I need help with lats

[military2443]

For the most part, my body looks really good. I have big arms, chest, ect. The only thing that I am lacking is lats. I can't get them to grow! As of right now, I am mostly doing weighted pull ups and bent over rows with a barbell for back. Anybody know of any better exercises that really hit the lats hard.

[kaberle_15]

Dont just stick with 2 or 3 exercises you need variety.

Seated rows, deadlifts, pulldowns, one armed db rows, t bar rows are all great back builders and keep changing your grip.

[beezlebubb666]

try wide grip pulldowns... and pull overs

[NevrSayNevr]

I started from day one when I was 13 doing wide grip pull-ups and my lats just took off. I believe genetics has alot to do with it, everyone always commented on my "wings". Pull-ups from a standard grip to a wide grip should make up the beginning of your back routine. Alot of people do pull-downs, but if you can pull your bodyweight for reps, you should grow. JMTC

[Ajc330]

Dont just stick with 2 or 3 exercises you need variety.

Seated rows, deadlifts, pulldowns, one armed db rows, t bar rows are all great back builders and keep changing your grip.

^^ i second that

[BladesOfBlood]

Vary your movements and angles. If you find yourself trying to muscle the weight around chances are you are using too much of your secondary muscles (like biceps). Lower the weight and focused on slow-controlled movements until only your back is doing the work. Over time you will gain control over those muscles groups back there. This is one way to build up a weak-point area. PM me if you need more specific help.

[MFT81]

Mind Muscle Connection, VERY important for complete back development, Take a 2nd look at your training and more importantly your poundages you use. Are you making the common mistake of using your arms/bis to start the movement and using your back/lats to finnish the rep? If so then use your back to initiate the rep, usually this means youll have to lower the weight.(in the case of pullups maybe no weight and a little bump from a freind or the floor)

I also believe a 1 sec pause with squeeze is important too.

[MFT81]

try wide grip pulldowns... and pull overs

on the contrary, Your lats will move as a single unit for the most part. However you greatly shorten the movement by using a wider grip,

Try this,

raise your right arm overhead as if your gearing up to do a wide grip pulldown. place your left hand on your right lat. Now go through the motion and make a mental note of when you feel your lat start to contract. should be about when your arm/upper arm form a 90 degree angle.

Now place your right arm straight overhead and twist your palm to a suppinated grip (like doing a rev grip pulldown) place your opposite hand on your lat. You can feel that your lat is fully stretched out. Does not your whole lat contract as you go through the motion?

Wide grip pulldowns are effective, but they are simply a shortened version of a "lat pulldown" IMO for full development, dont ignore the rev grip pulldown.

Pullups are also king.

Not trying to shit on your post Beezle, just adding a diff thought for discussion.

[morphysique]

Mind Muscle Connection, VERY important for complete back development, Take a 2nd look at your training and more importantly your poundages you use. Are you making the common mistake of using your arms/bis to start the movement and using your back/lats to finnish the rep? If so then use your back to initiate the rep, usually this means youll have to lower the weight.(in the case of pullups maybe no weight and a little bump from a freind or the floor)

I also believe a 1 sec pause with squeeze is important too.

this is true. as im known for my back. Remember what Lee Haney 8 times mr olympia use to say. the mined and the muscle must be linked together. one without the other equals zero.

[Mr Mac]

I know for me rack chins made a lot of difference. If you dont know what rack chins are check out this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNpNp2YhZy4

Stretching my lats out also helped a lot. Try it like this:

http://server6.theimagehosting.com/i...m=0&fullsize=1

Just be sure to keep the tension in your shoulders. Dont just hang there stretching out your rotator cuff. You dont want your shoulders to just fall out.

[pwerfll1]

bro try to imagine that ur tryin to hold a little ball in the center of your back on pulldowns sqeeze every rep

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

Lat exercises (all types) are very "easy" to cheat on by using your body's momentum, thereby robbing you of total lat muscle involvement. I always adhere to strict form, lowering and pulling the weights slowly and purposefully, even if it means I have to lift less poundage than i would have liked. Like the other bros said, its the mind-muscle connection, you really have to FEEL the muscle tension. It is very difficult for an observer to tell you if you are doing it right or not. Case in point, I used to lack in my side delts no matter what exercises I tried but the day I lowered the weights and really started to feel each rep and not use my arm's momentum, my delts exploded.