Lats

[Thremp]

Read wikipedia. It seems people can have wide ranging insertion points. I need good pertinent information since my upper back seems to be dwarfing my lower back and my thickness is much greater than my width. Both very positive problems. But I think too many face pulls etc. I shouldn't say lower back. More like the middle of my back.

[jah7_fsu1]

I'm a little confused by your question. Are you looking for ways to target the lats? Or looking for exercises that hit the Rhomboids, Teres Minor, Teres Major? Targeting those muscles (along with the infraspinatus) would increase your back "thickness." Targeting the lats increases your back "width."

If your a well trained individual your upper back SHOULD dwarf your lower back. Wider your back is, smaller your waist appears (hence the term V-Taper or V shape).

Your not going to create a lot of width in your lower back.

[Doug Funnie II]

Maybe post the usual exercises you do for back?

[jah7_fsu1]

Thremp knows many ways to work the back I'm sure, I think he was looking for something more specific to his problem. The back is comprised of a ton of muscles, so I was trying to see if he was going to try and target a specific area.

It's not so much about what I would do for the back, because if I was training someone who wanted something specific in their back in terms of definition I would attack it differently.

[jlp_2908]

Have you done heavy pull-overs? They reall work the lower insertion point and add slabs off muscle to your lats. If you have plateud and add these I gaurantee results.

[Thremp]

I was looking for more academic information regarding the musculature of someone's back and preferably varying recruitment rates for the main exercises.

jlp,

No I haven't, thats one thing I haven't put it. I might slide it in soon.

[jah7_fsu1]

Thremp: Haven't looked the wikipedia on this, I have some info from a folder. Basically a combination of stuff from some of my textbooks and some things I found.

Lats- The lat inserts on the top of the humerus. Adduction (bringing arms to your sides) perfect for adding width in the lats. This is why pullups/pulldowns are known as "width" increasers. Really, "focusing" in while your working your back through adduction is priceless. Super-set pullups and pulldowns, and keep your movements as strict as possible. Keep your torso vertical (body straight), use a full ROM (dead hang on pullups,), and squeeze your back muscles as hard as possible at the end of movements.

Extending the humerus (moving your arms backwards in a straight line) will target the "lower" lats. Reverse grip rows are an excellent way to do this. Despite this, pullups, pulldowns, etc. will target the lats a bit more. Rows will also hit the lats, but really work the rhomboids as well.

The latest research I have shows almost equal slow-twitch to fast twitch fiber ratios in your lats. As such both heavy low rep should help, and more constant musculature tension higher reps will help develop the lats.

Does that help any?

[jah7_fsu1]

I can give you breakdowns for fiber ratios and actions on the Traps, Teres major, Teres Minor, and information on the spinal erectors as well if you want later.

[Fels krone]

Ive never felt my lower back ripped like the last time I went skiing. I was sore for a good 6 or 7 days. We were on flat ground a lot, so the only way to go was to push off with the ski poles. I havent figured out a way to replicate that range of motion in a workout. Tried some stuff with cables, but it just ends up feeling useless.

[jah7_fsu1]

Thremp: Was that the kind of info you were looking for?

[einbert]

Could you send that pm my way too fsu?