Building HUGE Latissimus dorsi

[MrInsensitive]

I’ve been trying to form some huge wings my brothers. Wanted some advice on alternatives to seated cable rows. I have a commercial lat pull down machine and high cables (for tricep push down or cable cross) but I don’t have a horizontal cable pull. My question is, will bent over rows do the same?
should I pay $5 every other week for those 6 sets for seated cable rows at a gym next door?
my back regimen includes pull-ups for warmup, 3 sets. First set is assisted with a band second is chin up, third is pull-ups (Leaving a couple in the tank)

6 sets lat pull downs (3 wide grip 3 reverse wide grip)
3 sets close grip hammer pull downs
deadlifts 3 sets
3 sets Rack pulls
3 sets dumbbell rows- failure
3 sets for cool down of straight arm pull downs (I don’t know what this exercise is even called but it’s like an opposite move of lateral raises when doing shoulders) on my high cables.

what say you?

 

[creekrat]

High angle pulldowns and yates rows are great as well. It's a lot about arm path and keeping the arm close to the body

 

[MrInsensitive]

And should I be warming up my biceps on back day? Or maybe incorporating a couple sets of bis?

 

[Adrenolin]

I'll have to make do with different variations of bent over rows.

 

[MrInsensitive]

I'll have to make do with different variations of bent over rows.

So you don’t find it’s imperative to do cable rows? I want symmetry of course but mainly my goal is the taper/flair of my wings.

High angle pulldowns and yates rows are great as well. It's a lot about arm path and keeping the arm close to the body

thanks brother. I didn’t know what these moves were called.

btw on back days that I don’t do dead’s, I do full standing barbell rows.
otherwise, I think they’re called rack pulls. I just set my bar on the bench seat, bend slightly and try to hit the bottom of my rib cage with the bar.
do you guys think I should be more horizontal when I do my rows? My body isn’t exactly at a 90, but a little more than a 45.

 

[Adrenolin]

So you don’t find it’s imperative to do cable rows? I want symmetry of course but mainly my goal is the taper/flair of my wings.

I said I have to make do.. as in, I'd do more usually, but right now in this temp tiny 2000sqft townhouse I didn't have enough room to bring the whole gym set up. Just the brought a treadmill, bench, 2 barbells, an ez bar, and about 500lbs of weight.

 

[Jin]

Yates likes to fatigue the lats before main pull sets. Biceps die out before the lats.

I always start with straight arm lat push downs on cable. Yates used a nautilus pull over machine.

 

[Sicwun88]

Wide pullups every workout regardless of wht muscle group your training!

 

[Jin]

Also, nobody speaks Latin here.

 

[MrInsensitive]

Also, nobody speaks Latin here.

Haha love you to death Jin. Always bustin my balls.
so hitting bi’s at all for heavy exhaustive lats is probably robbing me of gains? Hypothetically.

sicwun: bro you’re not the first person to say that either. When I was in the army, all our sergeants hit pull-ups till failure, rest for 10-15 min and then workout. Every single day. They swore it gave mad strength gains.
ive read conflicting analytical data suggesting that aesthetics diminishes strength gains as far as 1RM goes. Do you find any validity in that statement for you?

 

[MrInsensitive]

How do we feel about reverse, wide grip pull downs? Just watched an athleanX vid on it. Makes sense.

 

[BRICKS]

A wide grip on your pulldowns is going to activate your mid upper back more than your lats. A medium width grip will activate the lats more. The notion that the wider the grip the wider the late is false. Your back width is pretty much genetically fixed by where the lats insert. Switch to a medium width grip on your pulldowns and do heavy rows.

 

[snake]

... and do heavy rows.

And do them before anything else. I start every back workout with lower cable rows, overhand grip, straight bar, grip about 18" apart.

 

[MrInsensitive]

Sweet, thanks man. I’ve always been told “close grip for outer back, wide grip for inner back”. I just never paid much attention to that.
I love going super heavy on the bar that’s shaped like a triangle but puts your hands in the hammer grip.. not sure what it’s called.

 

[MrInsensitive]

This one, everyone just calls it a close grip row bar. But I’m not sure.

 

[MrInsensitive]

One question today and I’ll let the replies come in; how do we feel about lat pull downs behind the neck? Is that even safe? I’ve heard people swear injuries come from that type of stuff. I don’t know if it’s the squeeze of just sitting upright during a pull down but it feels great.
So moreover; what’s the benefit or difference between leaning back on a pull down and keeping a stiff upright posture?

 

[snake]

This one, everyone just calls it a close grip row bar. But I’m not sure.

Here's the problem with that bar for lower cables; the elbows ride outside. Try it; but with some light weight, something real light that you can stop at the top of the movement. You will notice the elbows flaired out and the angle between the wrist and shoulder much greater than when using a straight bar as I recommended. Try it both ways and you will see. That V bar will cause you to use more bicep and inhibit the elbows from traveling back far enough to fully engage your back.

 

[Tiny]

Bent over rows are great if you're wanting to build a solid spongebob shaped frame. One arm dumbell rows would be a better option. Not sure how many of those sets are working sets but make sure your kcal and recovery time match that routine. That's probably 90% of the equation and what sissy handle you use is about 1-5% of it. Be mindful of your joints and your wrist positioning.

 

[MrInsensitive]

I didn’t wanna say this because I know it’s an ‘I told you so’ moment. My brechealis is still hurting today. Not in a good way either. Doing bands to grab a pump at wake up getting some blood flowing and it feels like I may have done some damage. It’s right at the bend In the elbow.

you’re right. I try to drive my elbows into my sides on all these workouts but it’s impossible with this one. I maxed out the cybex machine for 10 reps and I’m paying for it. Bio freeze isn’t touching it either. Did I f*** up?

 

[snake]

One question today and I’ll let the replies come in; how do we feel about lat pull downs behind the neck? Is that even safe? I’ve heard people swear injuries come from that type of stuff. I don’t know if it’s the squeeze of just sitting upright during a pull down but it feels great.
So moreover; what’s the benefit or difference between leaning back on a pull down and keeping a stiff upright posture?

Never behind the head unless you want to tear up your RC. Again, try both and you will see that behind the head will limit a full R.O.M. compared to the front. Another note, and this can be seen in noobs is when you go to the front, do not let the elbows rotate up. Pull down with the elbows.

I'm big on is using wraps. Take out the weak link in the movement. Another thing that wraps will do is help you transfer the pull to the elbows. And fuuk that stupid grip strength line you will hear, you're working your back, not your grip. Also, I never in all my years of PLing ever missed a DL on the platform because of my grip... never.