Best Lat Exercises

Pull-Ups

Pull up is a great exercise to improve strength, the single most important exercise for upper body strength development. It gives your back a super v shape, I bet not many people can do 20 pull ups 3 sets but keep training and you will make it.

  

Grab a bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width, with your hands facing away from you.  Hang all the way down.  Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.  Slight pause Lower yourself all the way back down.  Go up, and really concentrate on isolating your back and biceps.  Don’t swing, if you are not able use a machine or a spotter to help you.

Lat Pull-Downs

The Lat pulldown is an exercise mainly for the back although the shoulders and arms get some workout as well.  latissimus dorsi on either side of the middle to upper back is the main target muscle group and is also the msucle from which the exercise gets its casual name. These muscles are called 'the lats' for short.

Grasp the cable bar with a wide overhand grip, knuckles up and sit on the seat with thighs under the support. Alternative grips, narrow and underhand, are possible, but use the wide grip when starting out, you should just be able to reach the bar when you stretch up. Keeping the back straight, pull the bar down behind your head  to about neck level  in a smooth movement while squeezing the shoulder blades together, Slowly return the bar to full height and repeat the exercise, this motion can be done using a Rope also.

Close Grip Front Lat Pulldown

The Close grip lat pull down is similar to the lat pull down there are only two changes the under hand grip and the bar is pulled in front. 

Position yourself on the lat pulldown machine and grab the bar with an underhand grip while keeping your hands at about a shoulder width distance. Pull the bar straight down using your back muscles and bring the bar in front of you until it is about even with the middle of your chest. Slowly return the weight back up to the start position and repeat.

  

Seated v bar Pull downs

Using V-bar in pulldown is a common alternative to either overhand or underhand pulldowns. When using a V-bar the arms are in their most natural position. Your palms are naturally facing each other and you need to twist them to a weaker position to grab a bar.

  

Sit on the seat of the machine and grab the V-bar attached to the pulley. Bend slightly backwards but do not bend at waist. Hold your hands outstretched while holding the V-bar in line with the pulley, from the position with arms outstretched lead the motion by bending at the elbows and pulling the V-bar to your chest (contracting your chest muscles). Exhale while you pull the V-bar towards your body and inhale while you are returning to the starting position.

Seated Cable Rows

Sit slightly forward on seat or bench and grasp cable attachment. Place feet on vertical platform. Slide hips back positioning knees with slight bent.

  

Pull cable attachment to waist line while straightening your lower back. Pull shoulders back and push chest forward while arching back. Return until arms are extended, shoulders are stretched forward, and lower back is flexed forward. Repeat the movement.

  

Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, bend over to place your left knee and left hand on a bench to support your body weight. Your left hand should be directly under your shoulder and your knees should be positioned directly under your hips.

  

Exhale and slowly pull the dumbbell toward your side body. Keep your arm close to the side of your body as you bend your elbow and pull the dumbbell up a little above your waist, Inhale and gently lower the dumbbell to your starting position. Keep the back straight and strong abdominal engaged and shoulder blades pulling down and back.