V-Shaped torso

[Sharky]

Hi, i'm happy with the way my body is developing thru lifing - except for one thing - i only seem to be working arms and pecs and abs - i'm not forming the muscles that are at the side/back of ur chest that are below ur armpits. Propbably cos i only do bicep tricep ab and pec routines! What are these mucsles called and how do i work them?

cheers

[scotty1]

OK, I'm not sure of my answers so I'll put them as questions?

Lats?
Pull ups?
Bent over rows?

:)

[ged]

yeah scotty, sounds right to me...
what about those muscles at the side of your abs, um obliques? do they contribute to the V shape of upper torsos? i remember reading a post from some guy who said they did... dont think ive ever seen someone with really well-developed obliques.

[scotty1]

How do you do your obliques?
We do an exercise for them in class but it hurts my neck.

[Qi dup]

Well, there's one exercise I like to do. I always called them 'pulleys,' but that's probably not the real name. basically, on one of those crazy pulley machines at the gym, start with your arm stretched all the way out to your side and then pull the handle across your body, a little below shoulder level. does that make sence? I can probably explain it a little better when i get back from work. kindof in a hurry now. maybe iron or elpietro know the real name for it and they can tell you the proper way. It might not be the best, but I like it.


of coarse, you don't even have to use weights at all, you can just use dynamic tension:) yep, I'm giving that a try again.

[Jamesbond_007]

The obliques are the muscle that look like lovehandles around your waist. If you work them they will make your waist BIGGER and you will not get your V shape. Obliques respond very well to any type of training and grow very fast (at least mine do) so I do not work them at all. I avoid it because to maintain the V-shaped you need to have a small waist.

If work them though, you do any type of waist twist with weights. There is a machine at most gyms where you sit down and put your arms on a straight bar behind you and turn your waist with added resistance. This is one way of training them. Also holding a dumbbell on your side and bending sideways to the ground will work your obliques as well.

To add some meat to your back, I found one of the best exercises is to do one arm bent over dumbbell rows. I also do wide grip pull ups, wide grip pull downs, pull overs, and a really good one to do a superset with is standing straight arm pull downs. This gives your lats a real burn.

[ratman201]

Latissumis dorsi I belive. It been a while since I lifted. Lat pull downs with give you that v shape you desire, this exercise with make them wider. Rowwing exersises will fill out your back kind of the way bench presses do to you chest.

[Sharky]

hi guys. i think i am talking about the latimus dorsi indeed, not my obliques. i thought lat pull down would be good... thanks guys.