How to train your lats

The wings that make your back look wide and your pull strong

Open in MyoAmigo →

Anatomy

The latissimus dorsi is a broad, flat muscle that originates along the lower spine and iliac crest and inserts at the upper humerus. It is the primary muscle responsible for pulling the arm down and back: shoulder adduction, extension, and internal rotation. Well-developed lats create the V-taper silhouette and are the engine behind pull-ups, rows, and any overhead pulling movement. They also play a key role in spinal stability, particularly in deadlifts and pressing movements.

How to train it

Vertical pulling (pull-ups, lat pulldowns) emphasizes shoulder adduction; horizontal pulling (rows) emphasizes shoulder extension. Both are needed for full lat development. Pull-ups and chin-ups are among the best lat exercises because they load the muscle through a full range under your own bodyweight. Aim for 3–5 sets of vertical pulls and 3–5 sets of horizontal rows per week, in the 6–15 rep range. The most common mistake: pulling with the arms instead of initiating with the lats. Think of your hands as hooks and drive your elbows down toward your hips.

Coaching cues

• Depress your shoulder blades before the first pull
• Drive elbows to your back pockets, not just down
• Fully extend at the top. Do not cut the stretch short
• Lean back slightly and pull to the upper chest

Staple lats exercises

All lats exercises (39)

• Band Assisted Pull-Up
• Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
• Cable Incline Pushdown
• Catch and Overhead Throw
• Chair Lower Back Stretch
• Chin-Up
• Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown
• Dynamic Back Stretch
• Elevated Cable Rows
• Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown
• Gironda Sternum Chins
• Kipping Muscle Up
• Kneeling High Pulley Row
• Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row
• Latissimus Dorsi-SMR
• Leverage Iso Row
• London Bridges
• Muscle Up
• One Arm Against Wall
• One Arm Lat Pulldown
• One Handed Hang
• Overhead Lat
• Overhead Slam
• Pullups
• Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns
• Rope Climb
• Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown
• Shotgun Row
• Side To Side Chins
• Side-Lying Floor Stretch
• SkiErg
• Straight-Arm Pulldown
• Underhand Cable Pulldowns
• V-Bar Pulldown
• V-Bar Pullup
• Weighted Pull Ups
• Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
• Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck
• Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up

Train it with MyoAmigo

MyoAmigo's MyoMap heatmap shows your lats volume against an evidence-based weekly band, so you can see at a glance whether you're under-training it. See also how many sets per muscle per week and the training guides.

← All muscle groups · Browse all exercises