Lats exercises
Pulls the upper arm down and back towards the ribs (shoulder extension and adduction) and rotates it inwards. It is the prime mover in every pull-up and pulldown.
What loads it, and how many ways
27PRIME-MOVER LIFTS
25 more work the lats as a synergist or stabiliser — real volume, and it counts toward your weekly total.
Anatomy: Latissimus dorsi. The lats are the widest muscle in the body and attach to the lower spine and pelvis, which is why heavy rows also load the trunk.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·PRIME MOVER ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How the lats list is built
- Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
- Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
- Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
- Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Every lats lift, easiest first
Ranked by technical demand, not by quality. If the movement is new to you, start at the top of the column and earn your way down it.
| Exercise | Equipment | Pattern | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band Lat Pulldown | Resistance band | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Band Straight-Arm Pulldown | Resistance band | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Close-Grip Lat Pulldown | Cable machine + Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Lat Pulldown | Cable machine + Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Machine Pulldown | Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown | Cable machine + Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Assisted Pull-Up Machine | Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Band-Assisted Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Resistance band | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Kettlebell Row | Kettlebell | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Machine Pullover | Machine | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Negative Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldown | Cable machine + Machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | Dumbbells + Bench | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Single-Arm Lat Pulldown | Cable machine | Pull | Compound | Beginner |
| Straight-Arm Pulldown | Cable machine | Isolation | Isolation | Beginner |
| Barbell Pullover | Barbell + Bench | Isolation | Isolation | Intermediate |
| Chin-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Intermediate |
| Dumbbell Pullover | Dumbbells + Bench | Isolation | Isolation | Intermediate |
| Neutral-Grip Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Intermediate |
| Underhand Barbell Row | Barbell | Pull | Compound | Intermediate |
| Commando Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| Meadows Row | Landmine + Barbell | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| Wide-Grip Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| Archer Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| L-Sit Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
| Weighted Pull-Up | Pull-up bar + Weight plate | Pull | Compound | Advanced |
Also works the lats as a synergist
These do not have it as the prime mover, but it contributes real work. That matters when you are counting weekly volume.
1 more not shown. Browse the full list of 365 exercises.
How to train it
Pulls the upper arm down and back towards the ribs (shoulder extension and adduction) and rotates it inwards. It is the prime mover in every pull-up and pulldown. The lats are the widest muscle in the body and attach to the lower spine and pelvis, which is why heavy rows also load the trunk.
Volume is what drives growth: roughly ten to twenty hard sets per muscle group per week suits most people, spread over at least two sessions rather than crammed into one. Beyond that, the honest advice is unglamorous — pick two or three exercises, add weight or reps over time, and keep the technique the same as the load climbs.
The lats appears in 2 of the 9 movement patterns on this site: pull, isolation. Training more than one of them is how you avoid a muscle that is strong in exactly one position.
The questions that come up on the floor
What is the best exercise for the lats?
There is no single best exercise, but the lats is the prime mover in 27 movements on this site, across 2 movement patterns. A sensible programme picks one heavy compound movement and one isolation movement rather than collecting ten variations of the same thing. 22 of these are compound and 5 are isolation exercises.
How do I train the lats at home?
14 of the 27 exercises here can be done with home-scale equipment such as dumbbells or a band. This muscle is difficult to load with bodyweight alone, so a band or a pair of dumbbells is the cheapest fix.
Can I lose fat from the lats area by training it?
No. Spot reduction does not work — training a muscle does not remove the fat that sits over it. Direct work builds the lats; fat loss happens across the whole body in response to an overall calorie deficit, and where it comes off first is largely genetic.
What does the lats actually do?
Pulls the upper arm down and back towards the ribs (shoulder extension and adduction) and rotates it inwards. It is the prime mover in every pull-up and pulldown. The lats are the widest muscle in the body and attach to the lower spine and pelvis, which is why heavy rows also load the trunk.
Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
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