Thursday, May 15, 2008

How to build up your lats and traps

The two biggest muscles that when worked on would give you the V-shaped look that women find so attractiveThat are the two biggest muscles that give you broad,strong back.leonardo Da Vinci's David,the well built sculpture of a man with the curly hair,looks good even today.He has the dimensions most women find attractive:probably taller than average,but not basketball player tall,well proportioned and toned.
GETTING THE V-SHAPED LOOK:-If you want the V-shaped look,you need a broad strong back.To get that you need to target two of the biggest muscles in your body.when it comes to surface area,few muscles have a larger surface area than lattismus dorsi-called the lats-and the trapezius,called the traps.They're big,powerefull sheets of muscle.Isolating them can be tricky,because they work in conjunction with other muscles,like your biceps.But boy when you work them properly the results are outstanding.the latissmus dorsi is a thick,wide set of muscles that runs in a fan shape from the top of your humerous(the bone in your upper arm) to your lower spine and pelvis.You use it when you move your arm.The trapezius is triangular and starts at the base of your spine.It's attached to the back of your shoulder-blade(scapula)and your clavicle(collar bone).It helps you turn your headand also helps with things like shurgging and something like scapular adduction,which happens when you pull your shoulder-blades together.It's all an intricate,wonderfully balanced system that allows freedom of movement,speed,endurance,balance and tremendous strength.Consider that hurling a spear,swimming for hours and throwing a dart accurately,all happen with the same muscles.Now,how do you develop these muscles so that they are attractive as also functional?some exercise:
PULL-UPS:-If all you do this one exercise,you'll have given your lats something to think about.Grab a chin-up bar with your hands just more than shoulder-width apart and your palms facing away from you.Hang loosely,then pull yourself up untill your chest nearly touches the bar.Remember that the slower you raise and lower yourself,the more of a workout your muscles get.Some fitness instructions recommend that if you can do more than five pull-ups you should wear a dipping belt with a weight hung from it.If you're starting out or are reasonably fit,concentrate on getting your moves right first.
BENT-NARROW:-Put two dumbells on the floor in front of you.Stand with your feet apart and bend over untill your spine is nearly parallel with the floor.keep your back straight by sticking your butt out and bending your knees slightly.Now grab the dumbels and lift them,keeping your elbows close to your sides.Lift the weights untill your elbows are completely bent,then lower them.
ONE-ARMED ROW:-Stand parallel to an exercise bench and put your right knee and right hand on it,so you're halfkneeling on it.Reach down with your left hand and grab a dumbell from the floor.Keep your elbow close to your side and lift it slowly.As you lower the dumbell again,moving the weight through 180 degrees.This put a load on more muscle fibres than a straight upand-down.Do three sets of 10 or to failure.
UPPER-BACK MOVE:-Now,finally,you're ready for the ultimate upper-back move.Take a swig of water from your squeezy bottle,dry your hands and settle down at the lat pulldown apparatus.sit with your feet flat on the floor,legs angled slightly outwards to keep you balanced.Grip the bar with your thumbs over it and your hands a bit further than shoulder-width apart.keep your back straight and pull the bar down your chest.Don't pull it behind your head.Relax your neck and wrists or you'll stress them and not the muscles you're targetting.cocking your elbows slightly backwards help the latissmus dorsi and the trapezium get a workout.Keep the move smooth and slow.Do three sets of 10 or to failure.

No comments: