The latissimus dorsi, or better known in the gym as the “lats,” are big powerful muscles that connect all the way from the hip and mid/low back to the upper arm. You can see from the picture below that they take up a lot of real estate on your body:
These muscles are primarily used for pulling actions – things like rows and pull ups.
Here is the deal: they can get tight and restrict your overhead motion. In our day-to-day lives as humans we don’t typically do much activity that would keep this muscle moving the way it was designed to move, so it can tighten up on us. This causes problems when we hit the gym and try to move some barbells or dumbbells overhead, and the lats are incapable of stretching that far.
I HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR TIGHT LATS!
This video will show you how to test your lat length, and will show a great stretching exercise you can get started with if you notice your lats are tight. Then I will show a couple additional exercises you can try as well!
Give the lat length test a try with a PVC or broomstick making sure to keep your rear, back, and head against the wall. If you are tight, try some of the mobility exercises below:
Eccentric Lat Lengthening exercise as shown in the video. 10 reps, 3-5 second negative, 3-5 second hold at the bottom:
Give your lats some love and try these exercises! You should see gains in lat length and shoulder mobility.
The shoulder is a very complex joint, and there are many muscles that contribute to tightness, instability, and pain. Let me know if you are dealing with any shoulder problems, and I can help you get out of pain and improve your performance in the gym and in life!
Tim Brown, DPT
Ascend Performance Therapy
Ascend Performance Therapy 