London Bridges
An intermediate compound movement that trains the lats with other equipment.
Force Type
Pull
direction of effort
Difficulty
Intermediate
training level
Variations
0
equipment swaps
Muscles
4
primary + secondary
The verdict
London Bridges has 4-step instructions, documented to a similar depth as most of the 38 lats exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 38 lats exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#483 of 868
Typical documentation depth
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#485 of 868
Typical documentation depth
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
London Bridges vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
561 483rd of 873 higher than 387 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
London Bridges is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the London Bridges Data Reveals · DOC · PULL/COMPOUND
London Bridges stands out on force direction, the first filter on this record.
A mid-length step list is enough detail to compare form without the longest upstream essays.
Across 38 catalogued lats movements, the average instruction record is 744 characters and 4.3 steps; 26 of those (68.4%) clear the same ≥500-character rich bar used here. This page ranks #22 of 38 by instruction-character length (75.4% of the cohort average).
Among the 122 exercises that also use other equipment, average instruction length is 535 characters; 43 of those peers are longer than this record. Equipment-matched peers are the honest comparison when you are choosing a substitute implement for the same pattern.
Other well-documented lats movements (same ≥500-character bar):
- Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown (6 steps, 1,588 chars)
- Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck (6 steps, 1,575 chars)
- Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown (6 steps, 1,566 chars)
- Side To Side Chins (7 steps, 1,517 chars)
- Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns (6 steps, 1,369 chars)
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
London Bridges catalog footprint
Among 38 exercises whose primary muscle is lats, London Bridges ranks #14 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for lats for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. London Bridges does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- Attach a climbing rope to a high beam or cross member. Below it, ensure that the smith machine bar is locked in place with the safeties and cannot move. Alternatively, a secure box could also be utilized.
- Stand on the bar, using the rope to balance yourself. This will be your starting position.
- Keeping your body straight, lean back and lower your body by slowly going hand over hand with the rope. Continue until you are perpendicular to the ground.
- Keeping your body straight, reverse the motion, going hand over hand back to the starting position.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) is what drives muscle tension on London Bridges, not raw speed.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the lats through its full safe range on London Bridges is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Treating a compound lift like an isolation movement - London Bridges recruits multiple joints; bracing the core and engaging stabilizers matters as much as the prime movers.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears on pull movements, keep shoulder blades down and back to load the correct muscles.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on London Bridges - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with other equipment where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People with 6+ months of consistent training who can perform basic compound lifts with good form
- People who want to train the Lats and secondarily biceps, forearms
- People who have access to other equipment
Who this is NOT for
- People hunting equipment swaps, this record has none to offer; browse the peer lats exercises for alternate patterns instead.
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once London Bridges feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to expert-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · OTHER · PULL/COMPOUND · MID
- Intermediate PULL/COMPOUND: warm up mobility matching lats before London Bridges with other equipment.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Adjust sets, reps, and rest to recovery; 4 upstream steps are a template, not a prescription.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Curated workout appearances
London Bridges is not currently featured in one of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for London Bridges, drawn across all muscles (not the lats-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Related exercises
Other exercises that target the Lats.
See all Lats exercises.
Using the london bridges
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the lats 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other lats movements for balanced development. All lats exercises
- Match the load and rep range to your goal, strength, size, or endurance each call for a different scheme. Strength vs hypertrophy
- As a compound lift, this trains several muscles at once, anchor your session around it before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.