The Latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back. If you'd like to see a quick diagram for a visual refreshment, look below:
If you're able to build your Lats up and proper development takes place, this is the muscle that will give you that V-Shape or V-like taper to your upper torso, and especially when viewing from the back. It sort of gives you that explosive look, and makes you appear broader than what you really are. If you combine expanded Lats with bulky shoulders, even a smaller framed person can start looking wide. Throw in some well-developed trapezius muscles, and you really will be ready to sport that "tank top" this year...Okay, now back to the main subject: If you are a beginner or have trouble lifting your body weight, pull-ups may not be for you - at least not at the moment. [Edit (2024): You can also perform assisted pull-ups with bands. I've never used this method, but for the ones that can't perform pull-ups, they are a great tool to get you on the onramp towards total bodyweight pull-ups. Just search the web for "assisted pull-up bands" or "exercise bands." The higher resistant bands provide more assistance and vice versa. The bands simply take some of the body weight off the lift to make it easier.
Another method to build up your ability to perform pull-ups are "dead hangs," "holds" and "half reps." You can perform dead hangs by simply hanging onto the bar for as long as you can. You can execute the "holds" at other points of the movement, but it is best to get to the top of the bar (without resting your chin on it) and try to hold as long as you can before letting go. This will definitely give your stubborn latissimus dorsi muscles a sting. The half reps are good at getting rid of sticking points you may be having with the pull-up. You have two options with the half rep, as in, which half? You can just rep from bottom of movement to the midway point as quick as you can or from the top of the bar, only go halfway down then quickly back up. Never underestimate half reps, as they can build you up in a hurry, and you will be executing full-range reps in hardly any time at all. ---End of Edit]
If you'd still like to work your Lats without pull-ups, you can always use the Cable Lat Pulldown machine and the pulleys used for arm rows, etc... that is, if you own an exercise machine or have a gym membership, etc. And if you don't have access to any of this bulky equipment, there is still hope, as you can still use dumbbells or a barbell for bent-over rows and so on. [Edit (2024): Actually, if you have an existing Power Tower or Power Rack, etc., attaching a cheap pulley system is no problem at all in today's world. They sell these attachments fairly cheap on Amazon nowadays.]
I'm just not a fan of bent-over rows or the rowing motion in general. I mean really, if you want to perform this particular motion to build up the Latissimus dorsi muscles (in hopes of widening your back), none of these cable pulleys or dumbbell rows would compare to getting in a small boat with paddles or a canoe weighted down with passengers and rowing the thing around a lake for hours and hours, several days a month. Ha-ha! But seriously, rows work well for some people, I'd just prefer the paddle boat if I resorted to using the rowing motion in general, that's all. I must say, though, rows seem to be better at thickening the back muscles as opposed to widening them, although they can do both. BUT, the Lat Pulldown exercise and the Pull-ups using a weighted vest, seem to work better at widening this particular area of the back.
I'm just not a fan of bent-over rows or the rowing motion in general. I mean really, if you want to perform this particular motion to build up the Latissimus dorsi muscles (in hopes of widening your back), none of these cable pulleys or dumbbell rows would compare to getting in a small boat with paddles or a canoe weighted down with passengers and rowing the thing around a lake for hours and hours, several days a month. Ha-ha! But seriously, rows work well for some people, I'd just prefer the paddle boat if I resorted to using the rowing motion in general, that's all. I must say, though, rows seem to be better at thickening the back muscles as opposed to widening them, although they can do both. BUT, the Lat Pulldown exercise and the Pull-ups using a weighted vest, seem to work better at widening this particular area of the back.
[Edit (2024): Speaking of rowing machines, they do sell some really nice ones these days. However, the good ones are fairly pricey. I bought a cheaper (maybe around 120 dollars?) row machine a while back, but it just didn't have enough resistance to do anything for muscle building. I suppose one could still use it for a warmup or, if you rowed fast enough, for cardio. Maybe those machines are mainly for people just trying to burn calories? So as the years have passed, my opinion on rowing hasn't really changed that much, but at least I gave one of those machines a try. Ha!]
As for the Cable Lat Pulldown exercise, since you can manually adjust the weight, it is great for the beginners who can't do enough pull-ups to amount to a workout and also for the advanced bodybuilders who find the pull-ups to be less than challenging. However, I can remedy that minor problem for the advanced folks, by recommending that you execute your pull-ups & chin-ups while training with a weighted vest.
...Unless you have something out in the yard that resembles a pull-up bar or you have built one yourself, you may also be interested in buying a Power Tower, as I mentioned in my post: "Gain Muscle Mass & Power without weights." Of course, there are other cheaper chin-up/pull-up alternatives on the market, but the Power Tower also provides you with the opportunity to do other bodybuilding exercises in addition to pull-ups, such as: dips, leg lifts and push-ups on slightly inclined bars.
Anyway, good luck building this, what I call, "stubborn muscle group," no matter what method you decide to use. And if you are successful at bulking up your Latissimus dorsi area, you'll be proud of that V-shape figure that comes along with it. Now, go build those damn Lats...
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As for the Cable Lat Pulldown exercise, since you can manually adjust the weight, it is great for the beginners who can't do enough pull-ups to amount to a workout and also for the advanced bodybuilders who find the pull-ups to be less than challenging. However, I can remedy that minor problem for the advanced folks, by recommending that you execute your pull-ups & chin-ups while training with a weighted vest.
...Unless you have something out in the yard that resembles a pull-up bar or you have built one yourself, you may also be interested in buying a Power Tower, as I mentioned in my post: "Gain Muscle Mass & Power without weights." Of course, there are other cheaper chin-up/pull-up alternatives on the market, but the Power Tower also provides you with the opportunity to do other bodybuilding exercises in addition to pull-ups, such as: dips, leg lifts and push-ups on slightly inclined bars.
Anyway, good luck building this, what I call, "stubborn muscle group," no matter what method you decide to use. And if you are successful at bulking up your Latissimus dorsi area, you'll be proud of that V-shape figure that comes along with it. Now, go build those damn Lats...
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