Gym Workout Planner

Lat Exercises

Your lats pull your arms down and back, so every good lat exercise is a pull-up, a pulldown, a row or a pullover; pick one vertical pull and one row.

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Bodyweight lat exercises

The pull-up is the classic lat builder and needs only a bar.

Pull-up
01

Pull-up

Your bodyweight, full range, lats and biceps.

Lats

Bodyweight3 × 8–12

Cable lat exercises

On a cable station, the lat pulldown is the main pick, and the straight-arm pulldown trains the lats with almost no biceps.

Lat Pulldown
02

Lat Pulldown

Same movement as a pull-up with a weight you choose.

Lats

CableHigh pulleyWide bar3 × 8–12

Straight-arm Pulldown
03

Straight-arm Pulldown

Lats, arms straight.

Lats

CableHigh pulleyBar or rope3 × 10–15
How to
  1. Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and hold it with an overhand grip about shoulder-width apart, arms extended.
  2. Step back, hinge slightly forward at the hips and keep a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Sweep the bar down in an arc until it reaches your thighs.
  4. Let it rise slowly back to about head height.

Single-arm Cable Row
04

Single-arm Cable Row

One side at a time for a long pull.

Lats · Upper Back

CableChest heightHandles3 × 8–12 per side
How to
  1. Set a pulley at about chest height and attach a handle.
  2. Stand facing the machine in a staggered stance and hold the handle in one hand, arm straight.
  3. Pull the handle to the side of your ribs, elbow close to your body.
  4. Reach your arm forward slowly until it is straight again.
  5. Finish all reps, then switch sides.

Seated Cable Row
05

Seated Cable Row

Lats and mid-back together.

Upper Back · Lats

CableLow pulleyV-handle3 × 8–12

Dumbbell lat exercises

With dumbbells, the one-arm row is the heaviest lat exercise and the pullover adds an overhead stretch.

Dumbbell Row
06

Dumbbell Row

Heaviest dumbbell row; braced on a bench.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellFlat bench3 × 8–12 per side

Dumbbell Bent-over Row
07

Dumbbell Bent-over Row

Both arms, no bench.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellNo bench3 × 8–12
How to
  1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips until your torso is at about 45° or lower, back flat.
  3. Pull both dumbbells toward your lower ribs, elbows close to your body.
  4. Lower them slowly until your arms are straight, keeping the same torso angle.

Chest-supported Dumbbell Row
08

Chest-supported Dumbbell Row

Chest on the bench, lower back rests.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellIncline bench3 × 8–12
How to
  1. Set a bench to about 30–45° and lie face down on it with a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each other.
  3. Pull the dumbbells up toward your hips, keeping your chest on the pad.
  4. Lower them slowly until your arms are straight.

Dumbbell Pullover
09

Dumbbell Pullover

A long arc with a big lat stretch.

Chest

DumbbellFlat bench3 × 10–15

A simple lat workout

Do one vertical pull and one row: a pull-up or lat pulldown for 3 × 6–10, then a row for 3 × 6–10.

How to feel your lats working

Think about driving your elbows down toward your hips instead of pulling with your hands.

FAQ

What is the best lat exercise?

The pull-up and lat pulldown train the lats through their full range and let you add load over time; pair either with a row.

How many lat exercises per workout?

Two is enough for most people: one vertical pull and one row, 3 sets each.

Can you train lats with only dumbbells?

Yes. One-arm rows, chest-supported rows and pullovers all train the lats.