Lats
Latissimus dorsi - the largest back muscle. Width comes from upper lat work, thickness from lower.
The parts
What you're actually training.
Exercises
Ranked by directness on lats.
Chest-supported Row
Lats and mid-back working with zero lower-back tax.
Straight-arm Pulldown
Long, clean lat contraction with zero bicep involvement.
Lat Pulldown
Lats engaging from the very first inch of the pull.
Single-arm Dumbbell Row
Hard squeeze right under the armpit; lat tension you can chase by adjusting torso angle.
Dumbbell Pullover
An unmistakable stretch through the lats and serratus at the bottom.
Pull-up
Tight squeeze under the armpits - that's the lat.
T-Bar Row
Mid-back density work - lower lats and rhomboids fighting for space.
Meadows Row
A unilateral lat contraction with a slight rotational pull - very different from a standard row.
Barbell Bent-over Row
Mid-back squeeze + lower lat pull. Lower back stays tight, not working.
Muscle-up
Pulling phase like a tight chin-up, transition like a folded-up triceps press.
- Lats
Also involves this muscle
Lifts that pull this muscle in as a supporter.
Forearms
Dead Hang
Forearms working from the second you let go of your bodyweight; shoulders decompressing in a good way.
Rhomboids
Seated Cable Row
Squeeze between the shoulder blades that lingers.
Rhomboids
Inverted Row
Mid-back squeeze every rep. Easier than a pull-up, equally productive for the rhomboids.
Rhomboids
Seal Row
Brutal upper-back squeeze with absolutely zero lower-back risk.
Biceps
Chin-up
Even split between hard bicep contraction and lat squeeze under the armpit.
Traps
Rack Pull
Insane trap and upper-back loading you can't get any other way.
Abs
Ab Wheel Rollout
Abs working harder than any crunch - and the lats and lower back joining the party.
Hamstrings
Conventional Deadlift
Whole-body brace. Hamstrings, glutes, and back all firing at once.