Wouldn’t it be nice to have lats so wide you’d have to turn sideways to fit through a doorway? Well, if you are wishing for it, your current routine isn’t quite cutting it. It may provide some of the traditional exercises, but it’s missing some advanced methods to offer a barn door sized back. If you are ready for a back attack, we are ready to bring it!

The lats may be a common term for some, but for those unaware, it refers to the latissimus dorsi. These are the large wing shaped muscles that run from the back of your shoulders to your lower back. They provide the bat-winged look featured by some common bodybuilders such as; Kai Greene, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, and Franco Columbo. These men trained their backs like freaks and you will now be a part of that elite group.

Wingspan wideners

It’s time to make those lats grow, so here we go!

Reverse 21s – This is a variation of the “21s” exercise people commonly use for biceps. However, we’ve flipped that variation to make it a true mass maker. The first part of the set is to complete the first few reps of the exercise for 7 full reps. The second part of the set is to only perform the top half of the exercise for 7 reps, which are known as half reps. The third part of the set is to only perform the bottom half of the exercise for 7 more half reps. This will have your lats on fire and primed for GROWTH!

Isometric stretching – This will be used at the end of a few sets and is intended to offer an isometric stretch. Once you have finished your exercise, you will continue holding onto the weight in a stretch position. You will also keep your lats flexed during this stretch. Example: If you are doing pullups, continue to hang there as long as possible. Be sure to try and keep your lats flexed as well. This requires your muscles to keep an exaggerated level of tension and encourages growth. This type of stretch also promotes increased blood flow.

The wingspan widening workout

Be sure to warm-up properly by completing a few light sets working up to your first working set. Begin with around 50% of your One rep max on the first warm-up set. Slowly increase from there to the weight you intend to use on the first working set. This setup will incorporate a reverse pyramid. This means your first set should be the heaviest set. We do not want to waste ANY energy by slowly working up to your heaviest set (which is how a standard pyramid scheme works). Note: The warm-up sets should not leave you any bit fatigued.

*Each set marked with an asterisk will use one of the wingspan widener tips from above.

Barbell Rows
Sets: 2+1* Sets
Reps: 4-6 Reps
Rest: 2-3 Minutes per set
*For this set utilize the reverse 21 wingspan widener tip. You will use slightly less weight than you used during your first 2 working sets.

Weighted Pullups
Sets: 2+1* Sets
Reps: 4-6 Reps
Rest: 2-3 Minutes per set
*For this set utilize the Isometric Stretch wingspan widener tip.

Wide Grip Pulldowns
Sets: 2+1* Sets
Reps: 6-8 Reps
Rest: 2-3 Minutes per set
*For this set utilize the reverse 21 wingspan widener tip. You will use slightly less weight than you used during your first 2 working sets.

There you have it, the wingspan workout plan for extreme lat growth! Be sure to use the proper weight for each working set, since you only have a few sets per exercise. Do not be fooled by the 20 set back workouts. These routines focus their efforts on less weight which means less growth. We incorporate high intensity and all out effort. You do not need to save your energy for those lengthy workouts. It’s ALL or NOTHING here brother!