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Muscle guide · Back

Latissimus dorsi

Also called lats, back wings

The latissimus dorsi is a broad, flat muscle covering most of the lower back of the rib cage. It starts from the spine between the shoulder blades and the pelvis, the back of the hip bone and the lowest ribs, and sweeps up and out to the armpit, twisting as it goes to attach to the front of the upper arm bone.

It pulls the arm down and back, and when your hands are fixed it pulls your body up to them, as in climbing or a chin-up.

8 exercises3 stretches11 with 3D demos7 sourcesUpdated 17 October 2026

Where the latissimus dorsi is and what it does

Shaded: the back area. It marks the region, not the exact outline of the latissimus dorsi.
Starts at (origin)
The spine from the mid-back down to the pelvis, the back of the hip bone, the lowest ribs and the bottom tip of the shoulder blade.Spinous processes of T7 to T12, thoracolumbar fascia, posterior iliac crest, lower three or four ribs, inferior angle of the scapula
Attaches to (insertion)
The front of the upper arm bone, just below the shoulder.Floor of the intertubercular (bicipital) groove of the humerus
What it does
  • Pulls the arm down to your side from overhead and turns it inward.Shoulder adduction and medial rotation
  • Pulls the arm back: the drive of a row or a swim stroke.Shoulder extension
  • Pulls the body up toward fixed hands: climbing, chin-ups.Elevation of the trunk to fixed arms
  • Helps with forced breathing: deep breaths, coughing, sneezing.Accessory respiration
Nerve supply
Thoracodorsal nerve (C6 to C8, mainly C7).

Sources 1, 2

Exercises for the latissimus dorsi

Pull-ups and chin-ups drove lat activity above 100% of a maximal test; the chin-up added more biceps and chest, the pull-up more lower trapezius. Pulldowns to the front beat behind-the-neck in one study, and straight-arm pulldowns and pullovers are standard lat builders.

Pull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up barChin-up demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoChin-upAdvanced · Pull-up barLat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machineStraight-arm pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoStraight-arm pulldownBeginner · A cable machineSeated cable row demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machineSupported single-arm dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or boxBent-over barbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoBent-over barbell rowAdvanced · A barbellDumbbell Pullover demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoDumbbell PulloverIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Stretches for the latissimus dorsi

Reaching overhead lengthens it; short lats make the back arch and twist when you reach to a high shelf.

Overhead lat stretch at a bench demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoOverhead lat stretch at a benchIntermediate · A bench or boxExtended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana) demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoExtended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)Beginner · No equipmentChild's Pose (Balasana) demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoChild's Pose (Balasana)Beginner · No equipment

Problems linked to the latissimus dorsi

Limited overhead reach

Short or stiff lats can limit raising the arm overhead, so the low back arches and twists to make up the difference. Their length is worth checking in low back pain as well.

Source 1

Lat and teres major tears

These mostly affect young overhead athletes such as baseball pitchers and are usually treated without surgery, with a return to sport in months.

Source 2

Myths worth dropping

Each grade rates the evidence for the correction.

A wider grip builds wider latsEmerging evidence

Across grips of one to two shoulder widths, lat activity in the pulldown was similar over the whole movement, and the narrower grips were stronger. Pulling to the front mattered more than width in another study.

Sources 3, 4

Routines that train it

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

Pull day workout

A pull day workout for back and biceps: pull-ups, barbell rows, chest-supported rows, face pulls and curls, with sets, reps and rest.

55 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A barbell

Pull-up progression workout

Work up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.

25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A step

Questions people ask

What do the lats do?

They pull the arm down and back and turn it inward, and when your hands are fixed they pull your body up, as in a chin-up.

What is the best lat exercise?

Pull-ups and chin-ups produced very high lat activity; lat pulldowns to the front and rows are the standard alternatives.

Does a wide grip work the lats more?

Not meaningfully: lat activity was similar across grip widths, and narrower grips were stronger.

Muscles it works with

Sources

  1. StatPearls · Anatomy, Back: Latissimus Dorsi (2023)
  2. StatPearls · Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb: Teres Major Muscle (2023)
  3. Andersen 2014 · Grip width in the lat pulldown (J Strength Cond Res, abstract)
  4. Signorile 2002 · Hand positions in the lat pulldown (J Strength Cond Res, abstract)
  5. Youdas 2010 · Muscle activity in pull-ups, chin-ups and a rotating-handle variation (J Strength Cond Res, abstract)
  6. StatPearls · Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb: Triceps Muscle (2023)
  7. StatPearls · Anatomy, Back: Trapezius (2023)

Anatomy and movement education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have pain that follows an injury, is severe or getting worse, or comes with numbness, weakness or swelling, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.