Ever wondered why fitness buffs spend hours in the gym doing back workouts? That’s because they want to get those coveted well-toned V-taper or mirror muscles.
Who doesn’t want to have bigger and thicker lats? I mean, they don’t just give you a powerful looking back muscles, they also support proper posture. And let’s not forget that back workouts for major muscle also reduce back pain.
What are the lats?
The lats or latissimus dorsi are the upper body's largest muscles performing various functions. They also connect different points in the body including the upper arm, spine, ribs, pelvis, and the scapula. In other words, it is just important to train your back muscles not just to get the ripped V-taper but also to make your body function properly.
In this article, we want to share with you five of the most effective back-building variations that will give your lat muscles a boost.
Deadlift
While the deadlift is usually considered as the perfect exercise to develop the glutes and hamstrings, it's also beneficial for your lats. The deadlift is the foundation of a solid back. Whether your lifting or lowering the barbell, your back muscles have to pull the heavyweight.
Pro-tip: Always remember that when doing deadlifts, maintain a strong posture.
Chin-ups and Pull-ups
These two are the most common exercises for lat development. Both are easy to perform as well – you just hang from a steady bar with either an underhand grip or an overhand grip and pull your chest to the bar.
Do this exercise in 3 sets of 10.
Pro-tip: If you want to grow your lats, then make sure to avoid doing the "kip." This is the term for the Crossfit idea where you fiercely swing your hips to create momentum that drives your chest to the bar.
Lat Pulldown
Another exercise that targets lat muscles is the lat pulldown. One of the reasons why lat pulldown is an amazing lat developer is because it helps you focus solely on finishing off every rep with a good back muscles squeeze. Compared to chin-ups and pull-ups, you don't have to worry about your grip or your lower body strength, you just have to sit in a lat pulldown station, and work your lats out.
Dumbbell Row
The dumbbell row is one of the first moves that newbie lifters learn. The execution involves placing one arm on the bench for balance, gripping the dumbbell in the other hand, and pulling it up toward your ribcage and them stretching it down before pulling it up again.
Renegade Row
This is a popular Crossfit routine that doesn't just train your lats but also help build shoulder stability and strengthen your core.1 To execute this, get in a pushup position, with both hands on a pair of dumbbells using a neutral grip. Your feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart.
Once you have positioned yourself properly, start doing your push-up routine. As you raise your torso, slowly lift one dumbbell and row it right to your belly button. Return to your push-up position and then lift and row the other dumbbell.
Although it is true that the back is one of the hardest parts of the body to train, it also plays a vital role in fat loss and hypertrophy workouts.2 And as mentioned earlier, training your lats can also be beneficial for our posture. So make sure to add these workouts in your routine and get that bigger and thicker lats that you always want to have!
References:1. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25940847/best-lat-exercises/