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Lats
Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Middle Back
Equipment: Machine
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: There are many options for stimulating the front and side delts, but it seems so many people can't bring up their rear delts at the same speed. I have found an exercise called cable, rope, rear-delt rows which does. For some reason people use bent-over laterals raises, and as they involve minimal weight, it encourages people to turn them into compound. As a result, all the tension is transferred onto the muscles of the upper back, and little rear-delt stimulation. Then others either just rely on compounds, or use upright rows, which actually target the traps, biceps and back just as much if not more so than the rear delts. So I discovered an exercise called the rear-delt cable row that stimulate this area better. Rear-delt rows also allow you to use a weight that is not possible on the only other isolation exercise for the rear-delt. To perform these rows, sit in the same position on a cable-row station as you would doing seated cable rows. Attach a rope to the pulley and grasp it with an overhand grip. Stretch your lats if you wish, stand upright and bring the weight in and upwards towards your neck. The trick is to extend your forearms upwards as you pull the weight to your neck, and at the end of the movement, your arms will finish in a bicep-pose with your lower arms parallel to the floor. By doing this, it activates the rear delts and allows for a peak contraction.
Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Works the lower lats. Sit at a lat pulldown machine or kneel in front of a cable pulley. Hold lat bar with hands about 8 inches apart. Start with arms extended overhead. Pull bar straight down until it is even with your upper chest. Return slowly to starting position. Do not swing or lean back!
Elevated Cable Rows
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Middle Back
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Get a platform of some sort that is around 4-6" in height (calf raise platform, aerobics platform etc). Place it on the seat of the cable row machine. Lean forward with a strong arch in your back. Keep this leaned forward position while pulling into your abs. This exercise hits the lower lats hard.
Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Either standing or seated on a high bench, grasp two stirrup cables that are attached to the high pulleys. Grab with the opposing hand so your arms are crisscrossed about you and your palms are facing forward. Keeping your chest up and maintaining a slight arch in your lower back, pull the handles down as if you were doing a regular pulldown. The range of motion will be more of an arc. During the movement, rotate your hands so that in the bottom position your palms face each other rather than forward. Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.
Gironda Sternum Chins
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
Equipment: Other
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Many have dubbed this the single best lat exercise ever invented! This involves leaning back throughout the entire movement. In this variation, the lower portion of the chest should touch the bar. Begin by grasping the pull-up bar with an underhand grip, approximately shoulder width apart. Now hang with your arms fully extended. As you pull yourself to the bar, have your head lean back as far away from the bar as possible and arch your spine throughout the movement. At the upper end of the movement, your hips and legs will be at about a 45-degree angle to the floor. You should keep pulling until your collarbone passes the bar and your lower chest or sternum area touches it. By the time you've completed the concentric portion of the movement; your head will be parallel to the floor.
Pullups
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps, Middle Back
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Reach up and grab the bar with a firm overhand grip. Your hands should be roughly twice your shoulder width apart. This helps work more of your lats, rather than your biceps. Straighten your arms and let your body hang from the bar. You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees and cross your feet. Slowly pull your body up to the bar so that the top of your chest nearly touches the bar and your chin is over the bar. Try to keep your body straight without arching or swinging. As you move upwards, focus on pulling your elbows down at an angle toward your rib cage. Once your lats have completely contracted at the top, slowly lower your body to the starting position. A spotter can lift your legs slightly if you need help on the last few reps. You can also add weight by using a special Dip Belt.
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Middle Back, Traps
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: These are a variation of the traditional seated cable row. By using a single attachment, you are able to get an incredible stretch on the lats, and additionally using one-arm allows you bring the weight in deeper and increases stress to the traps. To perform these, sit at a seated cable row station with you back erect, feet planted firmly against the pads and your knees only slightly bent. Attach a single attachment to the bottom, and grasp it in either hand. Make sure you are far away enough that you are able to feel a stretch along the outer lats. Bring the weight in towards that same side, keeping your back straight and your chest out. There is a really good opportunity to contract your lats, so bring the weight in all the way. It's an idea to twist your wrists from an underhand to an overhand grip, which you'll feel in your back.
Straight-Arm Pulldown
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: None
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Isolation
Tips: Stand in front of a lat pulldown bar with your arms outstretched towards the bar. Place your palms flat on the bar and pull it down to shoulder level. Keeping your elbows slightly bent and your wrists locked, pull the bar down towards your body in an arcing motion. Once you contracted the lats fully and the bar has touched or come close to your thighs, slowly allow the bar to come back up to the starting position. Keep your torso erect!
Underhand Cable Pulldowns
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps
Equipment: Cable
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Grasp a cable bar from a high pulley with an underhand grip. Sit with thighs under supports. Pull down cable bar to upper chest until elbows are to the sides. Return until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat. Do not lean back!
Up Right Row - With Bands
Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: Other
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Stand on band so that the tension begins with arms at sides. Pull upwards as you would with a barbell upright row.
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