The Best Workout for Your Lats
Feeling insecure about your lats? You’re not alone! This article examines the best exercises to target this muscle group and help you look and feel your best. So, if you’re ready to shape up, let’s get started!
Quick facts: Best Workout For Your Lats
Warm-up
Warming up before engaging in a workout is essential for maximum performance and injury prevention. It is important to stretch and warm up all the relevant muscles of the lats prior to starting the workout. A proper warm-up can help to increase blood flow to the target muscles, prime the central nervous system, improve coordination and speed, and reduce the risk of strains and sprains.
Let’s take a look at the best warm-up exercises for the lats:
Foam rolling
Foam rolling is a type of self-myofascial release (SMR) that can aid in the recovery and mobility of the lats. Foam rolling involves applying pressure to specific areas, such as the latissimus dorsi, with the help of a foam roller. This helps to reduce tension in the muscle and regain range of motion, allowing for better performance during exercise.
Foam rolling can be done as part of an active warm-up routine to increase circulation, flexibility, and potential for better performance in movements that involve stretching or compressing the lats. It can also help increase overall range of motion in order to improve strength and endurance while exercising.
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching is a type of active stretching which is designed to increase range of motion and flexibility while also preparing the body for physical activity. Many athletes use dynamic stretches as part of their warm-up routine before they begin their workout session.
During dynamic stretching, particular muscles move through a range of motions that gradually become bigger and cover more space. This can help to strengthen and improve the flexibility and coordination of your lats prior to physical activity.
Dynamic stretching helps reduce fatigue by preparing the muscles for activity, can improve agility and performance, as well as reduce muscle tension, tightness, and stiffness post-workout. Some of the benefits of dynamic stretching include:
- Reducing fatigue
- Improving agility and performance
- Reducing muscle tension, tightness, and stiffness post-workout
Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are great for targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time and can offer more bang for your buck in terms of time and effort. This makes them ideal for targeting the lats and other muscles in the upper body.
Let’s take a look at which compound exercises are the best for targeting your lats:
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are compound exercises that focus on the lats, biceps, and forearms. Pull-ups target your lats (latissimus dorsi, a large muscle found in the lower back and sides of the torso) and can help strengthen them over time. Additionally, pull-ups require you to engage other muscles such as your biceps and forearms in order to lift your body weight up.
When performing a pull-up exercise, it is important to keep your back straight and form correct posture in order to get the most out of each rep. You should:
- Grip the pull-up bar with an overhand grip which is wider than shoulder width apart for a traditional pull up or closer for a chin up,
- Then drive your elbows down as you draw your chest toward the bar.
Barbell rows
Barbell rows are a compound exercise that targets the lats and upper back, among other muscle groups. This exercise can be done with just one barbell by bending over so your torso is parallel to the ground. You then grip the barbell with both hands in an overhand grip and pull it up towards your chest. The range of motion for this movement should bring the barbell up to your lower chest or slightly above it, depending on your fitness level and comfort.
For beginners, we recommend using an empty barbell or light weight to start off. As you become more comfortable with this exercise, you can gradually increase the weight and reps to challenge yourself further.
Other variations of this exercise include:
- Bent-over two-arm dumbbell rows
- Single arm bent-over rows with either a dumbbell or kettle bell.
Dumbbell rows
Dumbbell rows, also called bent-over rows, are a great compound exercise for strengthening your lats. The exercise primarily works your lats, but also effectively works other muscles in the back like the rhomboids and traps.
To do a dumbbell row, start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight as you hinge at the hips to lean forward until you’re almost parallel to the ground. Keep one arm extended with its palm facing in, while lowering the other hand towards the ground with its palm facing out. Exhale by squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull up on that arm to return it to its starting position. Repeat on both sides for an equal amount of reps before resting.
Dumbbell rows can be challenging but if done properly can yield great results for improving core strength and stability for everyday movements as well as overall body composition.
Isolation Exercises
Isolation exercises are one of the best ways to target specific muscle groups like the lats or latissimus dorsi. These exercises involve only moving a single joint and focusing on an isolated muscle group, allowing you to really work the lats and shape them the way you want. Isolation exercises are great for building strength, but they can also help increase definition and size.
Let’s take a look at the best isolation exercises for your lats:
Lat pull-downs
Lat pull-downs are an classic isolation exercise for targeting the lats (your back muscles). This exercise is performed using a cable machine to pull a bar down from a high pulley. It can also be done using dumbbells, resistance bands, or a lat pull-down machine.
By doing the lat pull-down, you will work your lats and teres major muscle. The primary muscles involved are your lats, trapezius (upper back), rhomboids (shoulder blades), and posterior deltoids (rear shoulder). Once you master lat pull-downs you can work on more advanced variations such as wide grip lat pull-downs and reverse grip lat pull downs.
Lat pull downs should be included in any workout routine that focuses on strengthening the back muscles. It’s important to maintain proper form by sitting upright during the exercise and keeping your elbows close to your body as you lower the bar behind your head. Incorporating this exercise into your routine will help make sure you have strong and healthy lats!
Cable rows
Cable rows are an excellent isolation exercise for building the lats and upper back. This exercise requires a cable pull-down machine, which is equipped with a pulley system, plate stack weights, and a handlebar or rope. The cables come in different varieties such as single handle, dual handle, rope, or straps. To do the exercise correctly while avoiding injury, ensure that you maintain proper posture throughout the movement by keeping your chest up and your back slightly arched.
The purpose of the cable row is to target the muscles in your lats and upper back: mainly your latissimus dorsi (back) and teres major (shoulder). This exercise also works other muscles like your rhomboids (middle back), traps (neck), and biceps. Cable rows are great isolation exercises as they help to focus on specific muscles without involving other muscle groups too much; this is beneficial for those looking to specifically strengthen their lats or upper backs.
Seated cable rows
The seated cable row is a popular exercise used to strengthen and develop the muscles of the back, specifically the latissimus dorsi – or “lats” – which are large triangular muscles located around the mid-back and are primarily responsible for pulling motions.
The seated cable row mimics these motions, using a weight stack to provide resistance as you pull against it. The exercise can be performed with either an assisted pulldown machine or a low pulley weight stack machine depending on your facility. However, either machine will allow you to use different handle positions and attachment types (e.g., straight bar or triceps rope) to further challenge your muscles as you pull in varying directions and levels of difficulty.
As with any exercise, proper form is essential in order to achieve maximum results. Proper form includes:
- sitting up straight with shoulders back and feet flat on the floor for stability,
- maintaining tension in your abdominals throughout the motion,
- focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together during each rep, and
- avoiding jerking movements that may cause injury if done excessively or improperly.
Finisher
Finishers are an effective way to maximize your lats workout and give you the results you want. Finishers are typically set at the end of a workout and are designed to really fatigue the muscle, boost your metabolism and give you an extra burn. It is important to understand the type of intensity you should be aiming for and the variety of exercises you can use to finish your workout.
Let’s explore the best finishers for working out your lats:
Face-pulls
Face-pulls are a great lat exercise that works to strengthen the muscles of the back and promote overall shoulder health. To perform a face-pull, you’ll need an adjustable cable pulley. Stand facing away from the pulley, hold the handle with both hands and pull towards your face with your elbows tucked into your sides. This motion works to contract the muscles of your upper back, engaging your lats and traps.
To make the exercise more challenging, squeeze at the end of each rep for two seconds or set a lower pulley weight that requires you to use more force than usual. Face-pulls are a great finisher for any upper body or back workout because they help lengthen and relax tight muscles which can reduce posture issues and improve scapular mobility.
Band pull-aparts
Band pull-aparts are an excellent lat finisher exercise for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts looking to complete their workout. This exercise is often used as a warm-up or cool-down routine, but can be used at the end of your workout to push the limits of your lats (latissimus dorsi).
To perform a band pull-apart, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a resistance band in both hands. With arms extended outwards, slowly pull the band apart, keeping arms straight and shoulders pulled back. Return to starting position repeating 10–15 reps. Focus on pulling the shoulder blades away from each other while squeezing the shoulder blades together. This isolation exercise is designed to target your lats and can help improve posture while toning and defining this muscle group. Band pull-aparts are relatively easy to do and all you need is a light resistance band, making them great for home workouts as well!
Reverse flies
Reverse flies are a compound exercise that targets your lats, along with other muscles in your back and shoulders. This exercise requires you to use a weight like dumbbells or a weight plate, and perform slow, controlled movements. With the weight held in both hands, keep your shoulder blades retracted and arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height.
Raise the weights up and out to form a ‘T’ shape before slowly bringing them back towards your chest while squeezing your back muscles at the top of the rep. Reverse flies can help you build strength in your lats and shoulders as well as improve shoulder mobility – essential for activities like yoga or Pilates. It’s also great for activating and strengthening deep muscles around the scapula that many other exercises don’t target very well.
FAQs about: Best Workout For Your Lats
Q1: What are the best exercises for lats?
A1: The best exercises for lats are pull-ups, chin-ups, bent-over rows, and lat pull-downs.
Q2: Do lats need to be worked out?
A2: Yes, lats need to be worked out in order to maintain good posture and overall strength.
Q3: How often should I work out my lats?
A3: You should aim to work out your lats at least three times a week for best results.
