Understanding Your Lats: Essential Anatomy for Fitness Professionals

The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick Richey

In this episode of the “NASM-CPT Podcast,” host, and NASM Master Instructor, Rick Richey, takes listeners on an engaging deep-dive into one of the body’s most impressive muscles: the latissimus dorsi, better known as the “lats.” Inspired by a nostalgic memory of “Saved by the Bell” and the phenomenon of “Imaginary Lat Syndrome” (ILS), Rick sets the stage for a fascinating exploration of what gives this muscle its reputation as the “wings” of the back.

Listeners get a breakdown of the lat’s Latin etymology, anatomical structure, attachment points, and how it functions across multiple planes of movement. Rick discusses the muscle’s proximal and distal attachments, touching on its connection to the spine, ribs, ilium, and even the scapula, before it sweeps under the arm to the humerus. He demystifies terms like the intertubercle groove and shares a memorable trick— “the lady between two majors”—to help trainers remember the order of muscle attachments.

Rick explains the fundamental rules of muscle movement, clarifying why muscles only pull, never push, and describes which actions the lats control, including shoulder adduction, extension, and internal rotation. He relates these concepts directly to practical exercises, breaking down the differences between lat pull-downs, rows, and the nuances of movement planes.

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