Muscle Breakdown: Latissimus Dorsi
Table of Contents
What Are the Latissimus Dorsi
The latissimus dorsi are the largest and longest spanning muscles in the upper body with several unique functions. The muscles start from the very top of your hip bone and run it’s way all the up, the back and the sides of the torso attaching to your arms. They provide that all-important v-taper or Dorito look to the body. So growing your lats will make you appear much more athletic and built when compared to having underdeveloped ones. Don’t worry, in this article. We will break down everything you will need to know about the latissimus dorsi.
Latissimus Dorsi Function
Due to the muscle crossing over so many bones and joints, the latissimus dorsi perform various functions. And also fulfil a crucial role in nearly every exercise. Some of these functions also change depending on the alignment of the arm. (which will be covered in the insertion section of this article) Due to the varying degrees of movement, I will be categorizing it based on which joints the lats affect.
Shoulder Joint
Extension
Hyperextension
Internal rotation
Flexion (when the arm is behind the torso)
The functions listed are the prime mover in any pulling motion. (ie. Rows and pull-ups)
Scapula/Shoulder Blade
Scapular Depression
Many exercises require your scapulas to be in a depressed position. Think of Un-shrugging your shoulder or tucking your shoulder blades into your back pocket. This is not only the strongest but also the safest position in most exercises. Like the Bench press, Pull-ups, rows, deadlifts and squats.
Spine
Lateral flexion of the spine
Extension of the spine
Stabilization of the spine
The latissimus dorsi functions also to keep your back straight when you’re exercising by isometrically contracting to prevent unwanted spinal movements. It also ties into the thoracolumbar fascia which we will explain more in the origins section.
Rib Cage
Assist in breathing
Latissimus Dorsi Origin and Insertion
Latissimus Dorsi Origins
Here we can see the Latissimus Dorsi have many origins contributing to its many functions:
Thoracic vertebrae 7 down towards Lumbar 5
Iliac crest
Ribs 9-12
The inferior angle of the scapula
Thoracolumbar fascia
Why is the TLF important?
The thoracolumbar fascia is a large span of tissue over your lower back. It acts like a weightlifting belt by creating tension and stability throughout your spine. You can maximize your core bracing, by flexing your latissimus dorsi.
Latissimus Dorsi Insertion
The bicipital groove of the humerus
Bench Press & It’s Association with the Latissimus Dorsi
The latissimus dorsi insert on the medial/inner side of the humerus this orientation allows for the latissimus dorsi to replace its function. Once the arm goes behind the torso the lats perform flexion of the shoulder. Making the latissimus dorsi a pushing muscle, up until the arm passes the body. Proper cueing and engagement can help make the bench press stronger. Think about pulling the bar apart during the bench press to get the latissimus dorsi engaged.
Latissimus Dorsi Pain & Injuries
Strains
Though latissimus dorsi aren’t commonly injured, it is possible to strain your lat muscle from either overtraining or lifting a weight you aren’t prepared for. Likely due to overuse or improper technique. Be mindful of any sport that requires repeated contraction of the lat muscles for long extended periods of time. This can lead to overtraining. In addition, if you are new to a sport or skill. Contracting your latissimus dorsi at a very fast rate creates a lot of stress on the muscle itself. I recommend adequate amounts of rest and recovery to prevent overtraining. And easing your way into a new sport & skill until you have adapted to the movement you’re learning. Though rare it does occur in these populations.
Gymnast
Rower
Swimmer
Baseball
Axe throwing/chopping
Overhead workers
Maximize Your Latissimus Dorsi Growth
What’s Better for the Latissimus Dorsi, Wide Grip Vs Narrow Grip?
When it comes to growing the latissimus dorsi there is a huge myth surrounding what is the best grip for Lat growth. We frequently see people use wide grips because they want wider latissimus dorsi; this is not the case. According to research, the optimal grip is anywhere between shoulder width or 1.5x shoulder-width. The latissimus dorsi favour the extension and hyperextension functions. This is due to the fibre alignment pulling from origin to insertion.
When we utilize a wide grip, our shoulder performs a greater degree of adduction then extension. In addition, the latissimus dorsi work as a synergist to the Teres major. The Teres major prefers to perform adduction instead of an extension. So, in turn, when using a wide grip, it is actually working more Teres major. This isn’t an undesirable thing since the Teres major provides the back with a thicker appearance.
Feel Your Latissimus Dorsi When You Engage Them
An overlooked concept when maximizing growth is developing a good mind-muscle connection. You want to feel the muscle you’re working, don’t just go through the motions.
To maximize the engagement of your latissimus dorsi during any pulling motion avoid trying to curl your lifts. Alternatively, think about leading with your elbows when you’re doing any lat exercise. Focus on bringing your elbows back and behind the body during a horizontal pull. And elbows down and into your sides for a vertical pull.
Use a preactivation exercise during your warm-up. Prior to doing your lat training perform a pre-activation exercise. Focus on feeling a really good squeeze and try to get your latissimus dorsi to carry out all the work. During a preactivation don’t fatigue you want to stimulate not annihilate.
Latissimus Dorsi Exercises
Pull Ups / Pull Up Progressions
Pull-ups are widely considered to be the king of upper body exercises. The reason the pull up is so effective is it takes the latissimus dorsi through a full range of motion. Starting from an overhead position all the way to full extension. In addition, performing a pull up requires tremendous amounts of core stability. If that isn’t enough the pull-ups also hit the arms making them a very time effective exercise.
What if I can’t do a pull-up?
Pull-ups have a steep strength curve you either can or can’t perform a pull-up. That’s where progression can come in handy. We have an article on pull-up progressions, helping you get to your first pull up.
What if pull-ups are easy
If pull-ups are easy, you can perform weighted pull-ups. Having a weighted belt or placing a dumbbell between your legs can give you that added difficulty.
Pulldowns
Pulldowns similar to pull-ups bring the latissimus dorsi through a full range of motion. Pulldowns are an alternative for those who can’t perform a pull-up since you can adjust the weight. Though, there is significantly less core activation when doing pull downs when compared to pull-ups. Supplementing in additional core work can help balance that out.
Barbell, Pendlay, Landmine Rows
Barbell rows or pendlay rows like pull-ups should be a staple of any lat building routine. Since it allows you to take the latissimus dorsi into hyperextension (i.e. arms behind the body) providing a further stimulus for lat growth. Keep in mind the further the forward lean, the greater the range of motion. So working your way towards a forward lean (ie pendlay row) would be ideal for lat building
Dumbbell Row
No workout is complete without a single arm exercise. Dumbbell rows have the same benefits as a barbell row but you can focus on the weaker side of your body. I recommend starting on your weaker side and matching the number of reps on the other arm.
Inverted Row
Inverted rows are the push-up equivalent for the back. This is a great exercise since it’s easy to find your intensity. The greater the lean the harder it gets. In addition, this can be an effective progression to your first pull up.
Another way of doing an inverted row is using TRX. It’s called a TRX Row.
Straight Arm Pushdowns/Pullovers
The straight arm pull-downs completely isolate the latissimus dorsi by solely performing extension. Include these in at the end of your back workouts for a great pump or to get further stimulus in your lat training.
One Arm Lat Pull-in
Earlier we talked about being able to feel your latissimus dorsi. The one arm pull-in might be the best for creating that mind-muscle connection. Not only can you take the latissimus dorsi through full extension and adduction you also perform lateral flexion. The combination of those functions creates an intense contraction. Making it easy to feel your lats engage.
Deadlifts
You often hear deadlifts are a great back exercise. This is due to the latissimus dorsi contracting isometrically to maintain proper deadlift form. Though if you want to maximize your lat growth, include some form of a vertical and horizontal pull.
Engage the latissimus dorsi in the deadlift by bending the bar over your shin.
Read about the dumbbell deadlift & barbell deadlift.
This will:
Prevent the bar from drifting away from your body.
Keep your scapula depressed
Maintain a neutral spine by isometrically extending and laterally flexing.
Latissimus Dorsi Workout
To optimize the growth of the latissimus dorsi, I recommend training 2 or more times a week. The greater frequency will allow you to stimulate the latissimus dorsi more times throughout the week. Muscle growth is stimulated for about 48-72 hours post-workout. Training your lats multiple times throughout the week will maintain the muscle growth stimulus called muscle protein synthesis.
Be aware, though, if you’re training multiple times throughout the week, not every exercise, can be heavy. Or you’ll risk overtraining or getting an injury like a lat strain. Including some moderate to light exercises will maximize growth while limiting the risk of overuse.
When performing any lat workout, you want to start off with a preactivation exercise to increase your mind-muscle connection. Go for higher reps and focus on feeling not fatiguing. Use the single-arm lat pull in or any isolation exercise for this part of the workout.
Then perform a multi-jointed full range of motion exercise, this will be your main movement of the workout. I recommend starting with either a pull-up or pulldown.
Next, I recommend doing some form of a barbell row. This should also be relatively heavy but expect your latissimus dorsi to be fatigued so work at a weight that is manageable.
You can then round out your workout with a single arm movement like the dumbbell row. This will help prevent muscular imbalances in your training.
Add more weight, reps, sets, as the weeks go on to progressively overload. Sticking to the exact same routine will lead you to a plateau. If you want to see continuing results, you have to continuously challenge yourself.
2-Day Sample Latissimus Dorsi Workout
Day 1
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions | RPE/1RM | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-arm lat pull-ins | 3 | 15 | 5 | 0.5-1 min |
| Pull-ups/progression | 4 | 6-8 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Barbell/Pendlay/Landmine Row | 3 | 12 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1-2 min |
| Straight arm pulldown | 3 | 15 | 9 or 10 | 1-1.5 min |
Day 2
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions | RPE/1RM | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-arm lat pull-ins | 3 | 15 | 5 | 0.5-1 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 12 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Inverted Row | 4 | 6-8 | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1-2 min |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 | 15 | 9 or 10 | 1-1.5 min |
Latissimus Dorsi Stretches
It is crucial to stretch your latissimus dorsi, tight lats limits our overhead mobility. Which can contribute to shoulder pain.
Prayer stretch
Reach across over head stretch
Eccentric only chin ups
How To Stretch Latissimus Dorsi
To stretch Latissimus Dorsi, try standing upright, reaching your hands above your head and bending the torso towards one side. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and only stretch to the Latissimus Dorsi to the point of slight discomfort!
Where Is The Latissimus Dorsi
The Latissimus Dorsi is located bilaterally on either side of the spine. It is a very wide muscle that spans from the trunk to just under the shoulder blades and runs to the rib cage.
Where Is The Latissimus Dorsi Located
As previously mentioned, the Latissimus Dorsi is one of the superficial muscles of the back. The Latissimus Dorsi runs from the Ilium to the inferior angle of the scapula and the Humerus.
What Does The Latissimus Dorsi Do
As we previously mentioned, the Latissimus Dorsi has many functions as it crosses over various joints. The Latissimus Dorsi will cause movement at the Scapula, Shoulder, Spine and Rib Cage. Most prominently, the Latissimus Dorsi will produce adduction, extension and medial rotation of the arm at the shoulder joint.
How To Strengthen Latissimus Dorsi
To strengthen the Latissimus Dorsi, you will need to consistently perform the exercise using the appropriate reps, sets and load. You can find our sample Latissimus Dorsi workout in this article!
How To Work Out Latissimus Dorsi
There are many exercises that you can perform to work out Latissimus Dorsi. For instance, the Pull Up is an effective exercise as it goes through the Latissimus Dorsi’s full range of motion. As well, any type of row (inverted, barbell, dumbbell etc.) will also engage the Latissimus Dorsi. Try a variety of these exercises to work out Latissimus Dorsi
The Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Has What Action
The Latissimus Dorsi has multiple actions. It can be easy to become confused! Refer back to our breakdown at the beginning of the article to learn exactly what action the Latissimus Dorsi is responsible for, and at what joint the action occurs.