesn't matter the exercise.

nailed it. lat function is to pull the arms down and back (rowing). width is genetic structurally. make the muscles bigger you get thickness and width. hth

[8 INCH not biceps]

Pull downs only ever seem to make my traps and rear delts sore.

You are not doing it properly use a thumbless grip point your elbows straight down with a slight arch in your back and pull down to your chest, if you lean back too far you are no longer doing a pulldown you are now doing a row.

[Mr Anabolic]

thick lats make your back thick...pulldowns build lats, pulldowns make your back thick!

SImpel as that. Every muscle in your back will create thickness!

All people i know having weak back mostly do heavy rowing excercises...I think all form of pulldowns will give a much greater backdevelopment bcz of the full movement stretch all the way and the contract... And lots of lots of set for the upper back/rear delt. Then some stiffed deadlift normal deadlift and seatet rows with full stretch...

I think dorian motivated a lot of people doing standing barbell rows that excersise just look and feel like shit, no movement whatsoever, and 99% of folks like to put on more weight they can handle and just meet the bar with the chest...witch actually mean no back development what so ever...

Tried Dorian's BB rowing style and never got anything out of it.  I do much better with standard overhand grip and a 70/80 degree bent over position.  During my 32 years of training I've observed that most experienced trainers (natty) tend to get sloppy when BB rowing more than 185lbs.  Dorian's back was great due to genetics, not training style.

[Chidoman]

You are not doing it properly use a thumbless grip point your elbows straight down with a slight arch in your back and pull down to your chest, if you lean back too far you are no longer doing a pulldown you are now doing a row.

For Once, This guy has something constructive to say, and He's Right!!....

[Ron Jeremy]

Chins are superior for width (strict form). For thickness, deads, rack pulls, cleans (from the hang position) and strict rows should do the trick. The back is very hard to over train. Biceps and forearms take a beating when the back is trained intensely.

[Eric2]

To know what exercise to do for a particular muscle. One must first understand how that particular muscle works. Once one understands how the muscle works and what it does, it's function, then one can apply the appropriate exercise adaptation to the muscle. I.e stress under load per the range of motion the muscle is intended to perform. Simple as that. Get an anatomy book and study what each muscle does.