Your latissimus dorsi muscles (lats) are what make your V-taper and give you a wide appearance! As a Figure athlete, this is a very crucial muscle group to develop to acquire the desired look of a wide back and small waist. It is also important to develop strong lats to give your body a ton of functional strength. Having a developed back will aid in shoulder and arm strength.
Heather’s Giant Set Back Day
Pull-ups
4 sets/12 reps
Place your hands on the inside bar
Make sure you feel your shoulder blades rotate down and pinch together
Keep your chest up
*Go straight to next exercise after first set*
Pull-downs
4 sets/12 reps
Employ the same form as pull-ups
Do not swing or use momentum during set
Feel your lats fire
Bent-over Yates Rows
4 sets/12 reps
Use a cambered bar (E-Z curl) or a straight bar
Keep your knees bent and lean forward
Keep your back straight with an underhand grip
Squeeze your shoulder blades back and together, firing your back muscles
Keep weight slow and controlled
*Take a 60-90 second rest period and move back to pull-ups*
*(Repeat 4 times for all sets)
