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Rayzel
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Sane WORKOUTS for WOMEN in their OVER 40's
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Standing Incline Dumbbell Row - LATS

How to Do the Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell Rows on Stability Ball | In-Depth Guide [VISUAL LEARNERS]
Beginner

Proper Form & Common Mistakes | Home Resistance Training

LET’S DO IT: HOW TO DO the Standing Incline Dumbbell Row - FULL VERSION (5 min)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

QUICK DEMO

QUICK DEMO

QUICK DEMO: HOW TO DO the Standing Incline Dumbbell Row - FAST VERSION (2 min)

MUSCLES THIS WORKS

MUSCLES

MAIN MUSCLES WORKED IN Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell back Rows

Lats

The "lats" as they are affectionately called...lol just kidding - anyway, "lats" is short for Latissimus Dorsi which is the widest muscle of the upper body and the largest muscle of the back .
OTHER MUSCLES WORKED:
  • Middle and Lower Traps
  • Rhomboids
  • Serratus anterior
  • Triceps
  • Teres major
  • Rear deltoid

STARTING POINTERS

Starting Pointers

WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY

ALL WE'RE DOING:

Just lean aganist a ball on a wall (totally normal thing to do right?) and pull your hands towards your hips.

This beginner back exercise helps you develop a strong, sculpted back while also working on your upper body strength.

This bent-over row variation uses a stability ball to support the upper body, making it a good choice for those that have difficulty achieving and/or maintaining the bent-over position; and those with difficulty with trunk stability, core weakness, and/or balance.

HOW TO DO THE EXERCISE

LOOKS

HOW Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell Rows SHAPE OUR BODY

Building the lat muscles contributes to what they call a “V-taper” - it adds to a more hourglass-ish, slim waist appearance.

Confident and healthy upright posture.

PROPER FORM

PROPER FORM: Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell Row

LET’S DO IT: HOW TO DO the Standing Incline Dumbbell Row - FULL VERSION (5 min)

EQUIPMENT, SETS & REPS

EQUIPMENT

Stability ball

SUGGESTED STARTING WEIGHT FOR WOMEN:

8 - 10 lbs

SETS & REPS:

2 sets of 8 - must fatigue the muscles.

PACE:

Moderate up - with control and back stability, and lower down for the eccentric component.

BODY POSITION

BODY POSITION FOR THE Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell Row

GRIP: Neutral, one dumbbell in each hand.

STABILITY BALL: Place your hand, holding the dumbbell on each side of a stability ball, push in and lift ball. Place the ball in contact with the wall at about hip level. 

BODY: Bend your knees – so that the tops of the thighs are touching the ball. Hinge forward at the hips so that the torso leans on to the ball. Spine is neutral, hips and shoulders squared to the front. Adjust the height of the ball and the amount of knee bend until you feel like you can securely lean over and be stable. 

ARMS: Arms down by the sides of the ball, about 6 inches in front of the outside of the hips. Elbows soft.

HOW TO DO

HOW TO DO Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell Rows

Pull your shoulder blades together and down the back.

Lift your upper arm back, think of leading with the elbows.

Think of pulling your elbows down and back as if they were headed for your back pockets. 

It is ok if your hands are wider apart to begin, to clear the sides of the ball. As your upper arm lifts back and behind the torso move your hands in to just clear the sides of the hips/pelvis.

how-to-do-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-at-home-online-tutorial-side
how-to-do-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-at-home-online-tutorial

COMMON MISTAKES

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT TO AVOID WITH THE Standing Incline Torso Supported Dumbbell lat Row

KEY TIP:

Guess what? Good news! Many avoids are the same for most movements. Once you learn the basics, there's really only a few extra avoids for each individual movement.

MISTAKES: COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID (3 min)

1. Avoid Rounding Shoulders / Back

AVOID: Avoid rounding your upper back or shoulders.

WHY NOT?

  •  This can lead to neck, shoulder injury, or damage over time and can result in using the wrong muscles (upper trap).

WHAT TO DO:

  • Please watch the video clip to see the difference between shoulder blade protraction at the starting position vs. letting the upper back drop too far.
    • Check posture and form in a mirror.
avoid-rounding-upper-back-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-proper-form

2. Avoid using Biceps

AVOID: Avoid using the biceps to lift the weights. This may happen if you find yourself doing mostly bending at the elbow rather than moving through the extension of the shoulder behind you.

WHY NOT?

  •  The goal of the exercise is to use the lats.

WHAT TO DO:

  • Correct form and focus: the elbow does bend but it is a passive movement as the upper arm is lifted back. Avoid actively (using the biceps) bending the elbow.
avoid-hand-toward-front-torso-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-proper-form

3. Avoid Locking Knees

AVOID: Avoid straightening or locking the knees of standing legs

WHY NOT?

  • This tends to decrease the lumbar curve, pull on the hamstrings and decrease the muscle activity of the legs.

WHAT TO DO:

  • The knees should be soft, locking the knees puts stress on the knee joint and can make it more difficult to maintain a neutral spine.
  • If you feel pressure or discomfort in the low back or knees - try bending the knees.
avoid-locking-knees-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-common-mistakes

4. Avoid Elbows Flaring Out

AVOID: Avoid letting the elbows flare outwards from your body as you move them upwards.

WHY NOT?

  • This will cause the back of your shoulder muscle (rear deltoid) to do more of the work and the latissimus dorsi to do less of the work.

WHAT TO DO:

  • Pull elbow in close to body.
avoid-elbows-flaring-out-standing-incline-torso-supported-stability-ball-dumbbell-row-common-mistakes

WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY

WHAT & WHY

BENEFITS OF TRAINING our LATISSIMUS DORSI muscles

WHAT: WHAT Bent Over Row IS ALL ABOUT (10 min)

WHAT

WHAt's this all about anyway?

WORKIN' OUR BACKSIDE

Sometimes we think of our backside as just the bottom half of us don't we! But today, we're working our OTHER backside- the top half.

The bent over row will work the latissimus dorsi muscle - which translates to “widest back”, it is most commonly called the lat muscle. The lat is shaped a little bit like a wing, and it can pull the arms in close to the body. In the movement we are doing today, you will be pulling the upper arm back and in close to the body. 

Please note: If you saw the words "widest back" and panicked, let me clarify- you will not get a wide back from these exercises. What you WILL get is more definition in your back along with a healthier walking stride and better posture.

WHY BOTHER DOING IT?

WHY

WHY DO WE EVEN CARE?

BIG MUSCLES ARE TYPICALLY IMPORTANT

Bigger isn't always better, but on our bodies, when something is large, it usually means it's either really important, has a lot of different actions it's involved in, is connected to lots of bones and muscles, or all three.

So being that the latissimus dorsi muscle is the largest muscle of the entire upper body, it's very important, not only for healthy movement of the shoulder, but also to hold us in an upright position. 

CONNECTS WITH A BUNCH OF BONES & MUSCLES

The lat attaches to the spine, the shoulder blade, the pelvis and the arm - it even has a connection to your gluteus maximus - or buttock muscle. That's 5 places!! 

Just knowing this tells us something about how important it is to work this muscle.

TEACHES US HOW TO USE THE LAT TO KEEP OUR TORSO DURING ARM MOVEMENTS

Learning how to use the lat to keep the torso still and move the shoulder blade back while you pull your arm back can help prevent future upper back, neck and shoulder pain.

UNLESS YOU'RE A WORKOUT PRO YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T EXERCISED THIS MUSCLE MUCH

The history that many of us ladies have with exercise, including myself (I only started doing these lat movements about a year ago), is such that we likely haven't done exercises that specifically work this muscle. We've probably done lots of squats. We've probably done some on our knees pushups even though we absolutely hated it. We've probably done some lightweight bicep curls even. But not much back stuff. Not lat stuff.

So, now that we know it's a big important muscle, we can finally give it the attention it deserves and catch it up to speed with the other body parts we HAVE been working on an off for the last twenty years.

EVERYDAY LIFE

EVERYDAY LIFE &

MUSCLE FUNCTION

HOW WE USE OUR LATISSIMUS DORSI IN EVERYDAY LIFE

1. PULLING THE ARM DOWN (EXTENSION FROM FLEXION)

  • Swimming - it’s called the swimming muscle because it does all 3 motions of the crawl stroke
  • Rowing
  • Cross country skiing
  • Chopping wood
  • Golf swing
  • Pulling heavy items towards you
  • Pulling a door closed
  • Pulling weeds
  • Hugging someone really hard

2. PUSHING YOUR BODY UP WHILE KEEPING THE ARMS STABLE

  • Using crutches
  • Pushing down to get out of a chair
  • Pushing yourself out of a pool (hands on edge of pool) 

3. MOVES AND STABILIZES THE SHOULDER BLADE

  • Pulls the shoulder blade down (scapular depression)
  • Holds the shoulder blade down to provide a stable base for your arm to work off of

4. HOLDS THE TORSO IN A HEALTHY UPRIGHT POSTURE 

5. STABILIZES THE LOW BACK

  • When lifting, carrying, heavy arm and leg use

HOW TO FEEL WHAT MUSCLE IS WORKING

How to Feel What Muscle is Working

Option 1: While standing, take one hand across, and touch near the bra line, just under the armpit. Actively press your shoulders down and elongate the torso/spine up, feel that muscle moving/contracting. That is part of your lat muscle. 

If you don’t feel anything you can try it this way: 

Option 2: While seated, take one arm across - but just below their breasts, and feel the lat just under the armpit. Take your arm on the side you are activating and push the hand down into the seat of the chair. Like a seated press-up. If your shoulder blade is elevated or in slight protraction you will not be able to get a good lat contraction, so be sure to pull your shoulder blade back and down, THEN push down and in with your upper arm. You will feel a strong lat activation just below your armpit along the side of your body.

SCIENCY STUFF

SCIENCY STUFF

SPIFFILICIOUS FACTS ABOUT MUSCLES & MOVES

The latissimus dorsi is sometimes listed as an accessory breathing muscle.  This means that in times of stress, or heavy breathing, it can help to expand the rib cage during breathing in (inspiration).

The broad latissimus dorsi has attachments to the lower 6 thoracic vertebrae, all of the lumbar vertebrae, and the sacrum (triagular bone at the base of the spine) through the thoracolumbar fascia.  It also has attachments to the lower 3 or four ribs, the inferior angle of the scapular and the humerus.

Weak lats can cause upper, mid and lower back pain, shoulder pain, even pain down your arm.  Tight lats can limit movement of your shoulder blade and your arm, and cause low back and shoulder pain.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

standing-incline-dumbbell-row-on-stability-ball-torso-supported-lats-exercise-at-home-women-40+
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