Your latissimus dorsi muscles are the primary movers -- the muscles that do most of the work -- in almost all pulling exercises. These wing-like muscles activate every time you pull something toward you or down over you. Your lats are some of the more difficult muscles to work without exercise equipment. But gym, home gym and cardio machines all offer options for working your lats.
Pull-up Machines
Pull-ups are one of the best ways to work your lats with body weight alone. Most gyms offer pull-up handles on cable machines, and you might also have access to a vertical knee raise station, or VKR. The VKR station usually has a pull-up bar, as well as dip handles that you can use for doing self-assisted pull-ups if you’re not strong enough to do pull-ups on your own. Some gyms also offer assisted pull-up machines; you stand or kneel on a lever that counterbalances some of your weight.
Pull-down Machines
The lat pull-down simulates the motion of doing pull-ups; most machines allow you to choose between narrow, wide and neutral or palms-in grips. Some lat pull-down machines also allow each hand or handle to move independently, so you can’t unintentionally use one side to compensate for the other.
Row Machines
As with pull-down machines, gym row machines offer a variety of grips. Your lats activate to draw your arms back whether you’re using a wide, narrow or underhand grip. You also can find the simplest of row machines, a plate-loading T-bar, in most free weight rooms.
Cardio Machines
Some cardio machines tone and build endurance in your back muscles, although they don’t offer the same strengthening benefits as higher-resistance, lower-repetition strength-training exercises. Many elliptical trainers have moving handlebars that you can push and pull on as you pedal, working your entire upper body. Your lats also are integral to the basic stroke on a stationary rower; you begin each stroke with a strong leg drive, then hinge slightly back from the hips and use your lats to pull the handle in against your body, completing the stroke.
Miscellaneous
A few other miscellaneous machines that you might find in a gym also work your lats. Pullover and super pullover machines work not only your lats but also your chest muscles and abs. Cable machines are so versatile that you can use them for a number of lat exercises, including rows, pull-downs and pullovers; and suspension trainers offer a number of options for applying your body weight as resistance for variations on pull-ups and rows. Finally, rope pull or rope climbing machines allow you to pull down a never-ending spool of thick rope, which also works your lats.
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