Fitness 365 » Lat Exercises

Gorilla Chin/Crunch

jason — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:47:42 +0000

Main Muscle Worked: Lats
Other Muscles Worked: Biceps,Abdominals
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound
Tips: Hang from a chinning bar with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and your hands about 12 inches apart with an underhand grip. Pull yourself up with your arms and crunch your knees up at the same time. You should finish the chin and crunch at the same time. When fully contracted, your note will be at the bar and your knees will be pulled up to your chest. Slowly reverse the movement and return to the starting position. You can also do this with a dumbbell or medicine ball between your feet or with a weight attached to a dip belt around your waist. When you have mastered this, try hanging from only one arm and grasp your wrist with your free hand. This works more of your obliques.

Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown

admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:52:46 +0000

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.

Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown

admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:52:08 +0000

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!