Lats and legs: a solid training plan

Your lats sometimes need extra attention, especially if your back is lagging behind your chest, arms or shoulders. The same goes for your legs: if your quads and calves are not keeping pace with the rest of your physique, it is worth shifting your focus for a while.

This is not the “one and only” training split. Think of it as an intense shock week for your back and legs that you can follow for 2 3 weeks in a row, slot into your regular routine occasionally or use every other week.

Why your lats and legs need extra attention

Almost everyone who trains has a weak point. For some, their arms will not grow; for others, it is their chest or legs. Frankly, for many people, the back and quads need more work than a comfortable weekly routine usually provides.

The idea behind this plan is simple: you train your lats, quadriceps, biceps femoris and calves several times a week without letting the volume of any one workout get too high. This gives you frequent training, repeated practice of your technique and progress that is easier to measure.

The key is progression. Something has to improve in every exercise: the weight, the reps, the duration of the set or the work you do in a given time. If you stay in exactly the same place every week, your body has no reason to change.

Lat training: the weekly split

Monday

• Wide overhand-grip pull-ups 4 x 8 or 3 x 10
• Seated underhand-grip rows with an EZ handle 3 x 12
• Leg press, emphasizing pressure through the balls of your feet and toes 4 x 30 reps
• Leg curls 3 x 4 5 + 1 x 10
• Standing barbell curls 4 x 8
• Standing calf raises 3 4 x 30 or 3 4 x 45 seconds to 60 seconds

Wednesday

• Wide overhand-grip pull-ups 6 x 6 or 5 x 5
• Seated behind-the-neck pulldowns or T-bar rows 3 x 12
• Barbell back squats with a block under your feet 5 x 5 + 1 x 20
• Good mornings or stiff-leg deadlifts 3 x 10
• Standing barbell curls 6 x 6
• Calf raises 3 4 supersets, combining exercises of your choice
• Machine crunches 3 4 x 25 – 30

Friday

• Wide overhand-grip pull-ups 8 x 4 or 8 x 3
• Seated neutral-grip pulldowns to the chest or bent-over dumbbell rows 3 x 12
• Front squats or regular squats with a block under your heels 3 – 4 x 45 seconds
• Leg curls 3 x 4 5 + 1 x 10
• Standing barbell curls 8 x 4
• Seated calf raises 3 4 x 30 or 3 4 x 45 seconds to 60 seconds

Saturday

Chest, shoulders, triceps and abs. You can choose your own exercises, sets and reps here, as this day is not the main focus of the plan.

How your lats benefit from this work

Wide overhand-grip pull-ups provide the main work for your lats. Monday brings moderate volume, Wednesday uses heavier weight, and Friday takes you toward even heavier work. Once you can confidently complete 4 x 8 or 3 x 10 with your own bodyweight, you can add weight. Even a half-kilogram plate in your pocket is better than standing still.

Do not rush straight into adding 2.5 kg at a time. Pull-up technique quickly breaks down when the weight dictates the movement instead of the muscle. On every rep, you should feel a stretch in your lats at the bottom and a controlled pull upward. Aim to bring your chin to the bar without jerking.

Use an overhand grip slightly wider than usual. You can keep your thumbs on top of the bar, as this makes it easier to focus on your lats. As you lower yourself, you do not need to straighten your elbows all the way to lockout if you already feel a good stretch.

Practical tips for leg training and progression

Do not rush your leg exercises. Leg presses, squats and front squats should be controlled, rather than simply racing to get the set over with. Use the same weight for your working sets so you can clearly see whether you are progressing.

For example, if front squats with 40 kg for 4 x 45 seconds feel fairly easy at first, do not change everything at once. Wait until you reach 55 60 kg. Then the same work becomes a very different challenge.

The plan includes biceps training 3 x a week, but that does not have to be set in stone. You can replace Wednesday’s biceps work with triceps exercises, such as French presses or close-grip bench presses, for 5 to 6 sets. You also train your hamstrings 3 x a week, but with low volume.

For leg curls, you could progress like this: in your first workout, use 9 plates for 3 x 4; in your second, use 9 plates for 5, 4, 4; in your third, do 5, 5, 4; and in your fourth, use 9 plates for 5, 5, 5. Only then should you increase the weight and start again at 4, 4, 4. Finish with one higher-rep set.

Train your calves 3 x a week as well. You can choose the exercises to suit you, but keep the frequency the same. Use different rep ranges and angles, because your calves tend to adapt quickly otherwise.

Keep your rest periods between pull-up sets strictly to 2 minutes. For other exercises, keep your rest periods between 1.30 and 2 minutes. This keeps the workout moving at a brisk pace without turning the heavier sets into aimless huffing and puffing.

FAQs

Can you follow this plan indefinitely?

You can try if your recovery is very good, but it makes more sense to use it as a specialization phase. For many people, 2 to 3 consecutive weeks is a better idea than pushing on for months.

Do you have to add weight to pull-ups?

Not right away. Once your bodyweight reps are solid, gradually add weight. What matters is that your lats do the work, rather than momentum and twisting your body.

What should you do if your legs are not recovering?

Reduce the volume of accessory exercises, maintain good form, and pay attention to your sleep and diet. If your legs feel heavy all the time, progression will not help.

…and do not forget progression…

Author: Janar Rückenberg

Source:Turg.Fitness.ee

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