Everyone is always impressed by huge, defined lats, bodybuilders especially. Latissimus Dorsi (you didn’t think I knew Latin, did you?) in a competition setting can make the crowd gasp when the competitor turns arounds and flexes those gorgeous, defined back muscles.
We might not all want to look like a contest winner, but some of us sure wouldn’t mind that back definition. This article will give you a few exercises to help you get started.
Dumbbell Rows:
1. Holding a dumbbell with one arm, take your free arm and hold onto the bench for balance ? it is helpful to also let your knee on this side rest on the bench for extra support.
2. Your arm holding the dumbbell should be reaching all the way to the floor.
3. Slowly pull the dumbbell up towards your side, being careful to let your lats and elbow do all of the work here, not your biceps or the momentum of the dumbbell ? keep your elbow against your body during this.
4. Pull the weight up to your hip, hold for a moment to make the most of the muscle contractions, and then slowly return to starting position.
5. Repeat this 10-12 times before switching to the other side.
This next exercise requires the cable pulley machine. If you don’t have one be sure to try it at the gym.
Close-Grip Front Pulldowns:
1. Grip the handlebar with both hands.
2. Pull the weight down towards your torso slowly while pushing your chest forward and slightly arching your back.
3. Try to use your elbows, not your biceps to pull the weight ? this is the key to this exercise.
4. Pulling the weight to your chin, hold for a moment then slowly allow the weight to return upwards. This gives you a good stretch in the arms.
5. This exercise is a sure-fire back builder, as long as you remember to work with your elbows and not biceps (not that working out your biceps is bad, but today we?re taking lats!).
These exercises should give you a good start on building your lats into the powerhouses they can be ? or just a little more defined. Whatever your goal, keep at it and you WILL achieve it!
See ya at the gym!