lats

lat pulls. I see so many in the gym who i feel do this incorrectly. I have good size lats, and rhomboids so i feel im somewhat successful using this exericse.  I was telling a guy that by doing lighter weight, wider grip, he would isolate his lats. he told me the trainer from the gym showed him how to do the exericse, which when i watched him he ended basically leaning back at about 70 degees at the bottom of his pull.my question is when doing lat pull downs(to the front) is it true the more leaning back you do the more it involves the rhomboids, and the more vertical you are the more it involves the lats.

It is, although you shouldn't really be trying to isolate rhomboids in a lateral pulldown. But any exercise which involves a horizontal pull into the abdomen isolates rhomboids (and if he's leaning back it becomes horizontal) - they are really just supposed to be synergists in what should be a vertical pull exercise

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Heavy deads, heavy rows, and heavy pull-ups will build the lats much more then trying to isolate them by doing light weight lat pull-downs.  

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brihead301


Heavy deads, heavy rows, and heavy pull-ups will build the lats much more then trying to isolate them by doing light weight lat pull-downs.  

Word. ^

I normally dedicate a day though (I'm a hypocrite, I know) to about 20 reps of light pulldowns, since I can't do 20 pullups yet.

It's fairly stereotypical of me but I find that I'm getting closer to 20 rep pullups when I can do 20 reps with more weight on pulldowns.

Overall pullups and chin-ups should be your prime concern for building lats, barbell rows too. I row with a supinated grip and pinch my shoulder blades together at the top of of the concentric action though, I feel a bit better contraction with that.

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brihead301


Heavy deads, heavy rows, and heavy pull-ups will build the lats much more then trying to isolate them by doing light weight lat pull-downs.  

HELLZ YA!  what up man. been a while.  i gotta bring back the beast mode!! i've been fallin behind. 

deads, heavy bent-over-rows and hella pullups will get your lats goin

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Agreed ^

Heavy bent over BB rows and wide grip chins are BY FAR the best thing you can do for your lats.

I occasionally do the lat pull down but only after ive done chins and bent over rows, and i make sure i concentrate on getting the best possible contraction of the muscle through the entire range of motion.  when i do the lat pull down i stay verticle for the entire rep just until the bar reaches around 3-6 inches from my chest, then i stick my chest out and really feel my lats tighten up... hope that helps mate

agreed, rows and pull ups by far the best.

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Are cable rows as productive as BB Bent over rows? If not, what are some tips that will allow one to get the most out of cable rows?

Cable rows take the core out of the lift. I would still opt. for BB rows or t-bar rows.

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Sometimes I like to do chest supported rows, my back just needs a break especially when I work my lower back with legs two other days of the week.

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thats my problem with rows, just overworks my lower back in context with deadlifts & squats.

The lower back will take more stress if the elbows are pointed behind (unless the grip is supinated).

With pronated grip you'd want to keep your elbows at 180 degrees and that should keep your posterior delts and lats stimulated.

The lower backs contraction is only isometric.

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