Ready to sculpt a strong and defined back without the need for pricey gym equipment?
Let’s explore the power of resistance bands and unveil the best exercises for those coveted lats.
These bands aren’t just about intensity; they bring the effectiveness of cable machines to your home workouts. No need to compromise get ready for challenging exercises that deliver impressive results.
Discover the secrets of efficient lat workouts using only resistance bands. I’ve got everything you need for impactful home training, including pro tips for enhanced performance. Say goodbye to the notion that exceptional lats workouts require fancy gear we’re about to crush it all with the versatile resistance band.
Get the scoop on the most effective lat exercises, unleash your potential, and transform your home into a powerhouse gym. Are you ready to redefine your lats training and achieve those satisfying results? Let’s make it happen together!
Do lat exercises with bands work well ?
Yes, the resistance band is excellent for building lat muscles, offering varied resistance levels ideal for beginners to stimulate muscle activity and growth.
Your choice depends on your goals. Advanced individuals seeking greater challenges may find the resistance band less demanding. However, it shines as an alternative for those recovering from injuries or needing low-impact joint exercises.
For beginners or those aiming for home fitness, the resistance band is a fantastic tool. It effectively builds muscle strength and can contribute to muscle growth when used with intense resistance and regular training.
Get to know the effects of resistance bands on your muscles
What are the best lat exercises with resistance bands?
Pull exercises :
- Band Kneeling Lat Pull
- Band Lat Pulldowns
- Band Straight Arm Pulldowns
- Banded Pullover
Row exercises :
- Band Seated Rows
- Band Single-Arm Rows
- Band Bent-Over Rows
- Banded Squat Row
8 Lat exercises with bands to try at home (step by step)
Here are step-by-step exercise guides. Try to be serious about your training and follow the instructions below, because it is essential to have proper form and technique to target your lats well.
1# Kneeling wide grip pulldown with resistance bands
Wide grip lat pulldown is a powerful exercise for the lats muscles, and while incorporating the resistance band, it becomes similar to doing a pull-up exercise because the way to do the exercise is similar and targets the muscles in the same way. And the resistance band allows you a greater range of motion to extend your shoulder blades upwards, as well as your lats muscles, then pull your arms and elbows and press your lats muscles well, with high resistance and correct form, you will definitely get a grueling lats exercise.
How to do a wide grip lat pulldown:
- First you need to install the resistance band at a high height (above your room door would be fine).
- Pull the two grips of the band to you and move away from the place where the band is fixed until you feel that the band has become tense and provides good resistance.
- Kneel facing the place where the band is fixed. Keep one knee on the ground and support yourself with the other foot.
- Before starting the exercise, you should feel the tension of the band. Now, extend your arms and shoulder blades upwards (that is, the direction of where the band is fixed).
- Bend your back straight until your chest is close to your supporting knee, keep your head close to your arms and keep your fists shoulder-width apart.
- Now tighten your muscles well, try to rest your arms, and take advantage of the resistance of the band to press your lats muscles.
- Then start pulling your elbows out to the sides of your lats and squeezing your lats back with each repetition, think of it like you’re doing a pull up.
- Let your arms and shoulder blades extend upward again, then bring your arms back towards you, and so on.
Pro tip:
Try to take advantage of the range of motion and resistance provided by the band to compress the lats well, keep your elbows directed outwards and try to remove pressure from the palms of your hands. That is, do not pull with the palms of your hands, then focus on pushing the shoulder blades up well, pull your arms to the sides of your body and press the lats muscles down. Try to keep them as tense as possible. Imagine doing a higher pull-up exercise and make the exercise with the same difficulty for better results.
2# Squatted row with resistance bands
The squatted row is another favorite exercise that can be done using a resistance band only. You can reap a lot of benefits with this exercise because it is not only limited to building the lats, but also incorporates other muscles in a secondary way. It can also enhance balance and target the upper back muscles as well. And with enough resistance, you will undoubtedly get a more challenging lats workout.
How to do a squatted row:
- First you need to attach the band in a low position (close to the ground would be fine).
- Hold the two grips of the band (with supinated grip : palms and forearm facing up) and step back a little until you feel that the band has become well tensioned.
- Now you will do the following: Think as if you are going to sit on a high chair, that is, bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight and perpendicular to the ground completely, push your chest forward and keep it taut.
- Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your muscles tight, also keep your arms extended in front of you and hold the two grips of the band tightly.
- Then start pulling your fists towards the serratus or to the sides of your chest muscles, squeezing your lats back with each repetition.
- Let your fists come back forward, extend your arms well and let your shoulder blades go slightly forward, then pull back and squeeze your lats back by allowing your elbows to go behind your back.
Pro tip:
The important thing with this exercise is to maintain proper form, that is, you must first keep your back straight and your knees slightly bent, keep your arms extended forward, but allow them to rest because we do not want to put any pressure on them, you must pay attention to keeping your arms near your sides When pulling and allowing your elbows to go behind your back, the same is true for your shoulders, try to push them forward while extending your arms, then return the shoulder blades back and pinch them with each repetition.
3# One arm banded row with resistance bands
One arm banded row is also one of the most powerful lats exercises that allow you to train each side individually, and this allows you to focus on pressing your muscles well and exhausting them throughout the exercise, although it seems easy, but it is more challenging when there is strong resistance, so try to increase the intensity Exercise and focus on pressing the lats muscles with each repetition.
How to do a single-arm banded row:
First you need to attach the resistance band at a medium height (a meter will suffice).
Hold the band grip and move a step or two away from the place where the band is fixed. You must feel the band tense before starting the exercise.
Spread your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight throughout the exercise, push your chest forward and keep it taut.
Keeping your arm extended in the direction of where the resistance band is attached, hold the band with a neutral grip (i.e. your palm looks inward).
Now, start pulling the band grip with your elbow and keep it close to your body, pull slowly and squeeze your muscles back well.
With each repetition, pull your shoulder blade back as if you were trying to roll it, squeezing your lats back and allowing your elbow to cross your back.
Pro tip:
The important thing with this exercise is to make it target your lats muscles 100%, and this means that you should not allow your shoulders or biceps to benefit from the resistance of the band, that is, you should feel your lats muscles burning throughout the exercise, do not try to extend your arm forward completely, keep some flexion On your elbow between each repetition and keep your elbow next to your body during the pull, and focus on pulling the scapula back and contracting your muscles well.
4# Seated banded row with resistance bands
You cannot miss a seated row exercise during back exercises, especially when you want to target the lats muscles in particular. The good thing is that you can get this exercise using only the resistance band. Believe me, it will look as if you are training on a cable machine, especially if the resistance of the band is enough to tire your muscles or When you raise the intensity of the exercise and double the bands, and so on, you will definitely get a strong workout for your muscles.
How to do a seated banded row:
- First, adjust the resistance band to a low position, about 40 centimeters, or to a position that is opposite your chest while pulling.
- Sit facing the place where the band is installed, hold the two grips of the band and move away a little until you feel the band has become tense.
- Keep your back straight and your chest pushed forward throughout the exercise.
- Extend your arms well to the place where the band is fixed, but do not bend your back and your chest forward. We want to keep the lats integrated with the exercise at all times.
- Start with pulling the grips with your elbows, pull your fists directly towards your out chest, pull your elbows behind your back, contract your lats and push them back with each repetition, also while doing a full row keep your elbow at a 90 degree angle and keep it close to your body throughout the exercise.
Pro tip:
First, you must control the resistance of the band, especially when sitting on a smooth floor, as the band will pull you forward and you may lose the correct form, so try to sit still so that you can target the lats muscles well, then try to take advantage of the range of motion available to press the lats muscles and do not allow your elbows to go outside Also, keep your chest pushed forward and taut, and keep your lats engaged throughout the exercise.
5# Single arm lat pulldown with resistance bands
Single arm lat pulldown, this is also one of the exercises that the lats muscles respond to well because it provides an ideal range to extend the lats muscles more from the top to the bottom and this range is the one that is most effective for isolating the lats muscles and keeping them under pressure throughout the exercise, which is good Is that you can get this exercise using only a resistance band and get good results.
How to do the single arm lat Pulldown exercise:
- First, adjust the resistance band to a high position, above your room door, that would be ideal.
- Pull the grip of the band until the band becomes tense, then kneel on one knee below where the band is fixed.
- You will start training the lats on the side of the kneeling foot first, keep holding the grip of the band and keep your arm semi-extended upwards.
- Keep your eyes looking forward, your back straight, your lats tight and ready.
- Now start pulling the band grip to the front of your shoulder, that is, over the chest muscles, and press the lat muscles back by pulling your elbow down and back as well.
- Extend your arm and shoulder blade up again, then pull the band towards you and press your muscles back well.
Pro tip:
Try to extend your arm up with your shoulder as this will make the lat muscle stretch wide, pull the band towards you slowly and keep your elbow close to you while squeezing the muscles back, do not perform any swing or momentum just keep the core engaged and engage the lat muscles and take advantage of the range The movement is available and keep your muscles under tension throughout the exercise.
6# Straight arm lat pulldown with resistance bands
Straight arm lat pulldown is one of the most famous lats exercises that isolates the muscles well and focuses on them 100% so that your arm is straight and therefore there is no interference from other muscles such as the biceps or triceps muscles so that you focus on extending and contracting the lats on a large scale. This type of exercise can be relied upon to stimulate the lats muscles to grow and gain strength, and the good thing is that you can do it by relying on the resistance band only.
How to do a straight arm lat pulldown:
- Again, attach the resistance band on a high position (above your room door would be fine).
- Pull the band’s grips towards you until the band is taut.
- Get down on your knees, keeping your thighs and back straight, and your chest pushed forward throughout the exercise.
- Now extend your arms straight in front of your shoulders, try to feel the resistance of the band and tighten your lats well.
- Then start pulling your arms straight down and squeezing your lats back with each repetition.
Pro tip:
Try to feel the tension of your muscles with each repetition. If you do not feel any resistance, try to reduce the intensity a little and try again. While doing this exercise, keep your arms straight all the time, and there is another thing about pulling. Try to pull with your arms, not the palms of your hands. Try to put the biggest pressure possible on the lats muscles and shrink your muscles well with each repetition.
7# Bent over row with resistance bands
Bent over row is also one of the exercises that targets most of the back muscles and focuses on the lats in particular so that it puts the greatest possible pressure on the lats muscles and keeps them tense throughout the exercise. Bent over row can be a great addition to the resistance band lats training routine and you can get Satisfactory results, because you will feel the development of your fitness over time, and when you add some intensity and more resistance, you will increase the chances of your muscles growing and gaining strength.
How to Bent Over Row with Resistance Band:
- First, install the resistance band at the bottom of your feet, hold the band with your hands at both ends, place it on the ground, and then stand directly above it.
- The band must be short and provide good resistance.
- Now hold the two fists of the band, bend your back straight in a semi-parallel shape to the ground, bend your knees slightly.
- Keep your fists beside your knees, keep your arms semi-extended downward, then start pulling the band’s fists toward your hips, bend your elbows and squeeze your muscles back.
- Focus on keeping your back straight, while pulling your elbows back, bring your shoulders back as well and try to contract your muscles with each repetition.
Pro tip:
In this exercise, you must first maintain a proper form, that is, try to keep your back straight and steady, do not perform any kind of swing or momentum, then focus on the movement of your fists, they should be from your knees and pull to your hips and on your way with the pull, bend your elbows And push it behind the back a little and press the lat muscles well with each repetition.
8# Banded pullover
This exercise is often done using dumbbells because dumbbells provide somewhat the appropriate grip to do this exercise, but it is okay to do it using a resistance band as well and almost the same results can be obtained, the banded Pullover provides the appropriate range of motion to stretch and contract the lat muscles on a larger scale, and this is what makes it effective in exhausting the lats muscles and keeping them under pressure throughout the exercise.
How to do Banded pullover:
- First, set the resistance band to a low position.
- Lie down on the ground in a place a little far from where the band is fixed, and pull the two fists of the band to you and try to tighten the band well so that it becomes tense.
- Extend your arms above your head until they are almost straight with the ground and at the same time directed directly to the place where the band is installed.
- Raise your knees off the ground as if you were going to do a crunch exercise, keep your thighs perpendicular to the ground.
- Now, pull the bands horizontally (i.e. pull your fists above your face) and bend your elbows over your lats and contract your muscles with each repetition.
- Bring your fists back above your head again and extend your arms well and your shoulders as well, then pull up again in the same way and so on.
Pro tip:
It is necessary to stretch the core well in order to get a correct form. Try to take advantage of the resistance provided by the band to press the lats muscles with each repetition and do not allow the muscles to rest during the exercise. Maintain the rhythm of the repetitions and take advantage of the available range of motion and press your elbows to your sides with each repetition.
Lat exercises with bands : workout plan
Here is a simple training program with resistance bands for lats muscles at home, a basic workout plan that includes most of the exercises that we touched on in this post, you can increase or decrease the intensity according to your fitness level, and other exercises can be done to target other muscles, but it is good to do these exercises during upper body muscle training.
Lats: workout routine
#Day 1 – Strength
Warm-up | 5-10 minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching for your lats |
Kneeling wide grip lat pulldown | 3-6 sets of 1-6 reps at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique |
Seated banded row | 3-6 sets of 6-8 reps at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique |
Rest | 1-2 minutes between sets |
Cool-down | 5-10 minutes of static stretching |
Day 2 – Hypertrophy
- Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching for your lats
- Banded pullover: 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique
- Bent over row with bands: 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique
- Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets
- Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of static stretching
Day 3 – Endurance
- Warm-up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio or dynamic stretching for lats muscles
- Straight arm lat pulldown: 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps (each hand) at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique
- Squatted row: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at a resistance that is challenging but allows for good form and technique
- Rest: 30-60 seconds between sets
- Cool-down: 5-10 minutes of static stretching
Benefits of resistance bands exercises
The band is one piece of gym equipment that brings you great benefit. If you get used to doing resistance band exercises, there is no doubt that you will get fun exercises and activate more muscles, so here are some benefits:
- Increase resistance and muscle endurance.
- Low impact on the joints, which means that it is difficult to get injured during resistance band exercises.
- Portability and versatility You can train different muscles using the resistance band only and you can get powerful exercises, and the good thing is that the resistance band can be moved to any place quite easily.
- Improve muscle activation and prepare them to interact more with any type of exercise, and there is no doubt that the resistance band helps to build muscles as well.
- It is suitable for all fitness levels and can provide resistance equivalent to 40 lbs or more.
- Designed as a potent alternative to free weights, the resistance band proves effective, especially in upper body exercises. It mimics dumbbell resistance, sometimes surpassing it by targeting specific muscles with different grips and providing a broader range of motion.
Don’t have a resistance band yet?
If you are thinking of adding a resistance band to your gym equipment collection, this is a great thing. I encourage you to do so, and you will not regret it. The resistance band is effective and is a perfect addition to your training and adds a special touch to it.
Since there are several companies that market their products, you may get a kind of confusion in choosing the appropriate resistance band for you, so I would like to suggest an ideal resistance band that has all the characteristics that you may want and works with high efficiency, inevitably this will relieve you of the trouble of searching in the markets or fear of purchasing A product that does not meet your needs.
Note: As an affiliate I earn a small commission on products that I suggest to my blog readers, so if you purchase anything using my affiliate link I’ll earn a little money .. this motivate me and pay for my evening coffee!
ResiTubes – Resistance Bands
Features :
- You get a full set of resistance bands with all the accessories you will need.
- It is easy to use and can be installed anywhere and start exercising quickly.
- It allows you to do a set of exercises that target the muscles of the entire body.
- Provides resistance of up to 150 lbs, equivalent to 68 kg.
- 30 days warranty on the product.
The ResiTubes bands comes in 11 different pieces, and all of these pieces work with a specific type of exercise, and here we are talking about 5 different straps that include two foam handles, two ankle straps for training leg muscles, an anchor door and 5 resistance bands that can be attached together to obtain a resistance of up to 150 pounds (68 kg).
The good thing is that it is suitable for beginners so that they can only rely on one band (that generates up to 10 pounds of resistance) during their first training sessions and then they can increase the resistance by adding more bands as their fitness improves.
In terms of material, the straps were designed from strong nylon to withstand the pressure of weights and can withstand the resistance of the band well, so that it was carefully sewn to carry out a heavy duty and withstand the pressure of exercises, and the band was wrapped with a thick rubber layer that can last for a long time.
FAQ
Can I build lats with resistance bands?
For a beginner, he can feel the growth of lats muscles after a period of rigorous training and adherence to the exercise schedule, so it can be said that you can build lats muscles and get good results.
Can I work lats everyday?
This is not recommended by most professionals, muscles need to rest and recover and prepare themselves for the next training sessions, so it would be a good idea to allow your muscles to recover at least 24 hours before training them again.
Are lats hard to train?
Sometimes it may be difficult to train lats, especially if you are doing the exercises with the wrong way, that is, you do not target the lat muscles correctly, or you may not train them enough to get results, but if you provide the correct form and increase the resistance and raise the intensity of the exercises, you will definitely start to notice the fruits of your efforts.
Are resistance bands enough to build strong back muscles?
It cannot be said that the resistance band it’s enough to build strong back muscles. During long runs with the exercises, the muscles may become accustomed to the resistance of the band, so you will need to train them with other equipment that provides heavier weights and a different range of motion to raise the challenge and increase muscle activity.
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Cable back workout that can be done with resistance bands too