Best excercises for lats

btjac1

New member
Anyone have any opinions about the best exercises to build wide lats? I usually try to focus on wide-grip pullups (body weight and weighted) and lat pull downs, but I'm not getting as much growth as I want. I've heard that close-grip pull downs are great for building wide lats too, but it doesn't feel like it targets them to me. What do you think builds lats up the best?
 
Deadlifts

Concentrating on starting your pull with your lats... not your arms... your arms are to be just used as hooks for the lifts.

Adams
 
Heavy close grip v-bar rows hit my lats really well. I keep my arms very close to the body and lean back just a bit. I also do DB and BB bent over rows.

DAdams91982 said:
Deadlifts
your arms are to be just used as hooks for the lifts.
Adams
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I have a friend who always complained he couldn't feel his back working but also refused to stop using his biceps so much during back exercises because he couldn't lift as much then...
 
I had the best luck w/ wide grip pulldowns (to the front), but you mentioned that you already to those.

Another good one is SLOW (I mean 5 second neg AND pos) wide grip pullups behind the head. I get in about 5 of those and I'm toast.
 
Deadlifts, Barbell Rows, & pulldowns (or pull ups) are all you really need to build a wide back.

An interesting variation of pullups, was created by Vince Gironda (the trainer of the very first Mr. Olympia). Palms facing towards you, pull up (focusing on pulling with the lats) until your sternum touches the bar. I like to throw it in my workouts every once and a while. It really kills the lats.
 
dlew308 said:
will db rows do the same thing for the back?
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At least the way I perform them, DB rows and BB rows target the back differently.

I am closer to parallel w/ the ground when using DBs than I am when using a BB. I also bring the DBs in close to the side of the body, whereas w/ a BB, I use a wider grip.
 
I've never liked wide-grip pulldowns. If you look at the range of motion you're getting at the shoulder compared to the range of motion you get with close-grip pulldowns. The range is much greater with a close grip, thereby working a lot more of the muscle. But that's just me, and my preference.

Straight-arm pulldowns on a cable machine I've always loved as a finisher on lats. It's a great single-joint movement that really gets a burn on them at the end of your WO.
 
Cable pullovers at the end help. Also dumbell or barbell pullovers, but I usually do cables because I'm lazy by the end.
 
thesinner said:
I would think it'd be most beneficial to vary the angles. You start recruiting more upper back and less lats as you get more and more upright.
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I agree... varying angles wrt back work (or any other muscle) is important. I do pullups/chinups for working in a *stretch* position, DB rows for in a *mid* position, and 45 deg. BB rows for a *shortened* position.
 
Chad said:
and its not a heavy weight lift is it?
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I LOVE doing a few heavy sets at the beginning of my workout (more than farm animals). It makes for a great mass-builder. Over this past winter's bulk, I did a lot of underhand BB rows with lighter weight and less explosive motion, to really isolate the lats. Again, I'd have to say that both are a good idea.

dontknowaboutme said:
JS Rows, power cleans, pull-ups.
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What are JS Rows?
 
Years ago, I read in an interview with Dorian Yates about some of the back exercises that he did. One of the ones that he used was the lat pulldown station, but he did so with a shoulder with grip and palms facing his face. The key was to use a very slow and controlled tempo with a focus on the lats. While I recognize that 99% of individuals are not as gifted as Yates(I know I am not), I too have found this to be an effective exercise especially when looking for a change.
 
Chad said:
those look pretty sick. im def going to try them.

here`s a link for whoever wants to see them

Invalid Link Removed
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Make sure you use straps to hold yourself up. Unless you have a gorilla grip i can almost guarantee you grip will give out before your done.

Hope they go well for ya.
 
Chemist2234 said:
Make sure you use straps to hold yourself up. Unless you have a gorilla grip i can almost guarantee you grip will give out before your done.

Hope they go well for ya.
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i did some today. i like them a lot but you`re right about the grip giving out. i thought i was going to fall off a few time. :rofl:
 
thesinner said:
What are JS Rows?
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JS Rows are a type of row that were named after John Smith, the alias for a poster on the Meso-RX/Mesomorphosis forums. I believe John Smith was actually Glenn Pendlay. Considering a couple of reasons, including the fact that JS Rows and Pendlay Rows are identical.

ANYWAY, not to get sidetracked, hah. Here is the description:
Back pretty much parallel to the ground, bar touching the floor on each rep, little or preferably NO hip extension during the row, a pause on the floor if need be, and the reps pulled fast and explosively.
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Some people perform these with a deload after ever rep, some deload only when tired and then continue. I like to switch it up, usually depends on the weight I am using. JS Rows will make you modest, since you will not be able to use anywhere near the weight that typical bodybuilding-form rows are capable; at least at when you first start to do them.
 
btjac1 said:
Anyone have any opinions about the best exercises to build wide lats? I usually try to focus on wide-grip pullups (body weight and weighted) and lat pull downs, but I'm not getting as much growth as I want. I've heard that close-grip pull downs are great for building wide lats too, but it doesn't feel like it targets them to me. What do you think builds lats up the best?
Click to expand...

Wide grip, medium grip and close grip chins, barbell and t-bar rows and finally deadlifts, that's all your need, get your weight up on those lifts and your back will be huge, oh also toss in some variation of pullovers free weight of course those are awesome and totally over looked.
 
Semi off-topic...

I tried something new the other day. It was a cross between pullup and a hanging leg raise. I was doing hanging leg raises when I had an idea to try and do a pullup while preforming the leg raise. I think I've seen something similar on the Net somewhere.

Your body ends up nearly parallel w/ the ground, and your knees and/or feet are above the bar. Fun, as well as tough.
 
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