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Seated Lat Press

Both Repertoire Beginner Upper Body & Arms

Seated arm press from the armpits: with the arms long at the sides of the body and the elbows only softly bent, the shoulder blades glide down and back so the latissimus dorsi sends the arms back toward the hips against the springs. Unlike the seated rows, nothing rows past the ribs — the elbows stay long and the work stays at the top of the armpit.

Seated Lat Press — Reformer schematicSide-view Reformer schematic for Seated Lat Press. The drawing labels: lats, press. Teal arrows show the direction of movement. Dashed lines are the straps, running to the pulley riser at the foot end. Setup: Reformer, 1 medium or 1 light spring, Footbar Medium, Headrest —.latspress
  • Body
  • Reformer
  • Strap
  • Movement
Schematic — Seated Lat Press Reformer · 1 medium or 1 light spring · Footbar Medium · Headrest —

Apparatus Setup

Reformer

Spring Tension 1 medium or 1 light spring
Footbar Position Medium What this means →
Headrest —

Target Muscles

Transverse Abdominis (Secondary)Latissimus Dorsi (Primary)Triceps (Primary)Trapezius (Secondary)Serratus Anterior (Secondary)

Setup Instructions

Sit tall on the carriage facing the footbar with the legs extended long toward the shoulder rests, a strap in each hand and the arms hanging long at the sides of the body, palms facing down and in. Set the shoulder blades back and down with the ribs stacked over the pelvis, keep a soft bend in the elbows, and take out the slack without moving the arms. The springs pull the straps forward toward the footbar, so the whole press travels away from that pull — the carriage never moves.

Execution Instructions

  1. Inhale to reach tall through the crown and let the shoulder blades settle down the back.
  2. Exhale to press the arms down and back toward the hips, starting at the armpits so the shoulder blades glide down and back and the upper arms travel a few inches past the line of the ribs; keep the elbows soft and let the lats do the work, not the triceps.
  3. Inhale to release the arms forward to the starting position with control, resisting the springs the whole way.
  4. The travel is small, the hands never rise above the hips, and the trunk stays tall and still — only the arms and the shoulder blades move.

Teaching Cues

Integration

"Press from the armpits first — the shoulder blades glide down and back, and the lats send the arms toward the hips, not the elbows bending."

Form

"Keep the elbows only softly bent and the arms long at the sides of the body — the upper arms travel past the ribs and the hands never rise above the hips."

Alignment

"Grow tall through the crown and keep the ribs stacked over the pelvis so the trunk stays still while the arms work."

Control

"Resist the springs on the way forward and take out the slack before each press, so the arms never snap back to the start."

Modifications & Progressions

Lighter Spring (Regression)

Drop to one light spring so the lats can find the press without the shoulders taking over.

Pause at the End Range (Progression)

Hold the arms at the end of the press for two breaths before releasing forward, keeping the ribs down.

Shorter Range (Injury Modification)

Press only as far as the shoulder stays comfortable, keeping the elbows soft and the shoulder blades low.