Lock your arms and let your lats run the show.
Keep the elbow angle locked the whole way, no bending into a row.
Anchored overhead with your elbows locked in a soft, fixed bend, this sweeps the handles from above your head to your thighs using pure shoulder extension, the lat's signature job. Taking elbow bend off the table means the biceps cannot help, so the lats drag the arc down with the long head of the triceps assisting from the back of the arm. It is the cleanest way to feel your lats work in isolation, which makes it both a back builder and the fix for anyone who only ever feels rows in their arms.
The lat pulldown bends the elbows, so the biceps share the work. The straight-arm version locks the elbow angle, removing the biceps and forcing the lats to move the arc alone, less weight, far more direct lat tension.
Some triceps involvement is normal, the long head crosses the shoulder and assists extension. If the triceps dominate, you are probably pressing the band down by extending your elbows, freeze the elbow angle and sweep from the shoulders only.
As high as possible so your lats start under stretch with arms extended overhead. Stand back far enough that the band is taut at the top, lean slightly forward, and sweep the handles to your thighs in one long arc.
