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I've heard the best way to develop that V-shaped
taper in your lats is to perform pullups and chinups. What's the
difference between the two?
...............................................................................
 Eugene Thong:
Pullups are performed with the palms facing away from you; chinups are
performed with your palms facing you.
The best way to fully
develop the V-taper is to work hard and heavy on exercises that hit your
latissimus dorsi muscles (aka, “the lats”).
Pullups and chinups are two of
the best exercises for this, as they require a high degree of effort (for
most people) to complete.
If you are strong and find
pullups and chinups easy, take a nod from our
Weight Training 101 article and use single progression: add
resistance to chinups/pullups by hanging a weight off yourself (a dip belt
works great). When you can achieve your goal number of reps, increase the
weight.
Other exercises work the
lats and will help you develop both breadth and width to your back.
These
include horizontal pulls such as rows (barbell and machine versions) and
other vertical pulls such as pull downs and pullovers (a good pullover
machine is great for developing big, strong lats)
Whichever exercise(s) you
choose to work with, remember the three keys:
1) You will only
succeed by working hard (high degree of effort) on the exercise.
2) You must employ
progression – when the weight gets easy, increase it!
3) You must
eat to recover. Be sure to give the body the raw material it needs
to build that muscle!
If you haven't yet, sign up for our
newsletter below... or
read
more about it here.About the Author:
Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny,
bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts,
scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.
His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense
methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal
trainers.
 When
not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found
arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or
sailing through the air on his snowboard. Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings
on exercise, fitness, and fat loss
at his blog
Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets. You can purchase
it by clicking
here.
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