The width of the back is visually determined by the development of the upper lats. The wider the span of your “wings”, the wider the back looks when viewed from behind.
Below are the top 5 exercises for developing strength and stimulating the growth of the latissimus dorsi muscles.

1. Narrow-grip horizontal rows focus the load on the lower lats, stimulating their growth in thickness. This is an excellent tool for building volume and giving expressive, convex shapes to the lower back. Sit facing the block, bend your knees slightly and rest your feet on the platform. Lean forward, grasp the handles. Lean back and open your chest. The arms are fully extended. Pull the handles towards your stomach. The elbows slide along the sides and move straight back. Try to take your elbows and shoulders as far as possible behind your back. Touch the handle to the abdomen for a couple of seconds. Then slowly return to the starting position.

2. Dumbbell row with one hand is used in order to target each of the latissimus dorsi muscles separately (left and right) to the maximum, which is extremely important to eliminate possible asymmetries in the development of the muscles of the right and left halves of the back. Take a dumbbell in your right hand. Stand to the left of the bench and place your feet together. Place your left knee on the bench. Slightly bend your right leg, lean forward and rest your left hand on the edge of the bench. The back in this exercise for the muscles of the back is slightly arched in the lower back. Take a deep breath and pull the dumbbell straight up. Try to hold the dumbbell at the top for a few seconds. Exhale and slowly lower the dumbbell. Repeat the exercise with the left hand in the same way.

3. Bent over rows focus on the muscles of the mid back and are considered almost the best means of “adding thickness” to the top of the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and the lower and middle trapeziums. The torso is parallel to the floor, the lower back is bent, the knees are slightly bent. Grip the bar at shoulder width. In the lower position, the arms are fully extended and the barbell is slightly forward. Pull the bar in an arc until it touches the lower abdomen, bringing the shoulder blades together in the final phase.

4. Vertical chest row is used to stimulate the growth of all the muscles of the upper back. But first of all – to expand the span of your “wings”, which is determined by the development of the upper part of the broadest. Starting position in this exercise for the back: torso and arms fully extended and shoulders raised. The hips are firmly fixed between the seat and the rollers, the feet rest on the floor. The pull down begins with the reduction of the shoulder blades, then the movement is picked up by the elbows, which fall strictly parallel along the sides and are directed back and to the sides. At shoulder level, pause and slowly return the bar to its original position.

5. However, the most effective exercise that allows you to focus the maximum load on the upper lats is pull-ups. Hang on the crossbar. To fully stretch the lats, this is the lowest point of the exercise. From a hanging position with arms fully extended, pull up as high as possible until your chest or back of your head touches the bar.