How to do a lat spread female

Flaring the lats can often be the trickiest part of posing to nail! See below all the resources you need to start perfecting this essential part of posing, regardless of your category or chosen federation.. Emma Hyndman is a professional posing coach who we personally recommend for her expertise, service and care with all her clients.

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In this video IFBB Pro Julie Lohre shows you tricks to help you flare your lats and do the lat spread pose for a V taper back while posing for Figure Competitions with National Level NPC Figure Competitors, Hyla Conrad & Jonelle Baglia

Hi, I’m am IFBB Pro Julie Lohre and I’m here today with NPC figure competitors Hyla Conrad and to Jonelle Baglia and we’re going to show you some tricks on how to flare your lats and do a lat spread in the figure back pose. I’m going to start with Jonelle.

Go ahead and turn [around] to your back pose. One great ways to do this… So go into your regular figure back pose goes first. Here’s what we’re talking about. You want to make sure that you have a lot of width at the top of your back because it shows your V taper back for figure posing. It’s really important to show the width of your back with your lat spread.

That’s one of the things that judges are looking for but feeling the spread of your lats across your back like that can be a challenge especially for new figure and bodybuilding competitors.

Lat Spread Trick: Fingertips at Base Of Spine

So one of the tricks I have you do for a wide lat spread is if you take your fingertips and put them at the base of your spine. As they are behind you, round forward and then drag your hands and they come out to the side. That motion will pull out your lats, creating more of a flare or spread and a V taper back. Then as you stand up, you’re going to rotate your shoulders up and into this to wide positioning of your lats where you keep your back muscles apart.

Avoid Squeezing Back Together with the Lat Spread for a V Taper Back

It should not feel like you’re squeezing… If you are squeezing your back muscles together then you are closing off your back making a more narrow frame. So you really want to pull out here with your lat spread. Thank you Jonelle let’s change places.

How to Flare Your Lats Trick #2: Lat Pulldown Movement

And Hyla, go ahead straight into your figure back pose. Another trick to do if you’re having trouble with flaring your lats is to start with your arms over your head like a lat pulldown exercise and to pull out to the sides, which will bring your lats out here for a more defined lat spread. Then you can drop your arms down and that puts you in a nice wide lat position with your figure back pose as well. So you want to really feel like it’s your back is pulling apart showing that V taper back.

Lat Spread Trick #3: Get Assistance

Another thing I like to do too… go ahead and relax for a moment…If you’re just getting [started] have a friend or coach help. Have them place their thumbs right below your shoulder blades at the base of the lat muscle, and then as you’re pulling apart you’ll feel your lats spread out. The Lat Spread should really be a push out kind of feeling with your back rather than a pulled so that width there is what you’re looking for in figure or bodybuilding lat flare.

Lat Spread or Flare Creates the V Taper Back for Figure Competitors!

So figure posing and figure competitions are all about having this great V taper and bringing out your lats with a proper lat spread by flaring your last is going to give you a lot more width your upper back!

The front lat spread and rear lat spread are two of the seven basic poses used in the first round of traditional bodybuilding competitions. These instantly identifiable poses highlight the muscles of the latissimus group, which extend from the lower back to the sides of the torso. In a bodybuilding competition, the front lat spread typically follows the very first pose – traditionally the front double bicep pose – while the rear lat spread comes near the middle or end of the first posing round.

Step 1

Stand facing the audience with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and one foot in front of the other. Bend your knees slightly. Angle the toes of your front foot out about 30 degrees, keeping the foot flat. Stand on the toes of the rear foot.

Step 2

Make fists with both hands and place your fists on your sides, level with your bellybutton, with your palms facing downward. Hook your thumbs behind your waist. Your arms should form a 90-degree angle at the bicep and forearm.

Step 3

Hold your shoulders down, press your fists into your sides and pull your shoulder blades apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles, pecs, biceps, traps and forearms to highlight your muscle definition and body lines.

Step 1

Assume the same stance and pose as the front lat spread, but with your back turned to the audience.

Step 2

Start with your shoulder blades pushed together to keep your latissimus dorsi compacted.

Step 3

Push your elbows out in front of your torso, keeping your fists planted at your sides. This widens the shoulders blades, revealing the full spread of your latissimus dorsi.

References

Resources

Tips

• Avoid shrugging your shoulders for the front lat spread.

Writer Bio

Dan Ketchum has been a professional writer since 2003, with work appearing online and offline in Word Riot, Bazooka Magazine, Anemone Sidecar, Trails and more. Dan's diverse professional background spans from costume design and screenwriting to mixology, manual labor and video game industry publicity.

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