Exercise

July 15, 2009

Targeting the Lats

I’m often asked if there is a way to target the upper vs. lower aspects of the latissimus dorsi (lats). The answer: a qualified, “Yes.” To understand why, a little anatomy is in order.

The lats are one of the largest muscles in the body with attachments at the spine, scapula (shoulder blade), pelvis and humerus (upper arm bone). Because of these multiple attachments, the lat fibers are arranged in different directions, from almost perpendicular at the upper region to almost parallel with the body in the lower region. Since muscles are maximally stressed when an exercise moves in line with its fibers, the following protocols apply to lat training:

Close grip pulldowns (or chins) target the lower region of your lats. The lower lat fibers are basically straight up and down, running virtually parallel with the body. Thus, using a close grip keeps the line of pull in conjunction with the lower fibers. Wide grip pulldowns (or chins), on the other hand, are best for targeting the upper portion of your lats. The upper lat fibers run in an oblique fashion, fanning out at a sharp angle. Avoid using a hand spacing that’s significantly past shoulder length, though. Doing so restricts your range of motion which ultimately results in suboptimal development.

In final analysis, while both variations of the lat pulldown and chin up are effective in developing the lats and should be utilized in your routine, wide grip movements will focus a little more on the upper portion—the area most associated with back width. As far as performance, make sure to achieve a complete stretch at the start of the movement, bring the weight down in a controlled manner and forcefully squeeze your shoulder blades together at the finish. Focus on keeping continuous tension on your target muscles throughout the movement and you’ll derive maximum benefits.

Stay Fit!

Brad

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