If you want the broad back, narrow waist look--you need to build big lats. The lats are the biggest muscle group in the back and cover a large area, primarily in the mid to lower back region. The lats are activated most when performing pulling motions with the arms, which is why the three most effective exercises for building big lats involve pulling movements.
Pull-Ups
The pull-up is the most effective exercise for building big lats, partly due to the fact that you are pulling your body weight upward against the resistance of gravity. To perform a pull-up you will need a wide pull-up bar and possibly a chair or stool to help you get into position. Grip the bar in a wide overhand grip with your palms facing away from you and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Let your body hang down underneath the bar, and bend your knees with your feet behind you. Initiate your pull-up by moving your shoulder blades downward and then pull yourself up until your chin is slightly above the bar. It is in this position that the lats are fully contracted--if you are able to pause briefly at the top, your lats will work harder and you will effectively begin to build the broadness through your mid-back. After pausing with your chin over the bar, lower down slowly, stopping when your elbows are still slightly bent, and then perform the next pull-up. Do as many repetitions as you can, working up to 10-15 per set. Assisted pull-up machines are also effective if you can not pull your own body weight up. If using an assisted pull-up machine the technique is the same, you will just need to select enough assistance to help you perform 10-15 repetitions.
Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is essentially working the lats the same way a pull-up does, but instead of moving your own body weight up, you are pulling the selected weight on a machine in a downward motion. In this case, the lats contract most when the bar is in the lowered position, so this is where you want to pause and hold the muscle's contraction. The lat pulldown requires a cable machine with a wide bar that hangs overhead with a seat below. Sit down facing the machine, gripping the bar in a wide overhand grip that is slightly wider than your shoulders. Most pulldown machines will have knee pads that you will want to put your legs underneath with your knees pressing into the pads. This will provide leverage for your pulling movement. To find your starting position, lean back slightly with a straight back and pull your shoulder blades toward each other as you lift your chest. Initiate your movement by sliding your shoulder blades down your back, then bend your elbows out to the sides as you pull the bar down to within an inch of your chest and hold briefly. Release the bar back up slowly to the starting position and repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
DB Lat Row
The dumbbell (DB) lat row works each side of the back individually, which is different from the pulldown and pull-up exercises.The lats function is to pull the arms down from overhead and also to pull the arms back behind you. This DB lat row focuses on the pulling back motion and helps with definition near the bottom portion of the lats. To perform the DB lat row, choose a heavy dumbbell that is somewhat challenging to complete 10-12 repetitions with. To begin, hold the dumbbell in your right hand and place your left hand on a sturdy bench. Step your right foot back and keep your left foot close to the bench, then lean forward at your waist until your back is almost parallel to the floor. Let your right arm hang straight down from your shoulder, then bend the elbow and pull the weight back to your right hip. Pause at the top, then slowly return your arm to the starting position. Perform all repetitions on the right side, then repeat on the left.
References
- "Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Human Movement"; Lawrence A Golding, PhD and Scott M Golding, MS; 2003
- "The Personal Trainer's Handbook"; Teri S O'Brien, MS; 1997
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