Are you seeking the best lower lat exercises to build a denser, more muscular back? A strong and well-developed back is essential for athletes, bodybuilders, and anyone wanting to look good and stay healthy.
Fortunately, you can do several practical lower lat exercises to target this muscle group. In this article, we'll cover seven of the best lower lat exercises that will help strengthen your lats and create a more defined back. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can achieve your desired dense and powerful back!
If you are more of a visual learner he has a great video by Athlean-X describing how to build more lower lats for a better V-Taper!
Related Article: Back and Shoulder Workout Routine for Women
7 Best Lower Lat Exercises for a Denser Back
Whether you're just starting or an experienced lifter, these exercises will help create a strong foundation and give impressive results. Keep reading to find out more!
So let's get started with our list of the 7 best lower lat exercises!
1. Barbell Row
The barbell row is a practical lower lat exercise in bodybuilding. By using a barbell, which offers more resistance and stability than other forms of exercise, the barbell row will help build back muscles quickly and promote overall strength.
How to Do It?
- To perform the barbell row, you'll need to lower yourself towards the floor while supporting the bar's weight on your shoulders.
- Then slowly lower your upper body while keeping your lower back straight and maintaining control of the bar throughout the entire movement.
- After a complete repetition is performed, return to an upright position with arms still supporting the bar's weight.
- Regular exercise can significantly benefit your upper and lower back muscles, improving posture and muscle development.
2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm dumbbell row exercise is a great lower lat builder for bodybuilding. Adding single-arm rows into your workout routine can give you added muscle definition while strengthening your lower back muscles and shoulder stability over time.
How to Do It?
- Place your non-working arm on a flat bench and hold the dumbbell with your working hand to perform this exercise.
- Keep your lower back arched and slightly bent at the hips, and pull the dumbbell up to your hip.
- Keep your elbow close to your body as you lower the weight.
- This exercise does not just target the lower lats and engages several muscle groups in the upper back, core, and lower body for an effective full-body workout.
- Plus, you can vary the angle of pull to focus on specific areas of your lats.
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3. Seated Cable Row
The Seated Cable Row is a great back exercise that can be performed with cable machines and is popular within the bodybuilding community. The exercise focuses on strengthening the lower lats and several other muscles.
How to Do It?
- To begin, sit on the rowing bench; feet should be flat on the footplate with an overhand grip on the bar.
- Slowly pull the bar towards your chest while keeping your back straight. Retract your shoulder blades slightly when you reach your peak contraction.
- Then lower it back in a controlled manner and repeat for desired repetitions.
- Regular exercise can provide many benefits, such as improved posture, greater core strength, and increased muscular endurance.
4. Inverted Row
The inverted row is a lower lat exercise focusing on the lower back and core muscles. It can be done with various tools like a barbell, gymnastic rings, or suspension trainer. This lower lat exercise is perfect for building strength and stability throughout the whole body when performed over time.
How to Do It?
- To perform an inverted row, start by lying face-up underneath the bar or object you're grasping onto, arms extended, and feet placed firmly on the floor with your back flat.
- Next, keep your core tight and chest up.
- As you do so, pull your upper body up towards the bar by squeezing your shoulder blades together until they touch and hold for a few seconds before releasing to lower yourself back down again.
- Common variations include supinated grip rows where hands are turned outward, single arm rows, and elevated foot rows to increase difficulty levels.
5. Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is typically lower in a bodybuilding routine and is an excellent exercise for developing the back musculature. This exercise engages the primary muscles of each side of your back (lats). It has more significant benefits, such as improving posture, gaining strength in multiple muscle groups, preventing shoulder impingement, and providing variety for core workouts.
How to Do It?
- To do this exercise, attach the appropriate weight to your cable machine and sit with your knees secured below the pulley system.
- To execute the movement, begin by gripping the bar with palms facing away from you and arms extended.
- Allow the grip to be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart; then pull down towards your chest while keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- As you lower the bar, keep your torso straight, as hunching over can lead to lower back strain.
Related Article: Back Workout: Build Your Lats With These 7 Lat Pulldown Variations
6. Pullup
The pull-up is a great exercise that builds strength and stability in the upper body. Multiple repetitions of this exercise will help build muscular chest, shoulders, arms, and back muscles while also burning calories.
How to Do It?
- Start by gripping the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart to do the lower lat pulldown.
- Pull your shoulders back and down, then lift your body towards the bar until your chin rises above it.
- Make sure to keep your stomach tight throughout the movement.
- Return to the start position slowly and lower yourself down again in a controlled manner if you can't lower yourself all the way, lower as far as you can while maintaining good form.
7. T-Bar Row
The T-Bar Row is a highly effective compound exercise targeting the muscles of the upper and middle back, specifically the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and the middle and lower trapezius. As a compound movement, it also engages the biceps, forearms, and posterior deltoids as secondary muscles, providing a well-rounded upper body workout. Often underrated, the T-Bar Row is an excellent addition to any strength training routine, whether you're a beginner or an experienced lifter. By incorporating this exercise into your regimen, you can not only build a strong, muscular back but also improve your posture and overall functional fitness.
How to Do It?
- Setup: Place a loaded T-Bar (or an Olympic barbell in a landmine attachment) in the designated area or a corner to provide stability. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the T-Bar with the end of the bar between your legs.
- Grip: Squat down, bending at your hips and knees, while keeping your chest up and back straight. Reach down and grip the handle with both hands using either a parallel grip (palms facing each other) or an overhand grip (palms facing down). Make sure your hands are evenly spaced.
- Starting position: Lift the weight off the ground by extending your hips and knees. Stand tall with your knees slightly bent, back straight, and the weight hanging at arm's length in front of you. This is your starting position.
- Row: Keeping your core tight and back flat, pull the weight towards your chest by retracting your shoulder blades and bending your elbows. Focus on squeezing your back muscles at the top of the movement. Hold for a brief moment.
- Lower: Slowly and with control, lower the weight back to the starting position, allowing your arms to fully extend and your shoulder blades to protract. This completes one repetition.
Benefits of Lower Lat Exercises
Lower lat exercises are a great way to improve your core and lower body strength. There are several benefits to incorporating lower lat exercises into your workout routine:
1. Improved Posture - Lower lat exercises strengthen the muscles in your back, hips, and abdominal area, which helps to promote good posture while standing or sitting. This can reduce neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by bad posture over time.
2. Increased Mobility - Strengthening the muscles in the lower back gives you more flexibility and range of motion when doing activities such as bending or lifting heavy objects or stretching. This increased mobility can help reduce the risk of injury due to overexertion during workouts and everyday tasks.
3. Improved Balance - Lower lat exercises also help to improve balance and stability. This can make running, jumping, and climbing stairs easier and less risky.
4. Increased Endurance - Lower lat exercises require a lot of stamina and endurance, which, when practiced regularly, will increase overall strength in this area. The stronger the muscles in your lower back become, the longer you can sustain an exercise routine or physical activity.
Incorporating lower lat exercises into your workout routine is a great way to strengthen your core and lower body while improving posture, mobility, balance, and endurance!
FAQs
1. What is the best way to target lower lats?
The best way to target lower lats is by incorporating exercises like seated cable row, inverted row, lat pulldown, pull up, and t-bar rows into your routine.
2. How often should I do lower lats exercises?
You should perform lower lats exercises three times a week with rest days between each workout.
3. What are the benefits of having a denser back?
Having a denser back has numerous benefits, including improved posture, increased strength, and reduced risk of injuries. Also, a solid upper back can help improve your sports performance and overall health. It's also important to note that building a denser back will give you an overall more aesthetic physique which is always a bonus!
The Bottom Line
Targeting your lower lats can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Working these key muscles is essential in building a strong and healthy body. To achieve this, it's important to incorporate exercises targeting this muscle group into your regular fitness routine.
The seven exercises listed above are all excellent for targeting the lower lats and can be done with minimal equipment or no weights. With dedication and consistency, you'll soon see the results you're looking for!
