People who start strength training often talk about getting the perfect V-shaped torso and if you too are among such people, this article is definitely for you. From telling you which muscles actually make a difference in your upper body shape to telling you about the best lat workouts, you will find it all right here.
The broad and powerful looking back is the result you get when you work on your latissimus dorsi – AKA your lats. Yes, that’s why the name lat workouts. Such workouts can be done both at home and gym. All you need is the right technique, a few pieces of equipment and a dedication to do such workouts every day. And as for which exercises to create the best lat workouts, we have jotted down a few that you can try. Keep reading.
What are Lat Muscles?
Latissimus dorsi muscles or the lats are the large V-shaped muscles that connect your arms to your vertebral column. Here are some poignant functions of lats:
- Protect and stabilize your spine
- Provide back and shoulder strength
- Help in hand movement
- Support good body posture
Strong lats also improve range of motion and prevent injury. So, if you thought that only an impressive torso is what you get from targeting lats through workout, you are in for the surprise. There are also various other benefits of lat workouts that’ll make you try them as soon as possible. We have discussed some in the next section.
Top Lat Workouts: Instructions, Benefits, and Precautions
While there are a number of exercises that make good lat workouts, we have brought only the best ones to you. Read on:
- Lat Pulldown
One of the best last workouts, a lat pulldown is specially designed to focus on the lat muscle. It is usually done using a pulldown station at the gym but you can also use dumbbells or resistance bands to modify it according to your home workout.
How to:
- Sit comfortably in a lat pulldown station and grab the bar above. Your grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width. In case you are using a resistance band, grab it and raise your arms.
- Now, engage your core and keep your torso tight.
- Pull the bar/resistance down toward your chest while bending at your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades.
- Hold for a second and then slowly return the bar/resistance to the top of the station.
- Repeat for at least 8-12 times.
Benefits
- Strengthens your lats muscles and build them
- Improves body posture
- Increases upper body strength
- May relieve back pain
- Improves performance in sports and physical activities like swimming, opening a door, or even doing other lower body workout
Precautions
- Keep your torso straight to save your spine from any injury.
- Don’t grab the bar too wide as they will put pressure on the wrong muscles.
- Avoid lat pulldown behind the back, if you are a beginner.
- If you have any wrist, back, shoulder, or elbow injuries, talk to your doctor before starting the workouts for lats.
- Do not push the number of reps. Talk to the fitness trainer and they will guide you about the sets based on your experience and individual strength.
- Landmine Row
Another exercise that’s popular and can be added to lats workout at home, landmine row also helps in working on your deltoids, trapezius, Rhomboids, and other upper body muscles. Quite similar to barbell row, landmine row just changes the direction of pull. How? Let’s find out!
How to:
- Place a barbell with desired weights on one side and then stand over it with one foot on either side.
- Now, bend and grab the barbell with both hands.
- Straighten your back and slightly bend the knees.
- Inhale and pull up the barbell while engaging your core and glutes.
- As you pull up the barbell to your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades.
- Hold for a while and then lower the barbell back to the ground while exhaling.
- Repeat.
Benefits
- Builds impressive strength for the upper back and core
- Helps in building effective muscles
- Protects body from injuries by increasing muscle strength
Precautions
- Always have a neutral spine.
- Keep your body tight and tense during the workout.
- If you have any wrist, back, shoulder, or elbow injuries, talk to your doctor before starting workouts for lats.
- Do not push the number of reps. Talk to the fitness trainer and they will guide you about the sets based on your experience and individual strength.
- Deadlifts
You just cannot ignore deadlifts when it comes to upper body workouts that focus on lats. In fact, this is one of the best lat exercises even experts do on a regular basis. It is also considered to be a core exercise in strength training. In short, you must include it to turn your good lat workouts into the best ones!
How to:
- Add desired weights in the barbell and secure it.
- Now stand close to the barbell so that it is nearly touching your shins.
- Grab it with an overhand, with a grip that is slightly wider than your shoulders,
- Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
- Now, push your hips back and bend the knee to reach the bar.
- Lift the barbell off the ground and stand tall. Your hips will come back to the standing position.
- Hold for a second and lower the barbell back to the ground.
- Repeat.
Benefits
- Builds strong and heavy lat muscles
- Activates hip extensors
- Reduces lower back pain
- Improves your metabolism
- Engages core muscles
Precautions
- Do not start deadlifting or any other lat exercises without a warmup. Try to maintain a strong posture to prevent any injury or muscle strain.
- It is suggested that you should try deadlifts without wearing shoes. This ensures you have a stable platform to have a strong grip on the floor.
- If you have any wrist, back, shoulder, or elbow injury, talk to your doctor before starting lats workout at home.
- Since it is a difficult exercise, talk to the fitness trainer and they will guide you about the sets based on your experience and individual strength.
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