Best isolation for lats

[JLL]

Hey guys today was back day and I'm starting to notice my lats arent getting as used as the rest of me.  When do wide grip chins, rows and the pulldown machine I do feel them working but not as a whole if that makes sense.  I feel more strain in my rhomboid and right below my rear delts than any where else.  I want to feel that burn all the way down my lats.  I know pull with my elbows and all that, I use good form too.  I have noticed that when sitting in an arm chair if I place both elbows on arms and try to bring them to my waist I get the feel that I am looking for, however this would be an unacceptable exercise with no range of motion unless there is a machine that offers this type of movement.  Thanks in advance.

[Big_D]

Personally, I like to do single arm rows to get that stretch, I do the assisted t-bar row machine that you put freeweights on because it ensures that you keep strict form and squeeze your lats and I do pull downs with the straight bar attachment because it makes you stretch to get full range of motion(make  sure during every rep, the bar touches your chest).

Also, I don't speed through reps, I try to feel the muscle work each rep. I don't focus on how many seconds I keep the muscle under stress but I focus on the feel. What ever speed you can feel the muscle working is the tempo you should keep.

[Ursus]

Hey guys today was back day and I'm starting to notice my lats arent getting as used as the rest of me.  When do wide grip chins, rows and the pulldown machine I do feel them working but not as a whole if that makes sense.  I feel more strain in my rhomboid and right below my rear delts than any where else.  I want to feel that burn all the way down my lats.  I know pull with my elbows and all that, I use good form too.  I have noticed that when sitting in an arm chair if I place both elbows on arms and try to bring them to my waist I get the feel that I am looking for, however this would be an unacceptable exercise with no range of motion unless there is a machine that offers this type of movement.  Thanks in advance.

its because very close grip chins work best for your lats, contract more that way and the lower lats are stressed more

[smallbenchj]

try seated rows from a high pulley with a tricep rope hold for a two count at the bottom

[Carmello]

its because very close grip chins work best for your lats, contract more that way and the lower lats are stressed more

Goudy is right. Wide grip pull ups, and wide grip pull downs are not an effective mass builder for the lats. They never worked for me. Once I switched to a just wider than shoulder width grip, that's when those babies started working best, and started to grow. Also, there should be a hammer stregnth lat machine in your gym, use it after your pull ups or downs.

[Cavalier22]

this aint for lats necessarily, but you all ever do this old school exercise:  take the two handed grip thing from seated rows and wrap it around a pull up bar, than lift yourself to where your chest is almost touching the handles. really works your inner back i feel. very similar to just putting that close grip handles on a lat pulldown machine. 

anyone ever do these?

[Ursus]

Goudy is right. Wide grip pull ups, and wide grip pull downs are not an effective mass builder for the lats. They never worked for me. Once I switched to a just wider than shoulder width grip, that's when those babies started working best, and started to grow. Also, there should be a hammer stregnth lat machine in your gym, use it after your pull ups or downs.

most of the time my hands are touching or a an inch or 2 apart. try it. nothing to lose. i have never been able to do more than a few wide grip chins tho always felt they did more damage than good and worked the shoulders more???

[Jr. Yates]

no matter what back excercise i do i always get a massive pump and i can actually FEEL it working eversince i started pretending.  barbell rows never worked for me until i tried this.  I pretend my hands are "hooks" and when i contrat my back im pretending that im pinching someones finger. even with deadlifts.  works for me.

[brianX]

Bent over rows are probably the most effective lat exercise if done properly.

[LatsMcGee]

this aint for lats necessarily, but you all ever do this old school exercise:  take the two handed grip thing from seated rows and wrap it around a pull up bar, than lift yourself to where your chest is almost touching the handles. really works your inner back i feel. very similar to just putting that close grip handles on a lat pulldown machine. 

anyone ever do these?

Sternum chins,  I do these and love them.  One of my favorite back builders.  Another tip would be to work some pullovers into your routine after rowing. 

[Arnold jr]

its because very close grip chins work best for your lats, contract more that way and the lower lats are stressed more

I think like everything in training it varies with the individual.  Personaly I feel my lats working better with wide-grip chins.  I'd say nothing beats wide chins and bet-over bb rows for lats.

[haider]

Two words:
Lat Shrugs

I'll post up a description if you want. A lot of douchebags open up threads, ask questions, and never reply back after that. let me know if you are interested.

[Ledd]

Two words:
Lat Shrugs

I'll post up a description if you want. A lot of douchebags open up threads, ask questions, and never reply back after that. let me know if you are interested.

Please enlighten me.

[Cavalier22]

enlighten please

[onlyme]

Never heard of Lat Shrugs.  How the hell you do those.  I like the straight arm pulldowns.  Hits them great.  Wide grip pullups too.

[brianX]

Ron Harris likes them, so they must be useless.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ronharris18.htm

[haider]

no, thats not the version I'm talking about. theres 3 other I know of, 2 of which are liked most by people who do them. feeling lazy right now, but i will definitely post up descriptions and pics of the exercises Im talking about

[XS]

Drop all of your weights by 20% and learn how to intensely contract the muscles being used.  Negative only reverse grip chin , medium - close grip , 3 sets max time in fully contracted position.  Alternate these with Medium grip pulldowns every other week.    Follow this with across- bench db pullovers supersetted with straight arm pulldowns, 2 sets 10-12 reps each.  Huge exaggerated deep breath on pullovers and 2 second pauses in max contracted position on SA pulldowns.  Try to pull the bar through your freaking legs on each rep!!!!!  Close your eyes in the contracted position and  SQUEEZEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

You want lat isolation and a disgustingly intense pump and 3 day sore to the touch ache.   Hear it is.

Have fun.

XS

[XS]

Lat Shrugs*

By itself, USELESS.  After full ROM has been fatigued , Pour it ON.   DR.SQUAT "Fred Hatfield"  loves them as well. 

[Cavalier22]

xs


so do that with the rst of my back workout (deads, etc)?

[pumpster]

The lat isolation you're describing from pushing on the arm rests is similar to doing DB pullovers, Nautilus/machine pullovers or standing straight arm pulldowns on a lat machine-all are more intense, try them all and decide for yourself.

On pulldowns and chins, try medium and close grip.

[XS]

xs


so do that with the rst of my back workout (deads, etc)?

With Deads , sure.  Not much else.  Negatives cause huge inroads into your recovery ability.  If you're advanced, this will kick growth in the azzz.

[Luv2Hurt]

A little bit wider than shoulder width for pull up or pull downs is about right, it allows more rotation of the scapula

[oldtimer1]

I think more than any other body part the lats love a full range of motion.  On chins dead hang and then touch the bar to the top of your chest.   Just getting your chin over the bar is cheating yourself of a good 6 inches of motion. On seated cable rows let the weight really pull your lat out before the concentric pull.  On dumbbell rows let the dumbbell really pull your arm down to the bottom.  Control the negative.  Don't just drop the weight on the negative. The best Nautilus machine I have ever used is the pullover machine.  It really hits your lats without the weak link of your biceps.  Yates was rather fond of the Nautilus pullover. 

[MB]

I agree, machine pullovers are a good movement for lat isolation.  If performed as the first exercise on back day, they're a good warm up for the heavier exercises to follow.  Try them with a reverse grip (palms facing you) for a maximum contraction.