lat spread and genetics

[Narkissos]

Nark....just curious how do you do you rows.

Torso parallel to floor.

Grip..just outside shoulder width (overhand).

Standing on 6" platform... lowering to instep on each rep.

...Flaring lats at point of max stretch.

^^That's my basic form.

I also do a torso parallel version without the platform (i.e. pulling from the floor)... but obviously the ROM is shorter (as one has to avoid making contact with the floor).

I use the latter row to overload the musculature tru that shorter ROM.

The latter version is akin to the Pendalay row... where ROM is concerned.

I guess the way I look at it. I really noticed my own width improved greatly when really focusing on form with rows and pulldowns.

By 'form' i'm assuming you're referring to scapulae retraction and muscle recruitment... right?

And i guess deadlifts might not have ifluenced that directly..........but i think they have kind of helped me more indirectly. Like more meat on the back overall makes room for bigger lats or something.

Or rather, stronger stabilizers allowed you to hold your form better.

-CNS

[IronReload04]

Torso parallel to floor.

Grip..just outside shoulder width (overhand).

Standing on 6" platform... lowering to instep on each rep.

...Flaring lats at point of max stretch.

^^That's my basic form.

I also do a torso parallel version without the platform (i.e. pulling from the floor)... but obviously the ROM is shorter (as one has to avoid making contact with the floor).

I use the latter row to overload the musculature tru that shorter ROM.

The latter version is akin to the Pendalay row... where ROM is concerned.




By 'form' i'm assuming you're referring to scapulae retraction and muscle recruitment... right?



Or rather, stronger stabilizers allowed you to hold your form better.

-CNS

by form, I mean stop pulling with the rear delts and the biceps. That is the number one problem with back training that I see by just observing people. Going to heavy and using all delts and bi's and no lats. I am all about going heavy where possible, but back really is a difficult muscle to train (or rather in our case to get the hang of training it).




I was also just real curious if you like going back parellel to floor. Alot of people swear up and down by going angled. I prefer parellel as well.





I a huge believer in the palms out grip with rows and pulldowns. I think both overhand and underhand are very important, and I usually do one or the other every other back workout. Dorian himself was a huge advocate of the palms out grip. It still surprizes me just how different palms out hits back.



edit
Every row I do is pendelay style. Ever since I started doing them, I saw immediate progress. And again, once I got the form down on overhead pulling exercises, I saw HUGE HUGE HUGE changes in lat width thickness out of nowhere. Problem is I started doing pendelays and overhead pulling with better form at the same time perdiod, so its hard to say for sure exactly what made awesome changes in combination with rapid deadlift improvement as well