Lat spread? (2023)

How can I improve my lat spread?

It is a common natural asymmetry. If the difference is not too big, one can balance the lats to a degree.

Do Genetics Play A Role In Lat Development? Genetics play a huge role in the development of every muscle. For lats, this role is no less. For example, some bodybuilders just won't develop sweeping lats like others and might have an extremely hard time building the back.

A wide grip is better for lifters who want to increase lat strength or size or for those looking to improve their pull-ups. A close grip is better for those looking to target their mid and upper back or increase the strength of their back overall.

So, How Many Sets to Build Muscle? The ideal training volume for building muscle is around 9–18 sets per muscle per week. And if you're choosing good lifts, doing 6–20 reps per set, and bringing those sets within 1–2 reps of failure, the bottom end of that range is often enough to maximize muscle growth.

Probably the first thing you should know about imbalances in muscle and strength is that they are common. In fact, they are the norm. It is more common to be asymmetrical in terms of muscle and strength between your right and left side than it is to be perfectly symmetrical.

A wider back helps build out your V-taper and creates the illusion of a smaller waist. If you're seeking to build a wider back, then the primary muscle that you're going to want to develop are the lats, as growing this muscle will help effectively add the width to your back that you're after.

Scapular dyskinesis is easily identified because it causes your shoulder blades to stick out abnormally either during rest or activity. Scapular dyskinesis is also called winging because your shoulder blades stick out like wings on your back.

When we allow our shoulders to round forward (known as kyphosis), our anterior muscles (pectoralis major and minor) become tight due to always being in a shortened state while our posterior shoulder muscles (trapezius, rhomboids, and rotator cuff muscles) become lengthened and weak.

How do you teach someone to flex their lats?

While everyone has an inguinal ligament, not everyone has V line abs. “[The V-line] will show up on very slim people with minimal belly fat who also have a developed rectus abdominis muscle,” Marko says. In other words, V-line abs take some work.

So, a Dorito body is basically when your shoulders are huge and your waist is small, giving your upper body the shape of a Dorito, #hot.

Genetics and V-cut abs

There is a genetic component to well-defined abs. Some people will have an advantage in developing the V-cut. For other people, it could be more challenging because the skin around their abdominals may be thicker.

Aesthetic means something that's pleasing to look at, which can be subjective. However, most people find the following characteristics to be aesthetic on a male: wide shoulders and lats, larger than average upper arms and chest, a small waist and hips, and lean muscularity throughout the entire body including the abs.

Lats can be difficult for people to grow in general. The main reason I see is that people find it hard to establish a connection with their lats and the majority of work is in vain due to this fact.

The lat pulldown is a great exercise to target your lats, but it also works a variety of other muscles that work together to extend and adduct your arms. It provides an alternative to the pullup when you're not yet strong enough to perform one without assistance. It's also a good adjunct to the pullup.

Training your lats will pay off in a number of ways. Functionally, strong lats mean you'll perform better when it comes to pulling exercises—and that's not just upper body moves like rows and pullups. You'll find your deadlift is even stronger, too. You'll also benefit aesthetically.

Ideally, you should strengthen and stretch your lats two or three times a week. Giving them 24-48 hours between each strength training session helps them recover before working them again.

The lats play an extremely important role in stabilizing the neck, shoulder, the back, and the hips. Think of them as a stability powerhouse throughout your entire system. If the lats aren't strong, we tend to see compensation in movement that leads to pain or injury in any of the above mentioned areas.

Why can't I activate my lats?

Just try shifting your thinking a little. Most people are trying to pull the bar to their chest by just bending their elbow and rotating the shoulder, resulting in the arms and shoulders being activated. Lats are activated when your shoulder blades are moved down and together.

Contrary to popular belief, “tight” muscles are not “strong” muscles. Oftentimes when something feels tight, it's actually weak! This is especially true if you are hypermobile where your muscles will feel tight to stop you from moving into a position that you don't have the strength to support.

Chins with an underhand grip and pull-ups were a big part of Arnold's approach to building wide lats. He also varied his grip width, went up to the bar behind his head and to his chest, and sometimes used added resistance or simply his bodyweight.

Eventually your muscles will equalize themselves out. Increase the weight or reps for the stronger side once the weaker side is caught up. When it comes to different muscle groups (your back versus your chest for instance), it's easy to see how much weight you are lifting with each muscle.

Muscle imbalance is usually a problem which has developed over many years of improper movement and as such it can take several months to correct the issue.

You should lean back slightly when doing lat pulldowns so that you can arch your upper back, however, you should keep the rest of your spine neutral.

Often, beginners have a difficult time growing their lats. Growing your lats may not be as easy as anyone can tell you. You really have to engage yourself more and for a longer period. It will take a little longer for the body to adapt to your new exercise.

Biceps. The biceps muscles (biceps brachii) of the upper arm are important working muscles and also provide a fine sense of width and bulk in conjunction with solid chest and shoulders.

You may have heard of Lats and Glutes, before, but those are just pieces of the Glats. The Lats, independently, are the largest muscles in your upper body. The Glutes are the biggest in the lower body. It only stands to reason that they would be the largest so they could do the most work.

The most common etiology of a winged scapula is usually due to damage or impaired innervation to the serratus anterior muscle. The nerve that innervates this muscle is the long thoracic nerve. Sometimes, this nerve can be damaged or impinged, leading to malfunction of the serratus anterior muscle.

Is it normal for shoulder bones to stick out?

Bone spurs (also called osteophytes) consist of excess bone growth around your joints, and are common in older adults. Bone spurs in the shoulders may develop as a result of degenerative joint conditions as well as injuries and general wear and tear.

WHAT CAUSES BROAD SHOULDERS? The length of the clavicle bone primarily determines the broadness of width at the shoulders. The clavicle varies in length depending on the gender of the person, with males usually having longer bones.

Surprisingly, tight lats can contribute to poor posture, as they connect your upper back to the front of your shoulder, causing you to adopt a rounded shoulders position.

If you want to isolate the lats muscles, then perform the lat pulldown, cable row, or the dumbbell row. If you want to grow a bigger back overall, use wide grip pull-ups or bent over rows. If you want to pack as much muscle as possible, then the T Bar row and Pendlay row are your friends.

From a kneeling position, sink your hips back and place your right forearm along the floor. Lean your weight onto your right arm and stretch out your left arm, reaching out through your fingertips. You'll feel a stretch along the side of your torso. Hold this position for a few seconds.

The average Lat Pulldown weight for a male lifter is 180 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Lat Pulldown? Male beginners should aim to lift 85 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

Pulling Down Too Far

Stop at the point where your elbows would need to go backward to continue pulling the cable down. If the elbows go backward, it will put excessive stress on the shoulder joint. You should only lower the bar to your chin or just below.

Q: How Wide Should My Lat Pulldown Bar Be? Your lat pulldown bar attachment should be 2 or 3 inches wider than your shoulder for effective wide-grip pulldowns.

Are my lats tight or weak?

A quick test you can do yourself is a squat with your arms overhead. Try and squat as deep as you can, keeping your heels on the ground. If you can keep your arms upright your lats are probably ok (pic a), but if they drop forward or your feel stiffness in your back (pic b), you most likely have a lat issue.

You'll usually feel it in your shoulder, back, or upper or lower arm. The pain will worsen when you reach forward, extend your arms, or reach overhead.

Note that one of the biggest mistakes is pulling the bar down too low. If you're pulling down to your stomach or feeling yourself lean backward to pull it down you're doing it wrong. In this case you may be using too little weight or too much, respectively. Another dangerous mistake is pulling the bar behind the head.

You should lean back slightly when doing lat pulldowns so that you can arch your upper back, however, you should keep the rest of your spine neutral.

Pull-ups target your back muscles primarily, specifically your lats, but also your chest and shoulder muscles. Compared to a chin-up, pull-ups better engage the lower trapezius muscles in your back, between your shoulder blades. The overhand grip of the pull-up improves posterior chain activation, says Sobuta.

Your arms must be straight before you pull yourself up. Hang on the bar with your elbows locked. Lower yourself all the way down between reps.

Jim Stoppani of the SimplyShredded.com adds that a wide grip is best for adding width to your back and targets the lats all the way down to their insertion point at the waist. With a wide-grip pulldown, your hands should be 2 to 3 inches wider than shoulder width.

The “hands over head” wall test is a simple test for assessing lat stiffness. Have your athlete against a wall, tuck their chin and flatten their back. Next, have them raise their arms overhead. If stiff, their lats will prevent the arms from reaching the top of the wall.

The lats can be a tricky muscle to stretch. Dead hangs put your lats into an extended position and provide a deep but comfortable stretch. More flexible lats will make exercises like overhead presses, chin-ups, and any overhead movement easier.