Latissimus Dorsi
Target Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi
Pro Tips: Pull your elbows into your body and stick your chest up and out, trying to touch the bar. Lower slowly over 2-3 seconds, working the eccentric portion of the exercise
Make sure you go all the way down, extending at the elbows and shoulders and feel a stretch in your upper back and shoulders.
Wide pull ups isolate the latissimus dorsi and works it through a large range of motion. The stretch at the bottom, the new range that you are working will stimulate growth. This wide grip minimizes the biceps involvement and challenges the lats strength. The wide pull ups are the hardest of the pull ups. This movement is a great stretch of your shoulder joint and is very important in your shoulder health.
- Grasp the handles wide, adjust according to your wing span
- Lower your body completely, get a great stretch on the lats
- Without pause, pull your elbows into your body and stick your chest up and out, trying to touch the bar
- Towards the peak of the movement, look at the ceiling above
- Lower slowly over two seconds, working the eccentric portion of the exercise to maximize muscle gain
- Make sure you go all the way down, extending at the elbows and shoulders before pull up
- Focus on feeling the lats, the outside muscles of the upper back, get a good pump and burn, wear the lats out
- If you are limited by grip strength use a wrist strap to place the focus on the upper back and not your forearm strength
