Struggling with teaching lat training

[Esteban]

I’ve been struggling with teaching my gf on how to contract her lats. I’ve given her all the cues I learned like scapula depression before initiating the movement, keeping elbows tucked in, etc, but she still struggles with learning how to contract. She’s still new at lifting she’s at about 6 months in. She has other body parts that she’s great at contracting, but she just struggles with her lats the most. Any tips I could get would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Esteban wrote:

I’ve been struggling with teaching my gf on how to contract her lats. I’ve given her all the cues I learned like scapula depression before initiating the movement, keeping elbows tucked in, etc, but she still struggles with learning how to contract. She’s still new at lifting she’s at about 6 months in. She has other body parts that she’s great at contracting, but she just struggles with her lats the most. Any tips I could get would be greatly appreciated.

 

Have you tried introducing her other exercises that could help her to better understand those cues? I personally find it easier to feel my back working when using unilateral machines or movements. And outside of single arm exercises probably pullovers are the next best option (for me).

[BryceBahm]

Muscles that you can’t see can be very challenging to teach, and for the trained individual, tough to feel.

I always advise a step by step approach and small victories.

You as a trainer should have go to movements that you teach well and clients usually connect well with most times and spend time grinding those into the ground.

“Feeling” isn’t always a necessary feedback needed right out of the gate. Time and practice of that skill will aid in that.

In terms of lats, one step forward each workout is a victory. It may literally be as slow as using a workout to master the each of the following one at a time:
1. Setup and isometrics in between sets
2. Depression and retraction of the upper arm
3. Understanding depression mixed with the arm tucked position
4. Seconds spent or partials added in extremes.

…this list is endless and can be done in multiple orders.

What would be great is Joe answering this in a video with more detail.

[Joe]

Esteban wrote:

I’ve been struggling with teaching my gf on how to contract her lats. I’ve given her all the cues I learned like scapula depression before initiating the movement, keeping elbows tucked in, etc, but she still struggles with learning how to contract. She’s still new at lifting she’s at about 6 months in. She has other body parts that she’s great at contracting, but she just struggles with her lats the most. Any tips I could get would be greatly appreciated.

And also….maybe just dont worry about it too much at this point. What I mean by that, is focus on her just not using her arms to start. Her lats are so small (relatively speaking), and being new to training she might not even know what her lats actually feel like. Once she actually has some back tissue, she can focus more on trying to isolate lats

[Author]

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