One thing I struggled with ever since I was a kid and now to adulthood was my back, I was laughed at, people said I walked like an old lady! Really sad though, would definitely be one of the blips in my life, but I couldn’t hold it any longer, decided to do a research on what could be of help, so, I recently stumbled upon a particular kind of exercise that’s devoted to your back. At first, I ignored it because I thought it was like the other usual thing I read online, but that was many years ago (about 7 years precisely), I’m not laughed at anymore, why? Because I had a change of heart and decided to go for the exercise.
The new turn in my life thanks to the Lat exercises has inspired me to share with you what I’ve learned so far and even if you do this form of exercise too, One thing I know for sure is that you’ve not done these ones before.
if you need that V-shaped back, straight and strength for your back, here are some of the exercises that you need to add to your daily routine. Hey! you can always thank me later, just try all first.
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The Seated Low-Cable Row.
When doing this exercise, make sure you are pulling with your elbows and not your lower back – that’s important if you want to get the result you need. By allowing your lats to stretch forward, you will get a full stretch in the upper part of your body, and when you are pulling back, you shouldn’t go beyond 90-degrees.
Ensure your chest is high when you are doing the back movement back movement, if not, there is a high probability that you will be pulling the cable with your biceps – we don’t want that.
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Single-Arm Smith Machine Row.
This type of lats exercise tend to focus more on the lower lats, I’m not saying this should be your major row variation, just see as one of those exercises that adds more mass on your back and not to forget the stretch at the lower part. How it’s done? Make sure the weight bar is locked in a set path, the place is there and start pulling with your elbow, and just because you are pulling with your elbow, it will channel the pressure to your lower lats. It isn’t really about controlling the weight!
I will advise that you make sure the weight doesn’t get close to your side while you pull it up, and before lifting, you can always squeeze your upper part to make it tough and hard (by squeezing), maintain that state for a while and count from a particular number before dropping the weight.
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Kneeling Isolateral Cable Pull – Down
Instead of using the last pulldown station, you will need a Cross-over station or the FreeMotion type for this one, this doesn’t require lifting much weight as you won’t have a way to support yourself on the ground. The aim is to push down on those lats by the pumping movement with your knees placed between two upper pulleys.
To get the movement right you will need to set the cables to the top position, take off the two handles, all you need are the rubber balls. Take each ball on both hands (by placing it between your thumb and index finger). Now to the action part, you will have to keep yourself in the middle of the two cables, you don’t want one side feeling heavier than the other. Rotate both arms mildly underhand, gently drive your elbows back to your sides. These reps shouldn’t be done too much, make it move from moderate to high, let’s just say 10 – 15.
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Decline Dumbbell Pullover
This is my favorite! The decline Dumbbell Pullover focuses on the lats compared to the flat – bench version, it also reduces the pressure felt by the chest when you are in this position and because the bench is slightly declined, you tend to have more motion and an under tension on your lats.
If you want to get the best out if this move, you will need a declined bench that is really declined at 45-degree angle, place a single dumbbell on the ground at the base of the bench where your head is placed, make sure your legs are really hooked under the rest, while in a rest position, reach for the dumbbell with both arms, while your elbows need to be unlocked and stay in the same position, now pull the dumbbell with back till it gets to the front.
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Reverse – Grip Lat Pull-Down
This movement requires you to sit, pull the bar back to your chest, and because you are seated at a natural angle, pulling with your elbow won’t be a difficult thing to do. Your elbows while pulling down should give you a full contraction and while you are at the top of the rep you can stretch your head forward towards your arm, that right there is what stretches your lats.
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Negative Pull up
The last exercise on my list is the Negative pull up, its’ not new, I know, but there is something about it that I really like. The technique applied doesn’t focus on the concentric action, what you have here is an exercise that focuses on the eccentric contraction. When you oppose the negative force (or resist it), it gives a powerful stretch to your lat’s fiber.
There are different machines for lat workouts, you just have to be conversant with all of them before you start the last exercise. I’m sure at the end of it all, you will have the kind of back that would be worth envying, just like mine. Just one more thing, don’t push too hard, the whole idea is to build the back without paying attention to the back, I hope you’ll understand.
