How To Make Your Lat Exercises More Effective!

If you opt to do the Lat Pulldowns Behind the Neck, be sure not to drop your head forward or hunch your upper torso forward in an effort to touch the bar to the back of your neck. If you find yourself doing this, generally it will mean that the exercise poundage is too heavy. There are a couple of techniques you can apply o this exercise or any exercise for a particular muscle group which will keep you from using too heavy a weight and having to cheat your way to a completed rep. If you want to make each set of lat exercises 200% more intense, you can do so by:

1. Performing 3-5 second contractions and extensions. Both the contraction and extension of the resisting movement should take 3 to 5 seconds on each and every rep in the full range of the muscle action. It is a very good idea to do super low reps from time to time at the rate of 10 seconds in the contraction phase and 5 seconds in the lower phase.

2. Total Stop Pauses. On each and every third rep, stop the rep at some particular range of the movement. If you can't, then the poundage is too heavy.

Exercises for acquiring incredible thickness and density in the middle back would include those movements in which the elbows are allowed to travel back, behind the plane of the upper body. These exercises include Barbell Bent Over Rowing (Always pull elbows higher than leveled flat back arched position.) and it's variations. Seated Horizontal Long and Short Pulley Rows with Handles, and Leverage (T-Bar) Rowing. With these particular exercises, there is a slouching effect which is caused by a phenomenon known as flexion-relaxation especially when the body is bent over and not supported. Ideally, the upper body should be kept at a high angle of flexion during rowing motion type exercises.

Another situation that will cause a slouching forward effect while rowing is if the lumbar region is pre-fatigued from previous lower back exercise such as the Close grip "Sumo" squat dead-lift. Therefore, to maintain proper exercise form, it is a very good idea to adapt the interdependency of muscle group principle where you work the lats, and middle back at the beginning of your exercise program and then finish off your back routine last by working the lower lumbar (Erector Spinae Group) with deadlifts and hyperextensions etc.

I have talked to quite a few bodybuilders and they have told me that they just can't get the proper stimulation and pump from their lat exercises. After watching them, I can see why. Most bodybuilders use their biceps too much when doing lat work and should learn to pull with the lats exclusively, bending the arms only when they have top. This can be accomplished very efficiently by using a "false" or thumbless grip, Conway Lat Straps, Power straps or Joe Meeko Power Grips.

These items will take direct bicep action out of the movement (by keeping the palms high on the bar) and allow for more pure pulling with the strength of the lats only. Another way to arouse lat width and thickness is to arouse lat width and thickness is to hold each contraction for a count of six seconds on perhaps every third rep (on Lat Machine Pulldowns, hold the bar at the base of the neck for six seconds), while mentally visualizing yourself squeezing an apple between your rotated shoulder blades.

One of the tricks to force the lats to do more work is by performing what is called scapular rotations. Larry Scott, two time Mr. Olympia describes this rather unique exercise in his new best selling book Loaded Guns. This book can be purchased at: www.biophase.com.

I will now outline a few back training programs for unlocking the Secrets to Rapid Development for strength, width and thickness.