Onnit's video: Exercises To Build Stronger Lats IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Jonny Catanzano

If there’s one set of muscles that always seems to lag behind the others on gym rats everywhere, it’s the back—specifically, the lats. ► Read the Full Article: https://bit.ly/3Ga8xL0 ► Use the coupon code "GETONNIT" to get 10% off Alpha BRAIN: https://bit.ly/3G2Wyyw Some people claim that they just can’t feel their lats working in the same way they do their pecs or biceps, so they can never fully stimulate them. For others, simply not being able to see the lats as clearly in the mirror has caused them to neglect these muscles. That’s a bummer, because the lats are essential for a physique that looks muscular and lean. When you flex them, they make your waist look smaller and your shoulders look wider, giving the impression of a powerful, even super-heroic upper body. Whether you’re a regular guy or gal who wants to sculpt a more balanced physique, or a die-hard lifter who has aspirations of one day competing in a physique show (Bodybuilding, Figure, Classic Physique, etc.), we’ll help you get your back training on track, so that when you spread your lats, you look like you’ve sprouted wings! | What Is A Lat Spread and Why Do People Do It? | The lat spread is a traditional bodybuilding pose used in competition to highlight the width and thickness of the competitor’s latissimus dorsi muscles. The lats, if you weren’t sure, are the big slabs of muscle that run down the sides of your back. They originate on the lower three or four ribs, lower six thoracic vertebrae, and iliac crest (the top border of the pelvis), and insert on the humerus (upper-arm bone) just below the shoulder joint. In a physique contest, the athlete is required to display their lats in two distinct lat poses—the front and rear lat spread. (The competitor must show the lats facing the judges/audience, as well as facing away, so the dimensions of the muscles can be appraised.) The term “spread” refers to how the lats appear when they’re flexed in a dramatic fashion. When well-developed, the lats appear to spread out from the person’s torso, and the effect is something like a bird spreading its wings—the back looks so wide and dense that you can see it from the front! Of course, if you’re not planning on posing your physique on stage for sport, you don’t absolutely need to know the technique of flexing the lats aesthetically. But many people like to motivate themselves to get in their best shape by scheduling a photo shoot or other event where they’ll have pictures taken to commemorate their condition, and in that case, understanding how to show off your lats to their best advantage will help them get the credit they deserve, and prove that you put some serious time and dedication into building them. Scroll down for a full tutorial on how to pose your lats effectively when that time comes. | Exercises To Build Stronger Lats | 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Reverse Incline Lat Pulldown 01:28 - Close-Grip Cable Pulldown 02:09 - Reverse-Incline Dumbbell Row 02:52 - Kelso Shrug 03:39 - Neutral-Grip Pull-up 04:09 - How to Spread the Lats | Sample Workout | 1. Reverse-Incline Lat Pulldown - Sets: 4 Reps: 10–12 2. Close-Grip Cable Pulldown - Sets: 4 Reps: 10–12 3A. Neutral-Grip Pullup - Sets: 4 Reps: 10 3B. Kelso Shrug - Sets: 4 Reps: 12 4. Reverse-Incline Dumbbell Row - Sets: 4 Reps: 12 | A Lat Flexing and Spreading Tutorial | Once you’ve built a substantial set of lats, you can work on posing them effectively. Catanzano, who coaches posing as well as training for physique competitors, offers this three-step guide to mastering the lat spread. 1. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and place your fists on your hips. “Imagine holding a pencil between your shoulder blades,” says Catanzano. That’s how far back you want to pull your shoulders. 2. Drive your shoulders down. The movement is the opposite of a shrug, so get your shoulders as far south of your ears as you can. You should feel your lats get tense. 3. While keeping your shoulders down and your lats tense, roll your shoulders forward and slightly upward. Your chest and ribcage should lift in front of you, “nice and high and proud,” says Catanzano. Think about spreading your lats apart as wide as you can. Catanzano warns that you need to have good shoulder mobility in order to spread your lats impressively. You should be able to raise your shoulders up and down and retract and protract them through a large range of motion—and pain-free. If you can’t, then you won’t be able to achieve the positions that showcase the lats to their fullest potential. If you need work on shoulder mobility, start with this article, Shoulder Mobility for Strength and Injury Prevention. | Follow Jonny Catanzano, IFBB Physique Pro Bodybuilder & Coach | ► https://www.instagram.com/jonnyelgato_ifbbpro/ ► https://www.instagram.com/tailoredhealthcoaching/ ► https://www.youtube.com/@catanpiece83