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EBO13
10-28-08, 7:09 pm
i wanna get wide... i want that big V... the huge lats... but i cant seem to get wider... im pretty damn thick and keep gettin thicker but not wider... what can i do? i do 3 sets of burnout pull ups but i cant seem to get them stronger... im stuck at the same reps per set...i watched one of ronnie colemans back workout and he did like wide grip pull downs to the front for like 15 to 20 reps then dropped the weight a little and turned around and did them behind the neck and that was 1 set... he did it like 5 or 6 times... what do yall suggest?

Cstlfx
10-28-08, 7:13 pm
Deadlifts, rack pulls, bent over rows, t-bar rows. Different set-ups will do. But, deadifts are a big one. Buy a belt to hold weight on when you're doing pull ups as well.

Factory
10-28-08, 7:13 pm
Buy a belt to hold weight on when you're doing pull ups as well.
yeah what he said, and do some negatives with added weight too on pull ups, pull a bench over to the pull up bar and push urself up to the top of the rep with your legs then ease your way down super-slow. you'll feel a burn youll love to hate.



id recommend doing very heavy rows, as heavy as you can for 6-8 reps. one arm DB really blasts my lats.

Lunatic001
10-28-08, 7:16 pm
I suggest Reverse Close Grip (4 inches apart) Lat Pulldowns.....yes I said Close grip....I got this from TINY and my back blew up......

Lunatic

SDR
10-28-08, 7:20 pm
Im pretty sure I have your answer here...Medium Grip Underhand Barbell Rows (Yates Rows), start your back session with these 4 progressively heavier sets and make the 5th set a higher rep (lighter) where your just focusing hard on the contraction....if your doing these right your on ur way.

Also do underhand (close grip) pulldowns, makes more sense, the lats get a much better STRETCH at the top...

Beast1
10-28-08, 7:27 pm
To get wider you want to use really close grips, and vice versa for thickness, also really focus on contractions and the feeling of you muscle, make sure not to use to much arm.

Cstlfx
10-28-08, 7:52 pm
To get wider you want to use really close grips, and vice versa for thickness, also really focus on contractions and the feeling of you muscle, make sure not to use to much arm.

Squeezing at the top of the contraction is key. A tip not to use too much arm, keep your index finger straight, not wrapped around the bar.

sanga
10-29-08, 4:32 am
Heavy Deadlifts

Heavy Bent Rows

Heavy Weighted Chins or Pulldowns

Thats it along with a shit load of clean food and rest.

Aggression
10-29-08, 9:55 am
Heavy Deadlifts

Heavy Bent Rows

Heavy Weighted Chins or Pulldowns

Thats it along with a shit load of clean food and rest.

Absolutely. Heavy wide grip lat pulldowns are a favorite of mine. There's a hammer strength machine at my gym thats great for lats. You face away from the machine, and grip the handles above you and pull down and in, its odd, but it feels great when doing it in a controlled manner.

shizz702
10-29-08, 10:03 am
Hit some heavy one db rows too, they have done wonders for my lats.

GJN5002
10-29-08, 10:56 am
To get wider you want to use really close grips, and vice versa for thickness, also really focus on contractions and the feeling of you muscle, make sure not to use to much arm.

x2

Lots of close grip work. I dont think deads make you wide, people will argue with me to the end on that but I think you need to focus of pull ups, rowing motions, push downs etc with a close grip. Maybe try splitting your back training into two days, 1 for thickness 1 for width I think house was doing that and I know cutler does too.

ironshaolin
10-29-08, 11:58 am
I think the hammer strength pulldown is a great machine, coupled with deads and rows. The thing with width I see, is that you HAVE to be getting heavier in order to have bigger muscles. Focus on the scale and the food. Keep hitting yoru back super hard, and I bet you'll notice increased width once you're up about 15-20lbs in bodyweight.

prowrestler
10-29-08, 12:02 pm
I suggest Reverse Close Grip (4 inches apart) Lat Pulldowns.....yes I said Close grip....I got this from TINY and my back blew up......

Lunatic

x5

IRN-NML
10-29-08, 12:48 pm
The only thing I'd add to all these lifts and the 'go heavy' is you're going to have to be honest with yourself & ask whether your arms are doing the work or your lats. If it feels like your arms, then you gotta lighten the heavy load a bit. It can be tough to find/feel like the lats ARE doing the work. On pullups; I highly recommend going thumbless; thumbs over the bar no matter how you space your hands.

my 1c

npeezy
10-29-08, 2:33 pm
the thing that worked for me was NEVER going wider than shoulder width. only shoulder width or closer. as soon as i made shoulder width underhand barbell rows a staple in my back workout, my back blew up and started growing insanely. i saw an interview with dorian yates and he was saying that people think you need to go wide to widen your back, but in actuality your lats are compromised and cannot to much once your arms are way past shoulder width, so he says shoulder width grip and will build the best back in terms of width AND thickness. You cant really 'target' width, but with size will come the width and thickness so just keep pullin and rowin and stay shoulder width or closer and the size will come.

NickSP
10-29-08, 4:03 pm
Try not doing burnout sets then, make them your first lat exercise and strap some weight on. Overhand, a little bit wider than shoulder width. Try to stay as verticle as possible and pull your elbows down to the sides rather than backwards like it's some kind of overhead row. Make sure you drop all the way down

perulifter
10-29-08, 4:13 pm
rack chins

Aggression
10-29-08, 4:28 pm
When doing back exercises, be sure not to jerk the weight around. Its hard to establish the mind-muscle connection with your back, being thats its behind you and you can't really see it working. Make sure you're doing clean, controlled reps. Keep your body upright during lat pulldowns, dont be like some of the people in gyms who look like they're lying down by the time they bring the bar to their chest.

Aggression
10-29-08, 4:28 pm
rack chins

Great exercise

Joey D
10-29-08, 11:46 pm
Bent over rows off the floor and off the flat bench.single one arm rows,and double arm rows,deadlifts,long pulley row's. Big movements big back!! Add and take away movements every few weeks.Heavy weight.Weeks of 8's,7's,then 6's. Six week's per combinations of exercise.


Joe D

FireFighter85
10-30-08, 1:47 am
Try the lat pulldowns behind the neck, but watch how far down you go.. I started doing them and Ive noticed a huge difference in the width of my lats(considering I never had too much anyways) but for the most part man you gotta figure out what works for you.

In Flames
10-30-08, 7:55 am
For width, focus more on closer grip movements, not wide. V-Bar Pull-downs, Underhand Grip Pull-downs, V-Bar Cable Rows, Reverse Grip Cable Rows, Chin-ups (Palms facing you), etc.

IRN-NML
10-30-08, 9:37 am
Try the lat pulldowns behind the neck, but watch how far down you go.. I started doing them and Ive noticed a huge difference in the width of my lats(considering I never had too much anyways) but for the most part man you gotta figure out what works for you.

I was talking with a bodybuilder guy with a big w i d e 'V' and he says a set of wide grip lat pulldowns behind the neck and then a set of wide grip pulldowns to the upper chest. I've heard, read enough both ways; close/wide that I really don't know if one is definitively better than the other. Might be an individual thing. Can't hurt to mix it up.

One good tip on the Universal site was a reminder to go with the 25's when doing barbell T-bar rows; allows for lowering & stretching more vs using the 45s. Underhand/overhand grip and using the 'V' bar are worth a try too.