Lat exercises with dumbbells

There is a lot of information on building a broad back with recommendations for all sorts of exercises. One muscle group lat exercises with dumbbells has the most significant impact on how your back looks: the latissimus dorsi, commonly known as the lats. This article covers lats functions and anatomy, how to activate them, and 8 of the best dumbbell lat exercises to experiment with in your training.

Most lifters in the gym are familiar with their lats — the large, fan-shaped muscle that occupies most of your back. Well-developed lats enhance the breadth of your physique by filling the space between your rib cage and arms. The lats support your low back and transmit energy between your hips and shoulders during athletic endeavors. Finally, the lats are massive contributors to upper body pulling strength. Whether hoisting yourself over a wall at an obstacle course race or drawing in an opponent during a grappling sport, the lats are as useful as they are aesthetic.

Lat exercises with dumbbells

The lats also play an important role in any strength training program , adds Rob Wagener , a NASM-certified personal trainer. While there are specific machines that focus on the lats at the gym — like the lat pulldown — you can always reach this area with a set of dumbbells , says Lalitha McSorley, PT, a physical therapist and personal trainer at Brentwood Physio. This is one of the most fundamental dumbbell exercises for the lats , says TJ Mentus , a certified personal trainer. Another option is the reverse fly, a move that targets the lat muscles by working them in an eccentric contraction, McSorley says. Want a challenge? As a bonus, this move also targets your rhomboids, biceps , glutes, hamstrings, and rear deltoids. You could also focus on one side of your body at a time. Julie Bobek , a trainer at FlexIt , recommends this exercise to work the lats. She says it also adds some core work into the mix. To work your lats as well as your biceps, triceps, and pecs, try a lat pullover — a move McSorley is a fan of for upper body strength. Aerenhouts, D. A Randomized Parallel Trial. Fenwick, CM. Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. J Strength Cond Res.

There are many effective lat exercises to include in your training. Rather than rowing with your elbows flared out to your side, which targets the upper back more, you need to row with your elbows close to your sides and pull them down by your lat exercises with dumbbells, rather than just straight back.

When you think of lat exercises, you probably think about deadlifts, pushdowns, or lat pull-downs. But, did you know you can use dumbbells to effectively train this muscle area? Rows are a popular example, but there are plenty of dumbbell pull exercises you can try today. There are plenty of benefits that come with using dumbbells to train your lats. The main benefit is that it allows each arm and hand to function independently from each other through the entire range of motion.

Most lifters in the gym are familiar with their lats — the large, fan-shaped muscle that occupies most of your back. Well-developed lats enhance the breadth of your physique by filling the space between your rib cage and arms. The lats support your low back and transmit energy between your hips and shoulders during athletic endeavors. Finally, the lats are massive contributors to upper body pulling strength. Whether hoisting yourself over a wall at an obstacle course race or drawing in an opponent during a grappling sport, the lats are as useful as they are aesthetic. We all need a strong, substantial set of lats.

Lat exercises with dumbbells

Dumbbells prove to be competitive alternatives to cable machines when performing lat exercises and may be utilized through the following exercises: single-arm dumbbell rows, bent-over dumbbell rows, dumbbell pullovers, dumbbell Pendlay rows, renegade rows, and Kroc rows. And though most dumbbell lats exercises put the body in awkward positions, they are fantastic in building that V-shaped body most people covet. Except for the trapezius, it covers practically all of the back muscles at the posterior trunk. The lats belong to the superficial layer of the extrinsic back muscles, together with the levator scapulae, trapezius, and rhomboid muscles. The latissimus dorsi is considered a muscle that contributes to both thoracic chest and brachial arm motion.

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But how often should you hit lats for optimal results? Written by Philip Stefanov. The above are 8 of the best dumbbell lat exercises. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study. Chest-Supported Incline Row Dumbbell. You've likely seen this movement associated with chest training as well, as it, too, plays an important role in shoulder extension. While many people may "train" the lats, often this means doing some lat pull downs and calling it a day. For example, four sets of bent-over dumbbell rows might not be the best choice the day before or the day after a heavy deadlift session due to cumulative lower back strain. Using a neutral grip, pull your elbows up to the ceiling. Starting each repetition from a dead stop eliminates the stretch reflex the muscle contraction that results from passive stretching , reducing momentum and promoting better muscle activation. While this might look like someone is simply cheating to use more load, the Kroc row is an exercise that deliberately uses momentum. Focusing on the mind-muscle connection has been shown to be helpful for engaging the lats.

No problems! The dumbbell row is one of the best dumbbell lat exercises you can do.

The latissimus dorsi also adducts the shoulder, drawing your arm toward your midsection as during performance of a wide-grip pull-up or pullover. Bent-over row variations are numerous and include the classic dumbbell row. Although any form of light aerobic exercise works, an exercise that involves the upper body is preferable. Take Quiz. Read More. The reason? Row both weights toward your lower ribs with your palms facing each other. Fenwick, CM. View this post on Instagram. This activity serves to increase body temperature and promote general movement.