How to get a good v taper - top 3 exercises you NEED! part 1/2
I’m going to teach you the 3 best exercises for bigger, wider, & stronger lats. We’ll cover how many times per week to do them with how many sets & reps you should do them for. (CLICK HERE IF YOU RATHER WATCH ON YOUTUBE WITH VIDEO TUTORIALS)
First, let’s cover the 3 divisions that make up the lats & their primary function so you can understand why these exercises are the ones I selected.
Your lats are made up of 3 divisions: Thoracic Lats, Lumbar Lats, & The Illiac lats. or Upper/mid/lower lats.
Now, what is the primary function of the lats?
Arm in front of your body & close to your torso
Drive your elbow down toward your hip
It’s key you don’t pull your arm past your body
Lastly, bracing your core & not allowing your back arch
EXERCISE #1 - 1/2 kneeling SA LPD
This is an amazing exercise for lat growth. I got this from my friend Chaz & I think he got it from N1-Education or Coach Kassem on Instagram. If you’ve never done this before you’re in for a treat for lat growth & the mind-muscle connection you will get from this exercise.
1/2 Kneeling SA LPD
Set up a bench straight up or on the first incline to leverage yourself against
Set the cable machine to head level or higher
Then put your knee/hand on your non-working side on the bench to help brace & leverage yourself
Then while your arm in front of your body, close to your torso, & you’re bracing your core
Drive your elbow down toward your hip
Don’t pull your arm past your body & you’re golden
Frequency: Once per week.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
Rest: 2-3 minutes between each set.
EXERCISE #2 - Paul Carter thoracic Lat N.G. ROW (A.K.A Wide neutral grip cable row)
I got this exercise from the hypertrophy god himself: Paul carter.
Wide N.G. Cable Row
Put a wide neutral grip handle on the cable row machine
If you don’t have one you can use a pull-down bar & slide cable handles on top of it
Then lean back, brace your core & pull your elbows to your hips
Do not pull your arms past your body if you want to target your lats
the range of motion is not as far as you think
Frequency: Once per week.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
Rest: 2-3 minutes between each set.
EXERCISE #3 - N.G. Double Arm LPD
Right now you’re probably thinking WTF. Where are the pull-ups? Pull-ups or traditional pull-downs are not optimal for lat hypertrophy. Do they hit the lats? Yes, 100% yes. Are they better at growing the lats than these 3 exercises? No, 100% no. Pull-ups & pull-downs are mainly upper-back. The lats become stabilizing & support muscles during pull-ups/dows to support your humerus. I got the double arm neutral grip pull-downs from N1-Education.
N.G. Double Arm LPD
Position the cables so they will be a in position that allows you to pull down with your arms close to your body
The width of the handles should be shoulder-width
Put your forehead on the pad while you brace your core & ensure you’re not arching your low back
Arms in front of your body & close to your torso
Drive your elbow down toward your hip, don’t pull your arm past your body
Frequency: Once per week.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
Rest: 2-3 minutes between each set.
What’s Next Week?
I hope this helps you! If you need help please feel free to DM me on Instagram @tedshredss or email me: tedgormanpt@gmail.com. I’d love to give you free tips/advice or help clear up anything we talked about today.
Next week’s article/video is part 2 of this specific series: “How to get a good v taper”
We’ll look at & go over the best exercises for your upper back.
Thank you for reading or watching!
I hope this has helped you and if it has…
Please let me know via email! tedgormanpt@gmail.com
Also, if you have any questions about what we talked about today…
Email me, I’d love to answer your questions and give you some advice 🤝
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Talk soon,
-Ted :)
