Achieve Your Ideal Physique - Favorite Exercise for Sculpting Lats

I'm excited to be able to share my tips and tricks in this blog and with videos! This month's video shows a unilateral cable lat pull down. I love unilateral (using one side of the body at a time) training for "bringing up" a lagging side, and to help develop awareness while lifting. By focusing on one side at a time we're able to more fully concentrate on each rep. Cables can be effective for targeting specific areas of the lats, as the handle can be adjusted to a higher or lower level.

Here are a few key points to consider when performing this exercise:

• To emphasize lats try using a neutral grip. This will help you use less biceps to perform the exercise. You can also try a "false grip", where your thumb is wrapped over the bar with the rest of your fingers.
• Be mindful of posture. Leaning forward or backward may shift the emphasis to your shoulders. Try to remain upright and keep the rest of the body still.
• Be mindful of angles. The upper body should remain square to the machine. This will also help to keep other muscle groups from taking over, especially as you start to fatigue.
• Slow tempo and squeeze mid-rep. The slower tempo will help you focus as will the pause mid-rep. Aim for 8-10 reps for each set. Each set should also take about 45 seconds to perform. By increasing the time under tension (TUT), you'll encourage the muscle to grow.
• Focus on mind-muscle connection. "See" the muscles working in your mind before you perform the exercise. A mid-rep pause helps to bring focus back to the lats. Just like anything else in life, practice will make this skill easier. You are the sculptor of your physique!

Lastly, I supplement with PEAK ATP to help me get through those last tough reps. I have found that I'm able to focus longer and have had great results since I started taking it!

Thank you for reading! Until next time...train hard, y'all!

-Erin Stern, IFBB Figure Pro/USATF Competitor