Best tips / tutorials for form on lats?

[kimodified]

I have the feeling I am not activating my lats well on anything - while I try to remember to curl the core, shoulders back, ribs up, and I do kind of know where my lats are, I do not feel like I'm making good use of my upper body in the sense of being focused and mindful of form. When I'm doing workouts or even out walking I can remember to put my shoulders back and ribs up, but somehow feel like my lats aren't really *in there* like maybe they should be. I can FEEL my mid-to-lower body activating when I focus on my form, but am not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing/feeling for my upper body.

Are there threads and/or tutorials or something that would help me be more purposeful in this area?

I hope my question makes sense

If it helps, I own BWO+, TWO, HTF/HTFS, and SATI and I think I have the T-Tapp Core DVD that came in a magazine.

Kim

[ayj67]

More (especially More Broom), The Broom, Total Superslow.

If you do HITS with lower lumbar flat onto the floor, aka "no air space", you will be using your lats when you prop you lower arms up, elbow touching the floor with donut hands up in the air, upper arms and torso forms a 45 degree angle. Then, the entire lying on the floor, you trying using your lats to achieve no air space/flat back/lats tight.

When we curl our cores, we use our lats too if you try pulling navel to the spine, especially when you suck in your upper abs.

In PBS, when you grab your hands and arms reach out for the dive, if you bend deeper KLT (slow motion) curl and suck your tummy in more like a flatten "C" and hold it there, you will be enaging your lats to hold that motion. Then, use the same lats when you do the spinal tuck curl up or the full spinal roll up when you reach down with palms and curl up at the same time. You need to recreate your own resistance by pulling down with your arms while tuck and roll up one vertebrate at a time. It will be better than you try to do your spinal roll up very very very slow, make your PBS a 10 mins event.

You need to think curl the core and lats tight goes together, tuck butt means curl the core, that means lats tight. It is a progression, you might not feel it yet, and it might not be on demand yet, but try and try, you will get it on demand sooner than you think.

As usual, practice what Michelle says on post #2 http://forum.t-tapp.com/showthread.p...220#post860220

[bogartlovesme]

I practice pulling my shoulders back BY activating my lats. It automatically causes me to pull in my tummy and do a light tuck. I also imagine keeping my shoulder and hip lined up without jutting out my ribcage. It's finally becoming pretty natural to walk this way both around the house and when I'm actually walking for exercise. I cool trick Trisch suggested at a clinic was to grab the steering wheel underhanded and use your lats to tug a little. (Only when it's safe to do so, obviously, like on on long stretches of road). That really helped me locate them and recognize what they feel like when they're tight

[BlessedMama]

Another thing I sometimes have someone do is get against a wall--feet out just enough to be able to curl your core and flatten the lower back against the wall. Bend your elbows and have palms in front of you facing each other (but not touching). Slowly open your lower arms as if through thick mud, aiming the backs of your hands for the wall. Somewhere between 45 degrees from the wall and actually touching the wall, you will feel your lats kick in. Now, I have had one lady that barely felt it, but she was really disconnected there. And she later DID find her lats! It helped her to at least know somewhat how it is supposed to feel.

The trick there is keeping the tummy/core tight and ribs up, and go slowly as if pushing through thick mud.

HTH!

[CityGirl]

Thank you everyone for these tricks and tips! Only in the last few weeks have I been paying much attention to lats. The progression that happens with form is largely in our awareness... I didn't really register anything about lats in the beginning, or at least nothing that stuck. Now it seems like Teresa mentions them every few seconds!

[ayj67]

http://forum.t-tapp.com/showthread.p...026#post655026

Get it directly from Teresa....

[DebbieG]

I like to use "mitten chop" hands. Here is a link to an explanation on how to do it.

http://forum.t-tapp.com/showthread.p...-Tweak-from-SH

[homefire]

This is a really helpful thread. Thanks for the tips. I can find my lats, but have trouble keeping them engaged. Off to try the 'mud on the wall' trick.

[kimodified]

Another thing I sometimes have someone do is get against a wall--feet out just enough to be able to curl your core and flatten the lower back against the wall. Bend your elbows and have palms in front of you facing each other (but not touching). Slowly open your lower arms as if through thick mud, aiming the backs of your hands for the wall. Somewhere between 45 degrees from the wall and actually touching the wall, you will feel your lats kick in. Now, I have had one lady that barely felt it, but she was really disconnected there. And she later DID find her lats! It helped her to at least know somewhat how it is supposed to feel.

The trick there is keeping the tummy/core tight and ribs up, and go slowly as if pushing through thick mud.

HTH!

Okay HELP! LOL

I *understand* the thick mud thing. I've done some weight training in the past that involved that - moving as if someone is trying to keep you from moving / moving through thick mud. THAT part I can do.

But I do not understand the position you're describing ...

back against the wall, core curled, lower back flat against the wall - got it

arms ... elbows bent ... hands facing each other but not touching ... - here I'm lost.

Are my upper arms against the wall? Elbows bent 90 degrees, hands facing each other, as if I have an imaginary box in my hands that I am holding by the sides?

Or are my arms hanging down, upper arms against the wall, but lower arms facing my thighs, and just bent slightly?

I think maybe you mean the former? And then I am moving my hands apart from each other (so the imaginary box falls) and while my elbows stay more or less in place, my hands rotate out (at the elbow/shoulder) away from me so that the backs of my hands get closer and closer to the wall? As if someone was going to sandwich another door against the front of me, but the only thing I move to get out of the way is the lower part of my arms?

And then I am trying to lift my ribs at the same time ... but NOT pull my shoulders back and down?

[kimodified]

And ... I'm just doing what you describe above to FEEL my lats and get an idea on how to "lock" them, right? To know what engaged lats feel like?

And then when I'm doing other moves, like the T-Tapp stance, I'm practicing feeling activated in the same place ?