30 Seconds SummaryLat prayers: The perfect exercise for the lats
- Lat prayers specifically target the lat muscles by combining straight-arm cable pull-overs with body motion adjustments to match the exercise's resistance curve with the individual's strength curve.
- This exercise allows tension on the lats throughout their entire range of motion, from fully stretched to fully contracted positions, resulting in optimal hypertrophy.
- To perform lat prayers, position yourself kneeling or standing in front of a high cable pulley using different handles like a V-grip or rope attachment.
- Maintain tension by leaning forward into the weight, keeping the arms almost fully extended, then pull into your lap while leaning back, keeping elbows in line with the torso.
- Lat prayers utilize a biomechanical advantage where the latissimus dorsi can generate maximum tension during shoulder extension, avoiding common pitfalls of other back exercises which lose tension at key points.
- Additionally, the exercise activates the long head of the triceps considerably, which is typically under-stimulated in traditional pressing movements.
- Common mistakes include cheating by bending the arms, losing tension at the top of the movement by allowing the weight to pull the shoulders past their active range, and pulling elbows too far back behind the body.
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Menno Henselmans
