Lat exercises

Which lat exercises do you guys feel strenghten the lats in the best way for aiding the bench press??

And got any tipns on how I can involve the lats more in the bench press?

I read a long time ago that it is good to train with just the barbel lying on the chest and tensing the lats so the barbel raises a bit and then gradualy increase weights when the lats get used to it.

Is this method any good for lat involvement?

I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk here, but why? I'm really curious...does that help? I thought most people were trying to isolate individual muscle groups as much as possible. Granted many movements recruit other muscles groups. Strong shoulders for example help improve bench. Added body weight/mass helps to increase bench. Lats might help to stabalize the pushing movement in bench press...so why not just focus on lats during back day.

Good luck!

dave tate said to do rowing movements to strengthen the lats cause the plane of the exercise is the same as in the bench press, so no lat pull downs etc. only plain rows.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by johan
[B]Which lat exercises do you guys feel strenghten the lats in the best way for aiding the bench press??

Barbell, and Dumb Bell Rows, pulling to where you touch the chest/abs during the bench press. Other favorites are: chest supported & seated cable rows, and pull-up's (Make sure your upper body is paralell to the floor at the top).

And got any tipns on how I can involve the lats more in the bench press?

This is really a "feel" thing. Pull your shoulder blades together as hard as you can (I get cramps in my upper back on Dynamic BP day), keeping your elbows tucked, using the max legal width grip, lower the bar to your upper abs. Try it on when you go back to using a Dynamic Day, you should be able to feel it. This will make you faster as it keeps the tri's fresher, as they do not have to do all the work lowering the bar.

"I read a long time ago that it is good to train with just the barbel lying on the chest and tensing the lats so the barbel raises a bit and then gradualy increase weights when the lats get used to it."

I have never heard of that. Some folks do lat shrugs, where they use a Chest Supported Row and just flex the lats to move the weight.

Ermantroudt

Originally posted by DATY Fanatic: "I thought most people were trying to isolate individual muscle groups as much as possible."

Powerlifters train lifts, not muscle groups. On my bench days, I train the muscles which make for a big bench: Tri's, Chest, Shoulders, Lats, and Abs.

"Strong shoulders for example help improve bench."

Most people overtrain the delts and undertrain the tri's. George Halbert (Number one all time bench on formula 733@215) has not trained his delts with direct work in a year.

"Added body weight/mass helps to increase bench."

Added body mass, unless you compete in a lower weight class and can't or won't move up; is usually a good thing.

"...so why not just focus on lats during back day."

Most Powerlifters do not have a "back" day. Depending on the training system in use, there is a Squat day, a Deadlift day, and one or two bench days. Personally, I have two Dynamic Days once for the Squat/Deadlift and one for the Bench and two Max Effort Days once each for the Squat/Dealdift and Bench.

Ermantroudt

True there are amny different secondary muscle groups that come into play when lifting a large muscle group such as the chest. I personally tend to pay attention to my triceps when working to increse my bench. Another tip that I have found that works is to start off first with you incline and go as heavy as possible. Doing this for several weeks then comeing in cold and maxing out on the flat bench might just surprise you in how much your strength has increased.
IC

Thanks Ermantroudt! Those are some of the best supported answers I have ever seen. Please understand that I was simply asking...not judging or being sarcastic. Powerlifter's can be so impressive and the methods are so interesting.

Quote:

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Originally posted by DATY Fanatic
Please understand that I was simply asking...not judging or being sarcastic.

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Hey, we are all here to learn and share information. I was just sharing what I know about powerlifting. Like I tell all the people I meet on the boards, the more I teach about Westside methods, the better I understand them myself. So, I guess I should say thanks to you.

Ermantroudt

I read in the "bible" that wide-grip pull ups should be the base of every back work out. Especially the the lats. I do 5 sets of 10 and then until complete failure on the last set. I really should do more. But that's just me.

i don't think you have to train your lats in the same groove as your bench even though i do use db rows quite often. it just depends on what works for you. i like the lat pulldowns. i am also doing quite a bit of facepulls to different parts (upper head, chin, chest, stomach). just try to change it up and dont always work with the same weight in the same rep range. try sets of 6,8,10,12 whatever just switch it around.

as far as pullups go, i hate these. they end up bothering my shoulders and i'd rather hit the back muscles a different way. if they work for you then by all means do them. since we dont have "back workouts" in the westside system, pullups are definately not going to be in my routine.

I too have wondered this... I'm about to start week 4 of the 9 week WSB basic training and all I do for back is db rows.... I don't want to get ahead of myself with too much assistance work, so after these 9 weeks I'll see about adding some seated cable rows and/or wide grip weighted chins.

I realy like chest suporter rows. But I dont have a place to do them in my gym. So I just put a bench on some blocks and lie down on the bench and do rows. They feel awsome.

t-bars are also one of my favorites.

Chest supported rows are good. Reverse band pulldowns are good also. You can do these for static holds.

Chad T.
www.carolinapower.net

Hey night Op, how's your WSB going?

I always do lat pull downs with a diffferent grip. I hold at the bottom and really let my lats work these. I lean a good bit back and pull the bar to where the bar hits my chest when i bench. I like these alot. But after that i usually do chestsuppoted rows, or seated rows, or dumbell rows. I usually do 2 ro 3 execises. I do not do my back on DE or ME bench days. I do them on the ME, and DE squat/deadlift day.

Even though my routine is now all westside, i still do a little more direct work on lats and shoulders. But for my bench tris are the most important area to work. Followed by lats , and shoulders. I lower my the bar when benhcing with just about all lats. Not really but its the objective! I am sure if i tore a pec i would see hwo much pec is used but i knwo my lats play a huge roll in my bench.

I dont think you must pull the bar on the same plan as you bench, but i seem too out of habit. But any lat work will help you. I mean if your not developing the exact same plane one day you are at least building thickness in your back to one day shorten your stroke a bit in the future. Back work is over looked by many , and really shouldnt. Its very important in lifting.

Ermantroudt, good advice bro. Way to explain it!

"Ermantroudt, good advice bro. Way to explain it!'

Thanks PLJay.

Ermantroudt