6 Novel And Effective Moves For Meaty Lats

Change up your back training by subbing in these six variations of tried and-true back moves.

- Lee Boyce , C.P.T

You may not be able to see it, but your back is vital when it comes to your strength, health, and physique. Stronger back muscles equate to better posture, which helps counteract our increasingly normalized hunched-over position, and bigger lifts—you need a tight back for a better squat and deadlift, and a big base to press from when you bench. Also, thick, meaty lats will create the illusion of a smaller waist and widen your frame. For these reasons, we recommend hitting your back more than once per week and to expand your back training arsenal. Most likely, you already gravitate toward the classic back builders—chinups,bent over rows, seated rows, deadlifts, and maybe some reverse flyes. There’s nothing wrong with any of these movements, but by making a few minor angle and tempo adjustments, we’ve effectively freshened up some oldies but goodies to help you prevent ever stalling out when it comes to your back gains. Now give them a try.

J-ROPE PULL

WHY IT WORKS: This vertical-horizontal row hybrid is a combination of a straight-arm pulldown and a cable row, providing you with the most bang for your buck of any isolation-training back exercise—when done correctly, that is.

DO IT: Attach a rope handle to a cable pulley set to the highest setting. Kneel in front of it about three feet back. From the kneeling position, grab the ropes and lean forward about 45 degrees. With a very slight bend in your elbows, pull the rope attachment down until at chest level, then smoothly transition into a row, pulling your elbows back toward you until the ropes are touching your chest. (The entire movement should form an invisible J, hence the name.) Reverse the movement. That’s one rep.

SETS X REPS: 4–6 x 12–15.

WIDE-UP PULLDOWN