February Tips By Nic 2009

The latissimus dorsi - or the “lat” - is the muscle that wraps around your oblique and takes up the  majority of your back and under your arm pit. This is where a lot of people hold their ‘fat’, and believe it or not, working this muscle can actually help you strengthen your chest muscles. As with most exercise, you are working more than one muscle at a time, but try to isolate as much as you can. This will provide you with sculpting and toning you are looking for.

Lat Pull Down

1.  The most effective is, of course, the lat pull down. That’s the machine with the long curved handle on a cable machine. Hold the bar with palms facing away from you and a bit wider than your shoulders.
2.  Pull down with the bar in front of you to your chest. (Not Behind Your Head - this puts too much stress on the neck)
3.  Pause with the bar to your chest.
4.  Release to start position above your head and start again.
5. There are some machines you can perform this exercise one arm at a time. This is the preferred method - as the dominant side will automatically take over when using two arms.

** Do not let bar raise you out of your seat - if it does lower the weight.
Start with 3 sets of 5 - increase to 3 sets of 8 - 3 sets of 10 or 2 of 12

Back Row

1. This machine allows you to isolate the back muscles, which support the latissimus dorsi.
2. This machine can usually be found near the cables in your gym, but ask if you’re not sure.
3. Sit with feet shoulder length apart on the plate provided or on the ground, and arms extended to grab handles and begin exercise.
4. Keeping back straight and stomach in, bring arms slightly past torso.
5. Pause before extending arms for another rep.
6. Again, there are some machines that allow you to perform this exercise one arm at a time.

Same sets and reps.

Overhead Row

1. Perform this exercise lying on a bench with a weighted bar.
2. With arms slightly wider than shoulder length apart hold bar in front of you, above chest.
3. Keeping arms straight, abdominal contracted, lower bar overhead and pause.
4. Breathe out as you bring bar back above your chest.

*If you have low back issues, place both feet on bench. With no back issues, place feet on ground.
**This exercise can also be performed with free weights.
***Same set and reps to start

**Other muscles worked: trapezius, shoulders and biceps.