Stretching Those Lats

Julian Morales

Lat Importance: Stretching

Last week, we talked about the importance of strengthening our lats, but this week we will focus on how to stretch those muscles.

The latissimus dorsi, or the lats for short, play a huge role in shoulder function and health. Oftentimes, these muscles become tight and stiff after injury, surgery, immobilization, a lack of stretching, or repetitive lat overuse/overdevelopment (LIKE SWIMMING)! Because they act to extend and internally rotate the shoulder as well as depress the shoulder girdle, they can severely limit your ability to achieve an optimal overhead position. This is a very important position for just about anyone who does anything with their arms overhead! Because so many individuals need full overhead mobility, stretching the lats is a part of many athlete’s prehab/rehab programs.

While most people seem to “know” how to stretch each muscle, to really maximize your stretches you have to move the origin of the muscle (where it starts) as far away from the insertion of the muscle (where it ends) as possible. When it comes to muscles that cross multiple joints and have multiple attachments like the lats, you have to take up this extra tension at each available joint to truly maximize your stretching.

 

In the case of the lats, they have multiple origins! The lats originate on:

  • The spinous processes of vertebrae T7-L5

  • Thoracolumbar Fascia

  • Iliac Crest

  • The inferior portion of the 3rd or 4th rib

  • The inferior angle of the scapula

 

My absolute FAVORITE stretch for the lats:

 

 

A link to a great tutorial on how to do this:

https://youtu.be/vZ0ddF4v3Pg

The reason this stretch is the best (In my opinion) is because you get a great combination of passive and active stretching that really forces all of the muscle origins to pull away from all of the muscle insertions. If you feel a big pull on your sides and right behind your armpit, you're doing it right.

The people in the video actually do a great job putting up queues of what to do throughout the stretching process! This stretch can be done with a broomstick, a mop handle, a pvc pipe, or basically anything of that nature that allows you to get your hands wide enough to really pull those lats.

 

Side note: if you feel like you are not getting as good of a stretch, you can have someone else gently pull the dowel back further behind your head.

Stay safe, and keep warm!

Julian