Can you grow lats without wide pull ups?

[Clark Cooper]

My left elbow tendon keeps getting injured from wide pull ups. I like that exercise because it makes my lats grow but I might have to replace it with something else for now. I am on a strength program right now, low rep - compound lifts only and I feel like when I add pull ups on top of that my elbow just gets overused. So this is unlucky for me. Does anyone of you here not do any pull ups and still sporting great lats? Maybe machine rows 3x8 can make up for it it. What are your thoughts.

 

[malfeasance]

You might need to rest it for a while. barbell rows are great but will stress that tendon even more . . .

Might need to do some light rehab work with negatives using a light dumb bell until that issue resolves. It takes weeks.

 

[Btcowboy]

My left elbow tendon keeps getting injured from wide pull ups. I like that exercise because it makes my lats grow but I might have to replace it with something else for now. I am on a strength program right now, low rep - compound lifts only and I feel like when I add pull ups on top of that my elbow just gets overused. So this is unlucky for me. Does anyone of you here not do any pull ups and still sporting great lats? Maybe machine rows 3x8 can make up for it it. What are your thoughts.

I have found when my bicep tendons flare up, which they just did again yesterday doing Pullups, that anything outside easy light eork for accessories will flare them up. Rowing, curls, Pullups or downs aggravate the shit out of em

 

[Demondosage]

Had periods where I had to X out pullups for several months while allowing something to heal. Yep, you can still get good lat development, but #1 should be allowing the injured area to heal, so don't do anything that aggravates it, even if it's a machine don't do it if it bothers that area

 

[Clark Cooper]

You might need to rest it for a while. barbell rows are great but will stress that tendon even more . . .

Might need to do some light rehab work with negatives using a light dumb bell until that issue resolves. It takes weeks.

Yea will lay off pull ups for now. Just don't want it to keep happening. Thinking it might be the form issues idk.

 

[Rival]

Yea will lay off pull ups for now. Just don't want it to keep happening. Thinking it might be the form issues idk.

If it’s a form issue you can try assisted band pull-ups and hone in on your form until you’re comfortable enough to drop the bands.

tie a band to your pullup bar, put your knees through the hoop and it will be “assisted” and slightly easier to do. It will let you concentrate on working out any form issues.

 

[little]

A lot of my tendon issues with back movements and any movement really came from not engaging the targeted muscle enough. Use a wide grip pull down and slow it down, start the pull with your lats not your arms

 

[Konrev]

Wide grip pull ups are more upper back than lats (if you look at the main movement the lats do with your arm it makes sense). Try neutral grip pulldown and chin ups instead.

 

[Oregongearhead]

Wide grip pull ups are more upper back than lats (if you look at the main movement the lats do with your arm it makes sense). Try neutral grip pulldown and chin ups instead.

Exactly , switch over to palms facing chin-ups . I saw a study vs pull-ups and back/lat activation was almost the same with chins plus more bicep activation with chins . I had nothing but problems with pull-ups and was about to give them up when I switched over to chins . I could never get 10 full pull-ups but now I get multiple 10 rep chin sets , just took 2 months of faithful training . Losing weight helps alot too....

 

[Clark Cooper]

Wide grip pull ups are more upper back than lats (if you look at the main movement the lats do with your arm it makes sense). Try neutral grip pulldown and chin ups instead.

I would disagree in my experience wide grip pull ups gave me more defined lower lats, chins didn't do that to me.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Wide grip pull ups are more upper back than lats (if you look at the main movement the lats do with your arm it makes sense). Try neutral grip pulldown and chin ups instead.

Exactly , switch over to palms facing chin-ups . I saw a study vs pull-ups and back/lat activation was almost the same with chins plus more bicep activation with chins . I had nothing but problems with pull-ups and was about to give them up when I switched over to chins . I could never get 10 full pull-ups but now I get multiple 10 rep chin sets , just took 2 months of faithful training . Losing weight helps alot too....

That's always been my thought as well. You can get a much deeper stretch with chin ups. Just hanging in a closer grip chin up position compared to wider pull up position you can tell. Or at least feels that way to me.

 

[bornSkinny]

I haven’t seen any studies suggesting a wider grip produces any significant difference in lat activation.

I’d say choose a pull down where you can feel a good contraction at the bottom and stretch at the top. If you’re not really feeling it, it’s maybe not the best use of your energy if you want lay development.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Rack pulls or snatch grip deadlift hits the lats too.

 

[Clark Cooper]

I haven’t seen any studies suggesting a wider grip produces any significant difference in lat activation.

I’d say choose a pull down where you can feel a good contraction at the bottom and stretch at the top. If you’re not really feeling it, it’s maybe not the best use of your energy if you want lay development.

Studies be studies. But did you actually try doing chin ups and pull ups yourself on separate occasions and see similar lat development? Cause in my experience wide grip grip pull ups have worked better for lats.