How to train lower lats?

[Lumberg]

Hey guys,I used to think I just had high lats, like orville burke, but I was sitting on the counter the other day and when I stretched a certain way I saw that I actually had a lower half of my lats. I would really like to bring them out more and I was wondering what are some good exercises that will target the lower half of my lats.

Right now I deadlift and do pull ups, and dips on chest day, and I also just started doing incline rows facing the bench. I don't really have the facilities to do bent over rows with a BB but the gym does have an E-Z curl bar and a short BB. Will the incline rows work the lower lats just as well as bent rows? I have a feeling the reason I saw my lower lats is because I started doing 'em (it was about a month ago) but I would like to have at least one exercise that really concentrates on them.


JC

 

[benchmonster]

Do rows to build lats. The lat attaches in your underarm at the top and down by your side at the bottom. You cannot build the lower lat any more than you can build your lower bicep.

It is a muscle, it contracts and relaxes, and if properly stimulated, it will grow. It will grow to whatever size and shape it is going to grow to, and whether it is thicker at the top or bottom is a function of your genetic makeup. All you can do is make it bigger.

That being said, do chest supported rows one week, then next back workout, do dumbell rows, then barbell rows, then chins/pulldowns, then start the cycle over again. Do 4 sets of 10 -12 heavy as you can go and still get all the reps, and switch exercises often. Hit the same muscle with different exercises, and you will find you can go heavy and build maximum muscle all the time.

B.

 

[supertech69]

I agree that lats, just like the building upper chest post, it's a matter of genetics & total muscle developement. It will help you to get a full stretch when you do T-bar or bent over rows if you let the weight go all the way down to the poin of feeling a good stretch then finish the rep. Same goes with machine pull downs, feel the stretch & then contract.

 

[Lumberg]

Alright, cool, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and try to get a full stretch on each rep.

JC

 

[FitnessFrk]

there is no "lower lat" the muscle contracts as a whole...

 

[bitit]

Give the bent press a shot youd be lifting the weight almost entirely with your lat. And saxon side bends work your whole side not much of the lat but its definately a great exercise.

 

[Vortexx]

lower lat

Start your back training with the following 2 exercises:

3 sets of one-arm cable row

followed by

3-4 sets of seated pulley row reverse grip
or
3-4 sets of reverse grip barbell row to belly button

I feel that T-bars are usefull also, but have less range of motion due to the big plates on the end and the V-grip you can't pull back the elbows as far as with reverse grip rows.

Some people keep saying you can't target upper pec and or lower lats etc etc and that you just train the whole muscle.

I feel that you CAN target to a noticable degree and even if the other people are right you can STILL do the above mentioned exercises as it would (in their words) "build the whole lat anyway"

So whether i am right or wrong, there is nothing to lose in trying and see for yourselve....

Sure genetics play a big role, but it's exercise that determines if we develope our genetics to it's full potential.

 

[Lumberg]

Actually I do Saxons already, they are terrific. Believe it or not my delts are sorer than my obliques when I do them.

I'm still undecided on the issue of training parts of muscles because yes it's true that they are enervated as a unit. However you can make an argument that mechanically some segments of the muscle are under more stress than others in certain positions and/or movements, thus working certain muscle fibers harder.