6 Moves for Sick Lats
Pulldowns will only get you so far. Vary your pullup repertoire to build a wide, muscular back.
5 of 7 5 . NEUTRAL-GRIP PULL-UP .
The emphasis: Lower lats, rhomboids, traps, brachialis
The breakdown: This off-the-beaten-path incarnation of the pull-up is one of my personal favorites, especially if you use a wide grip. Like the underhand grip, this move provides a longer range of motion which helps you work the lats thoroughly as well as the traps and upper back muscles such as the rhomboids. You also get strong biceps activation with emphasis on the brachioradialis muscle. This again, due to mechanics, makes this exercise, one of the easier pulls. However, using a wide-grip will make this one of the tougher exercises in your arsenal as your mechanical advantage is seriously decreased. Additionally, the wide grip will reduce the contribution by the biceps, increase rear deltoid activation, and give more flare to your wings. Do both when you perform this move.
The plan: To perform the narrow-grip neutral pull-up, simply position a parallel-grip cable attachment over a pull-up bar. The wider-grip version will usually require more creativity but certain pull-up towers in gyms have parallel bars that extend out a bit. They may be thicker than the provided pull-up bar, which means the use of additional grip strength. An outdoor alternative may await you at your local playground where a set of monkey bars will offer a variety of hand spacings – narrow, wide and other! Incorporate a variety of neutral-grip pulls into your routine for thorough development.
SEE ALSO: 6 Moves for Sick Lats
The emphasis: Lower lats, rhomboids, traps, brachialis
The breakdown: This off-the-beaten-path incarnation of the pull-up is one of my personal favorites, especially if you use a wide grip. Like the underhand grip, this move provides a longer range of motion which helps you work the lats thoroughly as well as the traps and upper back muscles such as the rhomboids. You also get strong biceps activation with emphasis on the brachioradialis muscle. This again, due to mechanics, makes this exercise, one of the easier pulls. However, using a wide-grip will make this one of the tougher exercises in your arsenal as your mechanical advantage is seriously decreased. Additionally, the wide grip will reduce the contribution by the biceps, increase rear deltoid activation, and give more flare to your wings. Do both when you perform this move.
The plan: To perform the narrow-grip neutral pull-up, simply position a parallel-grip cable attachment over a pull-up bar. The wider-grip version will usually require more creativity but certain pull-up towers in gyms have parallel bars that extend out a bit. They may be thicker than the provided pull-up bar, which means the use of additional grip strength. An outdoor alternative may await you at your local playground where a set of monkey bars will offer a variety of hand spacings – narrow, wide and other! Incorporate a variety of neutral-grip pulls into your routine for thorough development.
SEE ALSO: 6 Moves for Sick Lats
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