Lifters concern themselves with putting tension across the fibers of the lats in the hopes that they’ll grow — without dosing them in the smallest moment of function to help stabilize their trunk and core, minimize the risk of low back pain, and ultimately, promote longevity in lifting.
When performed properly, deadlifts can be a powerful exercise movement for strengthening your lats. Emphasis on “when performed properly.”
Quick fixes: They’re usually bandages on a leaky pipe. But in some cases, a quick fix might be more like the duct tape that fixed the Apollo 13 module. These 3 technique fixes are like duct tape for your deadlift, so wrap up and strengthen that lift.
Don’t be afraid to mix up your workout routine with something new. Try a new exercise and see if it works well for you. That’s what I did today, and it ended up being a solid workout session. Plus, my bench press has felt stronger every week. Try it! What’ve you got to lose?
Have a lat activation issue? So does elitefts athlete Joe Sullivan. After getting the green light from his physical therapist (and thinking like an athlete even though he’s a self-proclaimed “dumb weightlifter”), he’s working on some isolation exercises, like the quadruped row.
This article gives you the 12 best exercises to build mass in the necessary areas for a stronger bench press. Body-part by body-part, exercise by exercise, it’s all here.
Incorporate these alternative back-training methods into your programming to build a bigger back and sharper V-Taper.
This movement will destroy your lower lats. Only for those who are DRIVEN.
Mark Dugdale takes us through a simple yet effective recovery complex he uses during back training.
A forgotten back exercise that will pump blood into your lats like never before
You must be tired of training your lats with just two exercises and in one plane of motion (frontal). Add dumbbell pullovers to your back routine and isolate your lats in the sagittal plane.
John Meadows performs incline bench straight-arm pull downs
John Meadows performs a lat pull down with the elitefts™ Tsunami Lat Pulldown Ba
Once again, utilizing grip work during the workout, not only at the end, allows athletes to develop grip strength endurance while also performing pulling movements.
Using a bench to stabilize yourself, grasp the dumbbell and pull it towards your lower pec.
Pull ups and push ups are critical in our workouts, especially our combative athletes.
I’m not sure what to do with this exercise except to say that this will definitely increase your “cool” quotient (CQ) with fellow gym-goers.
Remember when Beavis and Butthead came out and everyone said, “I could have thought of that?” Well, the Monkey Chin Up Bar is the same way, although I’m not sure that its going to have the same appeal and cash flow as Mike Judge’s characters did.
One good tip is to try and keep your chin down. This will keep you from pulling into the start of a chin.
The power of these is like blast straps, you can turn your hands any which way you please to alter the angle in which your upper body gets worked.
The only advice that I have for those of you that want to try this exercise is this; make sure you have a strong and conditioned lower back that has very good static strength.
These are the same as “fat man rows” except the grip is taxed to a much greater degree.
Flex elbows and retract scapula until upper arm is approximately level with torso
The lifter will perform a typical push-up and while in the bottom position will push to the left and to the right and then back to center and finish at lockout, repeat.
Pulling from one side to the other shifts some slight weight more to one side than the other.
The lifter will perform a bent over row and hip extension movement with multiple plates.