V-taper

[Mrbobcat]

Has anyone heard of doing deadlifts with a spread lat "relaxed pose"? I saw it on the fit show and it looked interesting. Its supposed to help with the v-taper, but it looks awkward and you can't use as much weight. I noticed that they used a wide grip for regular deadlifts and the variation spread deadlift. I always did them with shoulder width grip. They also did chins and pulldowns with a wide grip. I never did them that way because it feels weird and I heard it can hurt your shoulders (even though mines bothering me anyway). The lat spread is one area I could never develope well. I have good mid-back thickness and some width right under my armpits and then at the bottom, kind of straight in between instead of the arc shape you want. Any ideas how to fill this in or will just going heavier and gaining weight do it?
Right now I'm doing 1-arm rows, upright row, chins, and pullovers for back.

[Caferacer]

Your workout is fine for lat width, the exercises at least. I would put zero faith in ANYTHING a fitness show has to say unless it were hosted by Ronnie himself. A lot of times instead of saying "Do dead for back thickness" they say "Do supinated super-setted cable tri-curl rows for thickness!" Like if they don't make it complicated no one will believe them.

Some of your taper is genetically predetirmined. I have heard rowing movements help with thickness and chins are for taper but I do both anyways and don't separate the two different movements. Just make sure in the rowing movements you feel it in your lats; there is definitely a way to just do the movements, and a way to really hit your lats.

[Cammo]

Originally Posted by Mrbobcat

....Right now I'm doing 1-arm rows, upright row, chins, and pullovers for back.

Maybe mix it up some bent-over barbell rows & seated cable rows.
I swap between these 2 every few weeks - helps keep thing interesting as well!
(I do deads and 1 arm rows on top of either 1 of the above 2)

[_SaVvY_]

Originally Posted by Mrbobcat

Has anyone heard of doing deadlifts with a spread lat "relaxed pose"? I saw it on the fit show and it looked interesting. Its supposed to help with the v-taper, but it looks awkward and you can't use as much weight. I noticed that they used a wide grip for regular deadlifts and the variation spread deadlift. I always did them with shoulder width grip. They also did chins and pulldowns with a wide grip. I never did them that way because it feels weird and I heard it can hurt your shoulders (even though mines bothering me anyway). The lat spread is one area I could never develope well. I have good mid-back thickness and some width right under my armpits and then at the bottom, kind of straight in between instead of the arc shape you want. Any ideas how to fill this in or will just going heavier and gaining weight do it?
Right now I'm doing 1-arm rows, upright row, chins, and pullovers for back.

at the moment im trying out sumo but may do alternate sets with wide grip dead / sumo dead - until the past couple of weeks ive been using this for a while, the sumo deadlift doesnt seem to work my lats at all, but wide grip (extra wide) works them very well

[Shredder]

I'm kind of old fashioned. I would build by routine around different chins. They really work the entire area well. I do chins with the cable row attachment and it seriously hits the lower lats. They are also easier than wide grip so they are a good place to start. I would definitely add bent over heavy rows and t-bar rows with a very narrow grip for wideness. Back is an area for serious dedication and you will see gains in your chest and biceps and other areas as an added benefit.