Best Lat Exercises for Hypertrophy

What drives lat hypertrophy

Muscle growth research from Schoenfeld and colleagues has identified the variables that drive hypertrophy. The exercises below were selected against four criteria derived from that research. Each pick meets all four.

Full range of motion

Schoenfeld and colleagues have shown that exercises trained through full range produce more hypertrophy than partial range work. The exercises below all allow the lat to lengthen fully at the bottom and shorten fully at the top. Exercises that bias one end of the range are excluded.

High tension across the range

Hypertrophy responds to mechanical tension applied across the full range. Cable exercises and machines maintain tension throughout the rep where free weights have variable tension based on leverage. Both types are included but cable and machine work features heavily because of the constant tension advantage.

Progressable load

Hypertrophy requires progressive overload. The exercises below all allow precise load progression through machines, cable stacks, weighted belts or barbells. Bodyweight only progressions are limited because the load cannot easily increase beyond bodyweight without external weight.

Low neural and joint cost

Hypertrophy responds to volume. High neural and joint cost exercises limit how much weekly volume can be performed. The exercises below have moderate neural and joint cost which allows higher weekly set counts without recovery issues.

Ten lat hypertrophy exercises ranked

The exercises below are ordered from most to least direct for lat muscle growth. Pick three to five from the list to build a hypertrophy focused programme. Run them for 12 to 20 weeks at high weekly volume.

1. Chin ups underhand grip

The supinated grip allows the lats to shorten fully at the top while the biceps provide significant assistance for higher rep loading. Our Chin ups underhand grip page covers progression from assisted to weighted. Add weight once bodyweight reps exceed 12.

2. Cable lat pulldowns

Constant cable tension and adjustable load make this exercise one of the most consistently productive lat hypertrophy builders. Full setup at our cable lat pulldowns page. Rotate grip widths every 6 to 8 weeks for continued progress.

3. Single arm dumbbell rows

Long stroke unilateral row with heavy loading potential and full lat lengthening at the bottom. Our Single arm dumbbell rows guide covers setup and progression. The unilateral nature allows higher per side intensity than bilateral rowing.

4. Seated cable rows

Versatile horizontal pull with constant cable tension and multiple attachment options. See our Seated cable rows page. Use a V handle for lat focused work. The exercise tolerates high weekly volume without recovery issues.

5. Chest supported dumbbell rows

Incline bench dumbbell row that removes the lower back from the lift. Allows high volume back work without spinal fatigue. Our Chest supported dumbbell rows page covers bench angle and pulling cues.

6. Neutral grip pull ups

The most shoulder friendly pull up variant. Parallel handles allow longer range than pronated pull ups for most lifters. Our Neutral grip pull ups guide covers progression from assisted to weighted.

7. Lat pulldowns close grip

Narrow grip pulldown with a V handle. The close neutral grip biases the lower lat and allows the longest pulldown range of motion. See our Lat pulldowns close grip page.

8. Straight arm pulldowns

Lat isolation finisher. The straight arm position eliminates biceps involvement and forces the lat to handle shoulder extension alone. Our Straight arm pulldowns page covers technique. Use as a pre exhaust or finisher.

9. Single arm cable rows

Unilateral horizontal pull with longer stroke than bilateral rowing. Constant cable tension and the ability to address left to right imbalances. Full guide at our Single arm cable rows page.

10. Lat pulldown machine

The general pulldown machine. Multiple grip options, precise loading and forgiving execution. Full overview at our Lat pulldown machine page. Use as the foundation pulldown exercise and rotate grips for variation.

A lat hypertrophy session

Pick three to four exercises from the list above. Run the workout twice per week with at least 48 hours between sessions. Total weekly back volume should sit between 16 and 24 sets across all exercises.

Warm up: 5 minutes

Light rowing two minutes followed by 10 band pull aparts, 10 dead hangs (5 seconds each) and 10 scapular pulls. The warm up activates the lats and shoulders before the working sets. Brief but deliberate.

Exercise 1: Cable lat pulldowns or chin ups underhand grip, 4 sets of 8 to 12

The primary vertical pull. Pick a load that produces failure at 8 to 12 reps with 1 to 2 reps in reserve. Rest 90 seconds between sets. This exercise sets the lat fatigue level for the session.

Exercise 2: Single arm dumbbell rows, 4 sets of 10 to 12 per side

The unilateral horizontal pull. Pick a dumbbell you can row strict for 10 to 12 reps per side. Lead with the weaker side. Rest 60 seconds between sides, 90 seconds between sets. The unilateral nature increases total set duration.

Exercise 3: Seated cable rows or chest supported dumbbell rows, 3 sets of 12 to 15

The volume builder. Light to moderate load, strict form, longer rep ranges. Rest 60 to 75 seconds between sets. This third exercise adds total weekly volume without significant fatigue accumulation.

Exercise 4: Straight arm pulldowns, 3 sets of 12 to 15

The lat finisher. Lighter load, strict form, two second hold at the bottom of every rep. Drives blood flow and reinforces the lat contraction at the end of the session. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Sets, reps and recovery for lat hypertrophy

Lat hypertrophy responds to volume more than to maximal intensity. Productive programming uses moderate to high weekly volume with rep ranges that allow productive sets close to failure.

Total weekly volume: 14 to 22 sets

Productive hypertrophy volume sits between 14 and 22 weekly sets of lat focused exercises. This sits above Schoenfeld and colleagues minimum threshold (10 sets per week) and below the point of diminishing returns (around 25 sets per week for most lifters).

Rep range: 6 to 15 reps

This is the hypertrophy productive range. Below 6 reps the cardiovascular demand is high and fatigue limits volume. Above 15 reps the loads become too light for productive overload. The 6 to 15 range allows productive sets close to failure with manageable recovery.

Frequency: 2 to 3 sessions per week

Twice weekly lat training is the standard. Three weekly sessions are possible if total volume stays in the 18 to 22 set range. ACSM recommends at least 48 hours between sessions training the same muscle group at intensity. The lats recover relatively quickly because the spinal loading is low.

Load progression

Add reps within the prescribed range first. When you complete all sets at the top of the range with 1 to 2 reps in reserve, add the smallest available weight increment. Linear progression on lat hypertrophy exercises typically continues for 8 to 12 weeks before requiring a periodisation change.

Block periodisation

Run a 12 to 20 week hypertrophy focused block once per year. The longer block duration is needed because muscle growth happens over weeks not sessions. After the block rotate to a strength or width focus for 4 to 8 weeks to consolidate the gains and prevent staleness.

More on back training

For beginner friendly progressions, our Best Lat Exercises for Beginners guide covers entry level options. Top 10 Lat Exercises for Width covers the V taper builders. And the Best Back Exercises for Balanced Development page covers complete back training.