# Struggling to hit lats...



## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

...or at least I think I am. Whenever I train a bodypart, chest, legs etc I can always feel it at the time and often the day after as well, but I never ever get this with my back. I feel it a lot in my biceps but I'm assuming this is because it is a much smaller muscle than the lats / back muscles in general.

Any tips?

Current back workout (before triceps):

Lat pulldowns / assisted pullups (I am a fat ****)

Good mornings / back extensions

db row, usually on a bench if it's free.

Incline pull machine.

I've tried cable pulldowns wide / close but again struggle to feel any good isolation in the back muscles.

On another note, I've got a dodgy lower back so should I go get it diagnosed / fixed at the doctor before attempting deadlifts?


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## G-man99 (Jul 15, 2008)

Be interested to see the answers to this mate as I feel the same.

I do wide grip pull ups, db rows, close grip seated rows and lat pull down nice and controlled but very rarely feel anything in my back or much growth compared to other body parts.

I can't do deadlifts either due to lower back injury from doing deadlifts!!!


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

T-Bar rows i can feel in my lats whilst doing them. Them and narrow grip seated cable rows. OP, are you using an under or over hand grip?


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## biglbs (Jan 26, 2012)

I have a back injury too,however i do rack pulls to get around it,day b4 yesterday 220k and my whole back is doms ville,revers grip bent over rows Yates style too,both great if you use enough weight imo!


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## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

engllishboy said:


> T-Bar rows i can feel in my lats whilst doing them. Them and narrow grip seated cable rows. OP, are you using an under or over hand grip?


Overhand for pulldowns mate.

Thanks for the advice guys keep it coming!


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## guvnor82 (Oct 23, 2011)

think my backs improved more doing heavy t-bar row more then anything

always changing my workout but always keep 2 t row in in the back workout as feel they work great.

normally t row followed by a cable exercise either pull down or seated row normally has my lats cooking by then.


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## Gary29 (Aug 21, 2011)

I never get doms or soreness in my lats either mate, wish I did as it just 'feels' better like you haven't wasted your time, even though I know doms aren't necessary for growth.


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

Used to have this problem, but now when I lift I focus more on bringing my elbows back/down (rather than just gunning out the set.

Example: with pull ups I concentrate on getting my elbows to touch my torso instead of just going up and down mindlessly lol.

Works for me anyway 

P.S a good squeeze/contraction at the top of the movement wouldn't go amiss either


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Is difficult to feel the lats for many people, you definitely aren't alone.

What helped me most was doing exercises that come as close as possible to isolating the lats - bent arm close grip pullovers and straight arm pulldowns. Both of these exercises hit the lats well with a good feel, and help build a good mind muscle connection.

Also if you choose one of them and do it first in your back routine then it kind of works almost like pre exhaust and helps you feel the lats more in following exercises. Just 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps is plenty.


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## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

Gym doesn't have a t bar jobby. Bar in the corner trick with close grip handle do the job?


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## GShock (May 1, 2011)

Is there any good in training biceps first to pre-exhaust them and put more work into the lats :confused1:


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

i get best mind muscle connection to the lats by doing pull downs with the v handle


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## chrisw1980 (Oct 21, 2007)

I do a triset with the following exercises 1x20 Lat pulldowns 1x20 Staright arm pulldowns 1x20 under arm pulldowns 1 min rest then do a following 2 more sets 3 in total, then do 2 heavy working sets x 10-12. Finish off with Deadlifts and bent over rows always feel it hit the lats


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## Jayboogie (Mar 23, 2012)

Single arm chin ups burn my lats like they are being BBQd. :cursing:

You could try changing the lat bar to a rope for single arm pull downs.

Always do weakest arm first.


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

GShock said:


> Is there any good in training biceps first to pre-exhaust them and put more work into the lats :confused1:


Not really mate, it will mean that your biceps will give out and cause you to hit failure before your lats have been exhausted.

Better to try and isolate the back prior e.g. straight arm pull downs supersetted with lat pull down.

This is what i think anyhow......


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## Phez (Sep 2, 2009)

Jayboogie said:


> Single arm chin ups burn my lats like they are being BBQd. :cursing:
> 
> You could try changing the lat bar to a rope for single arm pull downs.
> 
> Always do weakest arm first.


There's no point in doing single arm chins, waaaaaaaaaay to easy :whistling:


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## Jayboogie (Mar 23, 2012)

Phez said:


> There's no point in doing single arm chins, waaaaaaaaaay to easy :whistling:


You could always add some body weights if that's the case:  big man

Leaning back when doing chins helps to isolate the back muscles. But as the OP stated he has trouble with chins.


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## Gym n juice (Nov 20, 2010)

Yates row.tight form, no bouncing, slow neg and big squeeze at the top of the movement.


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## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

Gym n juice said:


> Yates row.tight form, no bouncing, slow neg and big squeeze at the top of the movement.


I've done those a few times. Quite like them, seems a good movement. Just a straight bb the best choice? Or is there some trick of using ez or something.


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## Queenie (May 30, 2013)

Phez said:


> Used to have this problem, but now when I lift I focus more on bringing my elbows back/down (rather than just gunning out the set.
> 
> Example: with pull ups I concentrate on getting my elbows to touch my torso instead of just going up and down mindlessly lol.
> 
> ...


This!

If u bring your elbows down rather than concentrate the movement on your hands/wrists... You'll feel it in your lats for sure. Stretch at the top. Job done x x


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## Readyandwaiting (Mar 20, 2011)

use your hands as grips/hooks and pull with the elbows.

Hope that makes sense. Just because you don't feel that burn doesn't mean to say it's not hitting the lats just fine.

Just manipulate the movement to feel it in the area if you want.

I would say don't go too heavy or too light but go light enough on the first set of an exercise to gauge how it feels and work from there.


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## TS99 (Dec 27, 2011)

a.notherguy said:


> i get best mind muscle connection to the lats by doing pull downs with the v handle


^^

I feel my back pumped after back exercises, its more technique before weight but i guess i do have my 65 year old ex bodybuilder personal trainer watching my every move and if my technique is wrong ill get his walking stick dug into my back..


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## TS99 (Dec 27, 2011)

RXQueenie said:


> This!
> 
> If u bring your elbows down rather than concentrate the movement on your hands/wrists... You'll feel it in your lats for sure. *Stretch at the top*. Job done x x


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## Gym n juice (Nov 20, 2010)

vtec_yo said:


> I've done those a few times. Quite like them, seems a good movement. Just a straight bb the best choice? Or is there some trick of using ez or something.


When going lighter an not using straps the ez bar really hits the lats hard! If I'm going heavy ill use an oly bar an staps.


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## huge monguss (Apr 5, 2011)

vtec_yo said:


> Gym doesn't have a t bar jobby. Bar in the corner trick with close grip handle do the job?


Yippp :thumb:


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## BigTrev (Mar 16, 2008)

i watch emmerdale with the mrs and after throwing the flat screen out the window i find it stretches my lats great,,,


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## exalta (Jul 23, 2009)

biglbs said:


> I have a back injury too,however i do rack pulls to get around it,day b4 yesterday 220k and my whole back is doms ville,revers grip bent over rows Yates style too,both great if you use enough weight imo!


What kind of back injury do you have? Is it disc related, and if so, how did you progress [back] to doing rack pulls?


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

if you dont already try setting the bench to a slight incline when doing DB rows

worked for me


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## baggsy1436114680 (Jan 23, 2010)

im the opposite i find it hard to hit the middle of the back, i feel my lats on virtually every back exercise to some degree


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## gettingLEAN (Aug 8, 2009)

I always do a big set 30reps light-ish on lat pull downs to start and i really find this helps to engage my lats ready for my session feels like it gets that mind to muscle link connected, form is always key and most importantly on back imo i seen tons of people in gym training back and you can just tell by there form they are missing out so much from engaging the back muscles.

Go a bit lighter mate and really feel for that connection would be my best advice, because like i said i believe its really easy to train back without actually training it.


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

The only other thing l can ask is do you feel your going heavy enough ?


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

On the pull downs,

Hold them at three quarters on the way back up for a split second, then stretch out and back down. This gives me a great pull.


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## misterlee (Mar 1, 2012)

I try to put in a session of drop sets for my back every so often. Just to get that real burn. Works best for wide and close pull downs. Although the biceps pump can get a bit much...


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## skullbowling (Jan 3, 2012)

i probably shouldn't be commenting because i don't know much at all about the subject,

but what i do is really concentrate on my form even if the weights are pathetic!

i try and stay as upright as possible without swinging etc.

then i pull down with the lats only, slow and controlled, squeeze my shoulder blades together tight as i can, and stretch out at the top,

i basically don't use my arms for the movement,

i certainly feel it in my back!

sorry should've said this is with lat pulldowns


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## H22civic (Oct 6, 2009)

Lats are easily the hardest muscle to 'feel' when working out. My advice to anyone whos having problems hitting their back muscles properly is to look up bodybuilding poses like lat spread, front lat spread, front double biceps etc. Then practice hitting them over and over again, every day whenever you get a chance keep practicing at flaring and squeezing your lats. Over time youll gain alot better control of you back muscles which is the key to a good workout.

Once you can 'use' your lats youll never have a bad workout again or that feeling that your biceps are doing all the work. Youll be able to pick any set of exercises without having to worry about what will isolate your lats the best and youll be able to feel every rep instantly.


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## Pardoe (Mar 26, 2012)

smash the wide pullups and tbar row heavy as fvck!


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## NoGutsNoGlory (Jun 11, 2009)

Chins are the #1 for lats.

Pulldowns and pullups work muscles further up the back.


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## maxie (Jan 31, 2011)

Pick a pulldown and a row and do them for month after month gradually increasing the weight,you will get that good at doing them that you will learn how to lift with your back.

Like milky says you can fart about with the light weights trying to feel your lats when they need the bigger weights.

Failing that watch this vid:laugh:


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