Table of Contents
Introduction
Latissimus dorsi, also known by many as as just lats, are huge, flat body muscles located on the lower back of the body.
They start from the bottom of the spine and covers the sides of the torso and link it with the muscles of the upper arm.
Many people who frequent the gym, have a strong desire to impove their physique and develop a nice V-shaped taper. If you happen to fall in that same boat, and desire to attain that V-shaped taper, it is important that you work and develop these muscles.
A human body has a pair of lats on each side. The V-shaped tapering is essential to many, because others may accidentally mistake your muscles for fat.
In addition, the lats are required for any type of body movement, and they help us stabilize our torso during any upper body workouts, such as the incline bench-press or overhead press.
If you are working on your lats, you must have thorough knowledge and understanding of how they can be developed.
Simple Workouts to Develop Large Lats
If you want to build your lats muscles, these simple workouts will help you achieve your target. Follow the steps below and you are good to go with huge lats –
Pull-ups and Chin-ups
One of the simplest but most effective exercises is the pull-up. The workout is especially great for the back, specifically the lats.
Chin-ups can also be a great workout for your biceps, as it puts more pressure on your biceps. In case of a pull-up, the grip is overhand whereas chin-ups involve underhand grip.
Both of these workouts are famous for developing lat muscles.
How to perform a pull-up or chin-up – Hang from a sturdy pull-up bar either with an underhand (chin-up) or overhand (pull-up).
The distance between your two arms should be shoulder-width distant. Tightening the core, bend your shoulders and elbows, and try to pull yourself closer to the pull-up bar.
Stay in that position for a few seconds and then release and lower down very slowly and with firm control. Repeat the same motion 12 to 15 times for better results. Do 3 sets if your arms permit.
Lat Pulldown
This lift works wonders, but you will require a machine. They are similar to chin-ups or pull-ups, but some say pulldowns are better, given how they focus mainly on the lats, which is the goal.
This workout is free from grip concerns and you do not even need to manage the lower body properly. You just focus on your lats and complete every rep with all your might.
How to perform a lat pulldown – Facing the pulldown machine, sit on the station. You should be able to have a good grip on the pulldown bar above keeping the torso upright and tightening the core.
Your palms must face outward. With an arched back, widen your arms, grab the bar, and pull it down near to your chest. When you pull the bar, bend the elbows and squeeze the shoulder blades.
Once you have brought it near your chest, exhale and slowly restore the bar to its original position. You may sit on a pulldown station or try another variation by kneeling. Repeat the motion again.
The ideal number of reptitions and sets will vary from person to person. You can never go wrong by doing 5 sets of 5 reps though!
Barbell Deadlifts
The deadlift is the most fundamental workout in any weightlifting program. If, however, you have any injury or pain in the lower back region, you should definitely avoid this workout.
A typical barbell deadlift does not only build your glute or hamstrings, but also works pretty well in the lats too, as you have to use your back muscles to complete the left.
How to perform a deadlift – Stand close to the barbell and load it with heavy weights, while it is still on the floor. Grab the barbell with an overhand, the arms slightly wider than shoulder-width.
Keep your legs apart, but not much more than shoulder-width. Put your arms outside the legs and push your hips back as much as you can and then bend low until you reach the barbell.
Once you reach the barbell, pull the barbell from the floor, still maintaining the tall spine, and restoring the hips to the original standing position. Maintaining a strong sturdy posture is very important.
Descend the barbell down to the floor slowly, with control. Repeat the same motion again. Perform a number of sets and repetitions that you feel comfortable with.
The other common workouts for the lats
- Cable internal rotation
- Cable coiled downward diagonal chop
- Bent over barbel
- Seated cable row
- Cable shoulder extension
Points to Remember
Do Not Go for Muscle Failure – Muscle failure is a point where you cannot lift weights any longer. Though it may sometimes be tempting to go beyond your limits to the extent of total exhaustion, it may turn out to be a wrong or bad move in the future. The last thing we want is a back injury!
Modify Reps as Needed – You must keep in mind, at all times, that the recommended reps for an exercise are just a goal, and not a demand.
If you cannnot finish the reps, give it your best and leave it then and there. Do not push yourself too hard and overdo. You might regret later if you get a serious injury from overdoing.
Breathe Properly – It is a common, yet bad habit to hold your breath while engaging in a strenuous exercise. It is completely natural but it is definitely not correct. While working out, make it a habit to inhale and exhale with each movement.
If you maintain proper breathing while working out, it will help you follow a proper rhythm and will allow you to deliver extra oxygen to your muscles, thereby allowing a more rigorous and fuller workout. Muscles consume oxygen while you work them out.
Keep The Reps Short and Rest between The Reps – When you are asked to perform a particular number of reps in a workout, keep in mind that it does not need to be completed all at once. You can perform the workout in short series and take rests in between reps.
If you’re not sure about how many reps to perform or how much rest to give yourself, then try starting a bit easy and performing reps of four to six, followed by a rest period of 3 minutes.
If this turns out to be easy, you can increase the number of reps, or amount of weight, and shorten the rest period.
Warm Up and Stretch – In every athletic activity, you must first limber up and then start working out. If you lift weights at 100% effort, without readying your body, you may end up with injuries and pain.
Acclimatize your body first with a brief warm-up before starting your workout. No, it doesn’t have to be mile-long run. It can be as simple as performing 10 reps of the exercise with very light weight, or even 5 minutes on the an elliptical.
If you are working out in the morning, a good warm-up becomes even more important.
Although stretching is important for our bodies, in general, there are mixed thoughts on stretching before a workout. Some say that it’s even detrimental before a workout. For now, we recommend stretching after your workouts, or on your recovery days.
Nutrient Intake – Maintaining a proper diet must be constantly kept in mind if you’re planning to build large and strong muscles.
The nutrients we intake are just like the bricks and beams of a building; both are equally needed to make the foundation sturdy and strong.
Out of all the nutrients, protein is the most important element needed to build muscles. But, it is also important to note that nutrients and supplements will not give you an instant solution.
For ideal results, many suggest that a good rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound that you weigh on a daily basis. For example, if you weigh 170 lbs, you should aim to consume 170 grams of protein per day.
Do Not Dismiss Protective Equipment – You may see people at the gym all geared up with special gloves and thick belts around their waists, while weight training.
It’s possible that you may have told yourself that you don’t require them, or perhaps that they’re a waste of money. Although there may be some truth to that thought process, keep in mind that the equipment may just be worth the investment.
A thick belt and fingerless gloves are worn for safety purposes. Gloves provide you with a better grip while lifting, and can prevent dangerous falls. A belt can prevent overstraining your back, which could be especially helpful with exercises like the deadlift.
Common Lat Training Mistakes
1.Do not focus excessively on your lats- You will fail to develop your lats if you try too hard. The lats are definitely some of the largest muscles, hence, while paying special attention to them is obvious, you do not want to overdo them.
2.Do not indulge too much on high-rep pump training – While looking big, especially when it comes to temporary pumps, is great, keep in mind that we should aim for long-term, consistent results.
The last thing that anyone wants is to work hard at the gym, and then lose their results after a few weeks. Do your homework and stay consistent.
Your goal should be long-term and focus on improving whole-body strength. As your strength grows, so will your body.
Supplement Intake
You should eat enough food, especially a good portion of protein, if you want to develop muscles. With that being said, it can be difficult to attain perfect nutrition every single day from just our diet.
If it’s in your budget, feel free to invest in various supplements. There is no such thing as a magical pill that will automatically give you monstrous-sized muscles, but supplementation can help give you a slight boost.
If you’re looking to prioritize the type of supplement you take, we’d recommend taking protein supplements, since those will contribute directly to your goal of building solid lats.
Conclusion
Again, to build solid lats, we want to focus heavily on a nutritious, yet calorie-rich diet, along with the appropriate lifts, like deadlifts, pull-ups, and lat pulldowns.
Be careful not to overexert yourself at the gym, and choose proper form over incorrect, heavy lifting. You will not be able to achieve optimal gains if you injure your back!
Hopefully you found this information helpful, and we wish you the best on your journey to big, strong lats.
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Resources
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25940847/best-lat-exercises/
https://gasparinutrition.com/blogs/fitness-facts/building-bigger-lats-a-complete-guide