LATS...how to make the HUGE?

[BigBadBroncho]

ok guys once again i'm asking for advice.......for my size i'd say my body is pretty decent....but to me it looks like my lats aren't all too great... so what are some moves you guys use to make your lats grow?

 

[Hannibal]

ok guys once again i'm asking for advice.......for my size i'd say my body is pretty decent....but to me it looks like my lats aren't all too great... so what are some moves you guys use to make your lats grow?

Ok if you want advice on getting a nice V Taper the guys on the training board will hook you up. WIDE lats dont do much if anything for strength. The lats, instead, should be THICK. And the best thing for that is Rows, Rows, and more Rows.

Bent over Bar Rows(reg or rev grip), One arm Db or cable, and my personal favorite Chest Supported Rows.

 

[GRIMMER]

I agree with Hannibal. Pull ups will work as well to throw in the mix

 

[powerlifterjay]

I also agree. But just a note when i do back no matter what the movement i pull the bar in the exact same spot as i bench. Always.

 

[sysopt]

There are no specific exercises that will make your lats wider or thicker. Just train them. When using a compound movement, put yourself in the strongest possible position. This means keeping your forearm supinated like a bicep curl.

 

[flex-mb]

What criteria are you using to gauge whther or not your lats are big or not relative to the rest of your physique? They may not be very thick or very wide, but they could still be strong. What are your stats (height and weight)? Can you do at least 10 pull ups? Unless you weigh more than 275 lbs. or so, you should be able do to at least 10 or your back is relatively weak.

I personally don't like t-bar rows or barbell rows. If you look at the movement, you will see most people cannot bend over far enough when doing barbell rows (the cannot bend over to a 90 degree angle and still row without falling on their face) to get a range of motion of more than 8 or 10 inches. If you look at the classic pull-up or chin-up you will get a much better range of motion in the movement (especially if you come almost all the way to full extension, and go all the way up to where the middle of your face is even with the bar). Also for a guy like me who can do 8 strict neutral grip pull-ups hanging a 90 lb. dumbbell from my waist (I am 5' 9", 167 lbs.) and one arm dumbbell rows with a 125 lb. dumbbell, bent rows would do no good for me. I would have to use 225 lbs. or more and I could not bend over and hold that much weight for a set of 8 to 10 without throwing out my low back. You should focus on core back movements (pull-ups, dumbbell rows - t-bar rows if that is what you like).

Whether your lats are wide or thick has nothing to do with the type of back training you do. Some ignorant people think that the wider your grip on pull-ups then the wider your back will grow. This is BS as Charles Poliquin has has stated. When doing a movement like a pull-up (regardless of width of grip) how can you flex the 'outer' part of your lat vs. the 'inner' part of your lat or vice versa? The answer is that you cannot. The same applies for the 'logic' of growing a peak in your biceps. You either are genetically predisposed to develop a peak or you are not. People also talk of the 'inner' and /outer' chest. There is not such thing there either. The pectoralis major has only one point of insertion for the tendon. Once again you cannot flex the inner chest without flexing the outer chest since they are all the same muscle anatomically. There is nothing you can do about it if it is not in genes. Change up your program and incorporate some new/different exercises into your routine.

 

[sysopt]

good post. I think t bar rows are good because unlike chin ups or pullups, they don't use the pecs and you don't have to pay much attention to form because you simply pull.

 

[Hannibal]

flex-mb--I know this is gonna seem like a flame, but it is not intended as one. We just seem to be on such a different page. The fellas on this board that compete are interested in 4 things...bigger squat, bigger bench, bigger deadlift, bigger total. And to be honest, I dont understand why you are here.

If you look at the movement, you will see most people cannot bend over far enough when doing barbell rows (the cannot bend over to a 90 degree angle and still row without falling on their face) to get a range of motion of more than 8 or 10 inches. If you look at the classic pull-up or chin-up you will get a much better range of motion in the movement

Are you serious. If someones balance or exercise form is that bad. Maybe they should get some help, or find something else to do in their spare time.

Also for a guy like me who can do 8 strict neutral grip pull-ups hanging a 90 lb. dumbbell from my waist (I am 5' 9", 167 lbs.) and one arm dumbbell rows with a 125 lb. dumbbell, bent rows would do no good for me. I would have to use 225 lbs. or more and I could not bend over and hold that much weight for a set of 8 to 10 without throwing out my low back

Well you obviously have a relatively strong upper back. But your back and possible your abs are weak. Bring them up and then you can reap the benefits or bent over rows. Besdies the back work that powerlifters do is to increase their bench. And in order to do that they have to work in the same plane as they bench in. Lat pulldowns and chins work in a different plane.

Whether your lats are wide or thick has nothing to do with the type of back training you do.

WTH??!

Dude I know this seems like a flame job but it is not meant to be. I just dont know why you take the time to post on the powerlifting board when you dont compete...nor do you train like a powerlifter.

 

[BigBadBroncho]

What criteria are you using to gauge whther or not your lats are big or not relative to the rest of your physique? They may not be very thick or very wide, but they could still be strong. What are your stats (height and weight)? Can you do at least 10 pull ups? Unless you weigh more than 275 lbs. or so, you should be able do to at least 10 or your back is relatively weak.

Right now i'm 5'9" almost 210 lbs with around 6-7%bf, basically i'm just gauging it on the rest of my body, my lats just look really small compared to my arms and chest, my back is plenty stong, well for my size i consider it to be. and yeah i can do 10 pullups, hell my little bro's can do 10 pullups, not to be flaming, but 10 pullups is not the hardest thing in the world to do, anyways bro i do apprieciate all the advice that you and everyone else has given me. thanks again to all you guys out there, that's been helping me with all my questions.

 

[flex-mb]

Hannibal - What makes you an authority in the sport of powerlifting? How many contests have you entered have where you placed in the top 3 (not some backyard contest BS either)? Why do you bother competing? If you are not going to be comepting for a legitimate spot in the top 3 of a 'real' contest, then why bother competing yourself? It is like the Al Bundy syndrome - some guy can't let go of high school footbal or college football, so he plays Arena football just to tell someone he is a pro football player. Meanwhile he making 40K a year which is much, much less then what I make. Tell me what your stats are and what your lifts are. Are you a stud, a has been or a never was? If you are not going to excel in the sport than you are just another Al Bundy pretending and you are a small-time minor leaguer. Is your whole entire life based around powerlifting? Do you ever pick up a book? Could you name the former capitol of Germany prior to Berlin (which is the new capitol of re-unified Germany since 1999)? I mean you're no authority! Hell I'll bet you couldn't even do 10 pull-ups! By the way I can deadlift over 475 lbs. right now! My abs are also stronger than 99.9% of the lifters out there. I would just love to hear your stats and your contest record... What part of FL are you in? I will be Orlando sometime in Jan/Feb. Maybe we should lift together then!