The broadest muscles are the superficial muscles that occupy the entire lower back. This muscle group is directly involved in the formation of the notorious triangular profile of the back since it is also the most massive muscle in the human back. Well-trained latissimus dorsi with exercises at home will help in subsequent progression with push-ups and pull-ups.
Using this information, you will learn how to quickly and efficiently pump up the muscles of your body. In this article, we will consider the features of working with the broadest muscles. At your disposal are the best exercises for the latissimus dorsi with bodyweight.
Bodyweight exercises for the back: basic exercises to bulk back muscles
- Push-ups with arms at different levels
- Push-ups at different levels with a change of hands
- Hand-to-hand push-ups
- Wide grip pulls to the chest
- Wide grip pull-ups
- Wide grip pulls on bent arms
- Plank with emphasis on bent arms
- Stretched arms
Bodyweight back workout: why do I need to bulk the broadest muscles
The latissimus dorsi is the widest on the back. Together with the trapezium and lumbar muscles, they form an aesthetically attractive back relief. If the latissimus muscle is in good athletic shape, then it resembles bird wings in a folded position. By doing systematic exercises to strengthen the latissimus dorsi, you will achieve a triangular shape of the back that is ideal for the male.
Using strength exercises with your weight and becoming the owner of a taut and strong back, you will not only add attractiveness to its visual appearance but also improve your posture. With the development of the latissimus muscle to an insufficient degree, the shoulders tend to lean forward, forming a stooped body shape. Of the other beneficial effects, exercises on the latissimus dorsi muscles are a good prevention of diseases such as osteochondrosis and scoliosis.
The muscular system of the back is divided into two main parts – deep muscles and superficial. The surface part has a two-layer structure and the latissimus muscle directly relates to it. Its location is in the lower and partially central part of the back, divided into two symmetrical halves. The main functions of the latissimus dysfunction– reduction and extension of the shoulder joints, internal rotation, downward movement of the shoulder part of the body by moving the head with the scapula. Also, with its contraction, the latissimus muscle contributes to the inclination and extensor movements of the body. Also, with the hands fixed, this muscle is activated as an auxiliary for breathing, participating in the expansion of the chest.
Providing raising and lowering the arms, moving them to the sides and backward, the latissimus is actively involved in various sports, strength training on the body and shoulder girdle, gymnastic exercises on the bar, and other similar apparatuses are not without its involvement.
In gymnastics and weightlifting, this muscle provides a static load during the stabilization of the arms when they are raised. The broadest muscle can shift the head of the shoulder down, thereby working in conjunction with the pectoralis major muscle, it does not allow the body to lower while holding the body on the horizontal bar, parallel bars, or gymnastic rings. A muscle is also capable of pulling the body upward with the arms fixed, for example, this is especially evident in pole vaulting. In various types of swimming, the latissimus dorsi muscle performs internal motor rotation. When pulling up, rowing, skiing, throwing a projectile, and climbing, this muscle, after raising the shoulder, carries out its extension. In sports such as volleyball, handball, and tennis, the wings of the back take an important part in the combination of movements.
Thus, exercises for the development of the broadest muscles of the back include practical value, helping to achieve the best physical characteristics and increasing athletic capabilities, and directly affect the beauty of your body figure, contributing, at the same time, to the recovery of the musculoskeletal system. Next, we will consider what approach to training is necessary so that exercises with your own weight at home will bring great results.
Bodyweight back workout: features of training the latissimus dorsi
It is safe to say that the broadest muscles are great for training them at home. Having applied certain strengths and efforts, you will soon be able to observe a noticeable result.
The muscles in the back have a layered structure, which creates some difficulties in uniform pumping. Athletes who want to build muscle over the entire surface of the back should take into account this feature of its muscular organization. The broadest muscles are of great importance in the overall process of increasing back mass, since they are one of the most noticeable on this part of the body, and in terms of the area they are the largest. For their quality growth, bodybuilders need to use physical exercises in their training aimed at both complex and isolated pumping of the spinal muscles.
So that home exercises with your own weight can give the best result, it is recommended to adhere to a specific training plan. The anatomy of bodyweight exercises for the latissimus muscle will bear fruit when 2 or 3 basic or special exercises are performed in one training session with at least 4-5 sets for one exercise. Good exercise performance can be obtained by doing from 10 to 15 repetitions for each set. You can do 2-3 workouts per week, giving yourself 1-2 days of complete rest from increased physical activity between them.
When performing strength exercises using your weight for the back muscles, it should be borne in mind that workouts on this part of the body are associated with increased load on the spinal column, so they should be practiced with extreme caution. In this regard, the program with its weight is less traumatic due to the lack of additional weight load. Nevertheless, try to correctly carry out all the training exercises and avoid the debilitating load on the muscles of the back.
Now you can move on to the training components with your weight for men on the broadest muscles of the back.
Bodyweight exercise for back: a set of exercises for the latissimus dorsi
Our weight training program for the latissimus dorsi muscle includes the following exercises:
- Push-ups with hands at different levels;
● Push-ups at different levels with a change of hands;
● Push-ups with hand-to-hand rolls;
● Push-ups with cotton;
● Pull-ups with a wide grip on bent arms;
● Pulling with a wide grip to the chest;
● Pull-ups with a wide grip on the head;
● Plank with emphasis on bent arms;
● Bar on outstretched arms.
We have selected only the most effective exercises for the latissimus dorsi, which will necessarily produce serious load on your muscles with their systematic performance, timely and sufficient rest, as well as the correct training diet. It is better to choose the optimal frequency of training with your weight, the program of which should be based on your current physical abilities, recovery features, and goals for muscle development.
Bodyweight training at home is based on push-ups and pull-ups. Performing various types of these exercises in a combination mode, you will qualitatively stimulate the muscle tissues of the lower back for growth and strengthening. As with any sports activities related to power loads, it is important not to forget to do warm-up gymnastics so that your joints and ligaments move freely and flexibly, remaining intact. It will also be helpful to use some simple fitness exercises to complete your workout. A static exercise bar is well suited for these purposes.
Bodyweight exercises for the back: latissimus dorsi muscle exercises at home
Let us consider separately the specifics of the exercises included in our set of exercises with dead weight for the latissimus muscle.
Push–ups are an effective exercise for the latissimus dorsi. Among push-ups, we recommend several options for this exercise for men, from simple to complex: with hands at different levels, a similar option, but with a change of hands, with hand-to-hand rolls and cotton. The optimal position of the arms is slightly wider than the width of the shoulders while trying to choose a comfortable starting position for yourself. The result of the exercise will be better when it is performed slowly, with smooth lowering and raising. The back should be kept in an even and fixed position, also monitor the uniformity of breathing. It is very important to try to fall as low as possible – ideally, the chest should reach the floor or bend deeper than the palms, depending on the particular exercise to strengthen the wings, it is performed on the floor or above it with the help of supports.
Pulling up on the bar is an excellent exercise to activate the growth of the latissimus muscles, but you will need to perform it specially. We offer such exercises for pull-ups: wide grip on bent arms or with a clap, wide pull-ups to the chest, and behind the head. When pulling up with an emphasis on the broadest muscles, it is important to rise as high as possible. Due to this, when lowering, the wings are stretched, and at the highest point, they are reduced as much as possible, which ensures their further active growth. When doing pull-ups to the chest, such an exercise for the back will be considered ideal when you touch the crossbar with your chest. For beginners, this is unlikely to succeed, but it will attest to your good shape and is something to strive for when working on the technique of this exercise to increase wings. When pulling up on the head, we recommend doing the exercise so that the shoulders are in contact with the crossbar when lifting.
Plank – an exercise simple enough to perform, because it needs to be done in a static (fixed) position. Despite this, it is difficult to imagine a full and fully realized home training without this exercise. The combination of static and dynamic exercises in one training session will increase the volume and intensity of the workout without getting an excessive load on the muscles. We offer two options for the plank – with emphasis on bent arms and outstretched arms. These exercises on the lower latissimus dorsi muscles do not require special preparation, but they can stimulate well back muscles at the initial training stage. More experienced bodybuilders can continue to use the bar as the final workout exercise.
And now you know how to properly bulk the latissimus dorsi muscles using your weight.