Whenever we do an exercise that requires heavy use of the lats, I ask members if they are able to voluntarily contract their lats. The STRONG majority cannot. The latissimus dorsi is too large of a muscle that it is imperative that we can all utilize our lats when we want. The same can be said about the glutes, although more people are able to successfully activate their glutes than their lats. But in a town that experiences a lot of injuries, those mind-muscle connections can deteriorate and it becomes harder to activate such an important muscle. This WOW will help you activate your lats and glutes so that you can turn them on by command and you don’t just think they’re working, you KNOW they’re working.
Warmup: 3 Rounds
10x ea. Lateral Band Walks
10x Banded Squats
10x TRX Row
5x Scap Pullups
5 Rounds
10x Banded Swings (pictured)
- Loop a long band through and around the handle of the KB. Stand shoulder-width apart on the excess band
- Perform swings as normal with an extra squeeze on the glutes
- Be sure to brace your core on the down swing as the band will pull the KB down faster than normal
10x Banded Lat Pulldown (pictured)
- Grab a long band with your arms locked out – any bend in the elbow will force your triceps to perform the movement
- Think shoulder blades back and then down. Pushing your chest out may help
- Pull the band down to your hip, allowing your hands to continue beyond your hips
8x ea. Banded Single-Leg Hip Thrust
- Place a hip band just above your knees
- Just place your upper back onto the edge of a bench and feet flat on the ground
- Lift one leg up in the air and dip your hips down toward the ground
- Drive your hips back up through the heel of your working leg. Focus on feeling the glute work
- Squeeze and hold 2-seconds at the top
- Be sure not to drive your hips too far – the focus is the glutes and not letting the low back help on the thrust
8x ea. Single-Arm Band Pullup
- Can be done kneeling. Grab a thicker long band and secure it to something high so that you can grab it with your arm straight
- Grab the band so that it is coming off your side and your arm is at a 45-degree angle
- Think about ONLY pulling from your lats. This one can be very easy to use your bicep or other muscles in your back
- Pull the band so that your elbow comes down to your ribs. Once you feel your bicep try to help, you’ve either gone as far as your lat will allow or you need a skinnier band
Now that we have done some isolating, we can try compound movements with the focus being on FEELING the lats and glutes working.
6 Rounds
6x ea. Single-Arm Row w/ Pause
- Make sure your torso is horizontal
- Row the KB/DB up using your lats – keep your elbow close to your ribs as you row
- Pause at the top, give your lats that extra squeeze
- ADVANCED: If lats are firing, try a barbell bent-over row with an underhand grip
12x Skaters (to keep the glutes moving)
Pec Stretch
6 Rounds
8x ea. Split Squat
- Position your feet so that both knees are at 90-degrees when you are in the full lunge position
- As you squat, keep your front (working leg) shin nearly vertical – do not let your knee shoot forward
- Keep your knee tracked over your 4th toe and squat straight down, straight up
3x ea. Tarzan Pullups (pictured)
- Grip the bar with your body positioned 90-degrees from a traditional pullup
- Pull yourself up moving your head to one side of the bar, alternating each rep
- This grip and your elbow position will allow your lats to work best while performing a pullup
Lizard Stretch
Cool-Down 2 Rounds
20x ea. Banded Donkey Kicks
8x Y&Ls
Keep in mind that the mind-muscle connection requires a lot of focus. The objective is not just to perform the movement but to incorporate the muscles you want to perform the movement.
