6 Moves for Sick Lats
Pulldowns will only get you so far. Vary your pullup repertoire to build a wide, muscular back.
6 of 7 6 . TOWEL PULL-UP .
The emphasis: Lower lats, rhomboids, traps, brachialis, brachioradialis, wrist flexors
The breakdown: Taking a towel attachment and throwing it over and around a high bar to use for your grip ups the ante on pull-up day. You can arrange multiple towels for wide grip moves or a single towel for close-grip pulls. The thicker the towel, the harder it is to grip, and thus you get the added benefit of providing a serious challenge for your forearm gripping muscles. But to that end, it will cause an intense forearm burn that will reduce your grip strength if you work these too soon in your training day. I’d advise doing these first off in a routine to allow for maximal strength. The exception is if you incorporate these into a day dedicated exclusively to forearm training.
The plan: A pure strength move, the towel pull-up first focuses on your forearms. If your forearms aren’t strong enough to solidify your grip, then your lats won’t be able to do the work that they need to in order to complete the pull. Like the one-arm push-up on chest day, this is a move for more advanced trainees who have mastered the basics. This simple move, however, can translate to greater grip strength on your traditional pulls, so don’t wait until you feel you have “graduated” into the realm of the advanced. Finish your next back day off with 2-3 sets of this move to failure and strive for a greater number each time you hit the gym.
THE STRAP TRAP: This question lingers on but the solution is easy. If you want big forearms, don’t use straps. If your forearms fatigue to soon and limit your back development, then by all means use them. Studies show that the use of straps on pull days can help lifters get an additional 1-2 reps. But remember, when using straps you are simply mitigating the strain of the problem to a crutch not a cure, so my advice is to do as many sets as you can without straps and reserve their use for only your most difficult sets.
SEE ALSO: 6 Moves for Sick Lats
The emphasis: Lower lats, rhomboids, traps, brachialis, brachioradialis, wrist flexors
The breakdown: Taking a towel attachment and throwing it over and around a high bar to use for your grip ups the ante on pull-up day. You can arrange multiple towels for wide grip moves or a single towel for close-grip pulls. The thicker the towel, the harder it is to grip, and thus you get the added benefit of providing a serious challenge for your forearm gripping muscles. But to that end, it will cause an intense forearm burn that will reduce your grip strength if you work these too soon in your training day. I’d advise doing these first off in a routine to allow for maximal strength. The exception is if you incorporate these into a day dedicated exclusively to forearm training.
The plan: A pure strength move, the towel pull-up first focuses on your forearms. If your forearms aren’t strong enough to solidify your grip, then your lats won’t be able to do the work that they need to in order to complete the pull. Like the one-arm push-up on chest day, this is a move for more advanced trainees who have mastered the basics. This simple move, however, can translate to greater grip strength on your traditional pulls, so don’t wait until you feel you have “graduated” into the realm of the advanced. Finish your next back day off with 2-3 sets of this move to failure and strive for a greater number each time you hit the gym.
THE STRAP TRAP: This question lingers on but the solution is easy. If you want big forearms, don’t use straps. If your forearms fatigue to soon and limit your back development, then by all means use them. Studies show that the use of straps on pull days can help lifters get an additional 1-2 reps. But remember, when using straps you are simply mitigating the strain of the problem to a crutch not a cure, so my advice is to do as many sets as you can without straps and reserve their use for only your most difficult sets.
SEE ALSO: 6 Moves for Sick Lats
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