How to Get Wide Lats?

If you want wide lats, you may need to train the back differently than most people do. Getting wider lats is often easier for some people than for others. If you struggle to gain lat width, try switching up your back routine to include more horizontal and vertical pulling movements. Also, make sure to do plenty of sets with high volume so you can gradually increase the amount of weight you lift. If this doesn't help after several months, consider eating more food to grow more muscles.

When you're looking to add some width to your lats, you need to consider a variety of factors that influence how long it will take you to grow the kind of wide lats you want and help you set realistic expectations.

Here Are Some of the Best Exercises for Getting Wide Lats

If you are serious about getting a wide, thick back, then you need to focus on developing both the thickness and width of your lats. The best way to do this is with high-volume, heavy-weight, and compound lifts.

Build broad lats by incorporating vertical pulling movements into your workout. Also, do horizontal pull-ups to help increase your overall back size and muscle mass, which will further enhance your V-taper physique.

1) Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

The wide grip lat pulldown is a variation of the lat pulldown that can be performed on a cable machine, with resistance bands, or on a pulldown machine. This variation targets the lats at an angle that promotes back width, making it a must-have for any lat-widening program.

When training the lat pulldown, use a variety of rep ranges and loading schemes. A wider grip may be helpful, so try to widen your grip a few inches from shoulder width.

2) Incline Dumbbell Row

The Incline Dumbbell Row is a unilateral movement for building back thickness and growth. To perform this exercise, keep your core tight and maintain a straight back throughout the movement to give yourself the most effective workout possible.

When performed in a chest-supported position on a bench, the lat pullover is an effective exercise for recruiting the latissimus dorsi muscles and stimulating muscle growth. Not only can you use heavier weights, but you can also perform more reps than when doing pullovers with your body hanging down from a bar.

3) Bent Over Row

The bent-over row is a great exercise for developing wide lats. You can get a wide or narrow grip, depending on your goal. If you're looking to build more width in the upper back, choose a wider grip. If you want to focus on the lower portion of your back, try a narrower grip.

When you target your upper back and rear deltoids, you help create a more defined V-taper by building width and thickness in the back. And since these muscles are located on either side of your spine, performing exercises like pullovers and bent-over laterals can help prevent injury to the lower back.

4) Machine Rows (Wide Grip)

Machine cable rows, or most machine rows in that manner, are best suited for developing back width when done with a wider grip (grip can be pronounced or neutral). Machine rows often lock the lifter into position and force them to assume good torso positioning to minimize cheat reps as they get tired.

Machines are an excellent way to add high amounts of volume and muscle fatigue to your back training without putting too much stress on your lower back or hamstrings.

5) Barbell Deadlifts (Wide Grip)

Barbell deadlifts done with a conventional grip are a great exercise for building size and strength in the back. The wider your grip (referred to as a wide grip or snatch grip deadlift), the more difficult it becomes and the more your lats will be involved in the lift.

It's important to keep your chest up and back active during wide-grip deadlifts and not allow your shoulders to round forward or internally rotate. This variation often results in great back growth despite less loading being used than during other deadlift movements.

Wrapping Up

Back muscles are one of the most important muscles in bodybuilding because of their role in providing support to many other larger muscle groups. Also, training the lats will help lean out your waist and give you a dramatic V-taper that is sure to catch anyone's eye. The back is often neglected by many lifters, but to get the V-shape and wide look you want, it's important to keep training your back muscles.

You can work on your lats in a variety of ways, but for time efficiency, stick to a few key exercises. Train your back muscles consistently, and maybe add a few extra push-ups each day, and you'll be packed with strength in no time.