Name: Dynamic Latissimus Dorsi Stretch
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:02:54.000Z
Duration: 8 min 26 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/Lf2LcLXrYMseV5dHMeSyZM0201muWMg5jU02OrCE6o4H24.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform the dynamic latissimus dorsi stretch in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and exercise modifications to improve latissimus dorsi flexibility and shoulder mobility. Enhance shoulder flexion and overhead range of motion while supporting optimal scapular mechanics with this targeted dynamic mobility exercise. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to reduce upper back and shoulder tightness, improve mobility, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Dynamic Lat Stretch

Understanding the Anatomy of the Latissimus Dorsi

Basic Dynamic Stretching Techniques

Progressive Exercises to Enhance Lat Flexibility

Advanced Movements with Medicine Ball Integration

Recap of Dynamic Stretching Progressions

Dynamic Latissimus Dorsi Stretch

This is Brent, President of B2C Fitness, and in this video we're doing our dynamic lat stretch. So, if you're doing your dynamic lat stretch I'm going to assume that you've already done a few things. I'm going to assume that you've already done your release techniques for the lats, probably both static and active, you've already done your self administered mobilization techniques when appropriate. The activity of the latissimus dorsi, especially when it becomes overactive, seems to be highly correlated with thoracic mobility as well as SI joint mobility on the same side. I'm going to also assume that you've already progressed through your other types of stretching. So you've done static stretching to return an adaptively shortened muscle to it's optimal length, we've done active stretching to return end range strength as well as optimized reciprocal inhibition, and now you're looking to increase neuromuscular control at the tempo of daily activity, or sporting activity. So this is one of the ends of our progressions when it comes to flexibility training. I'm going to have my friend Leanne come out, help me demonstrate this exercise. We're going to start off with just a little bit of functional anatomy here. The latissimus dorsi, huge muscle with a very complicated origin, and some very complicated actions, goes from an insertion on the front of our humerous and that intertubercular groove, and then courses down our ribcage into our thoracolumbar aponeurosis, which of course has its own attachments in the lumbar spine and posterior pelvis. So this muscle can not only adduct, extend, and internally rotate our humerous, we have to keep in mind that has some actions here at the spine too. It'll  ipsilaterally rotate the spine. It will do an anterior pelvic tilt by pulling up on the pelvis, as well as extend the lumbar spine. So we've got to be careful when we're trying to stretch the lat that we keep all of this in consideration. I'm going to show you guys some simple queues to get that done. So I'm going to have Leanne go ahead and turn around. She's going to grab this band for us here, and the first thing we're going to try to do is going to look very much like a shoulder press. So, if this is what the lat does, this is going to be a stretch for the lat. So she's going to start in kind of this guarded position here, and she's just going to go ahead and press straight up, reach up as high as she can above her, kind of in a cross-body fashion. We could start without trunk rotation, just to start.  We want to make sure that she can perform this press without going into an anterior pelvic tilt. That's our first progression. I know this looks like a shoulder press, but this is a dynamic stretch for her latissimus dorsi. I'm not using a ton of weight, I'm just trying to get her to stretch out as far as she can, get a nice stretch in her lat, and maintain control. From here, now we can start getting a little bit more complicated, we can start adding a little bit more joint actions and get even a little bit more stretch. So what I'm going to have Leanne do is she's going to use that rotation component of the spine. We're going to go from a shoulder press, to a shoulder press with rotation. So now I'm going to have you reach across this way, and what you might have to do to keep somebody's pelvis from twisting with their body, because your lat does spine rotation, it doesn't twist your hips, is you might have to palpate the front of their ASIS on the opposite hip, I guess the same side that you're pressing, then you could reach a hand up, so reach for my hand, good, you can get lots of trunk rotation. Let's try that one more time. Really reach, good. Let's see that one more time, reach across, good. Do you feel that Leanne? -Yeah. Good. If Leanne wasn't feeling that we need even more extensibility she could do kind of what's going to look kind of like an upper cut, or a lay up. If we turn the hand this way, so palm's up, that'll force more external rotation of the humerus and get an even bigger stretch. So she can start here in that nice tucked up position, and then she's going to press up this way. So let's try that Leanne. Good. Of course, these are progressions for neuromuscular control. You still have your tempo progressions that you can do. So she can do a few reps, and then start speeding up as she gets more comfortable. This is dynamic stretching after all. Then if we really want to increase the complexity of this exercise, increase the amount of neuromuscular control, I can let her start spinning in the hips so now she's going to look like this, making sure she still presses off this hip, keeps this glute locked out, and she's still reaching up nice and high without going into an anterior pelvic tilt. Alright, good. Keep going. Notice Leanne's keeping the ball of her foot on the floor on her left side. So this would be the end of our band progressions. This is a great exercise, you can have them pick up the tempo a little bit. She's using a band so we don't have to worry about throwing around a weight stack or anything. If she can get up to this kind of tempo where she's bouncing a little bit, that's okay, this is dynamic flexibility, providing she can keep all of her kinetic chain checkpoints in line, she doesn't go into that anterior pelvic tilt, and she continues to feel a stretch on her latissimus dorsi. Now, from here we can progress to something that I know everybody's seen which is the the medicine ball chop patterns with reach. I would still have Leanne start with just the pressing motion. I think people tend to progress dynamic stretching a little too fast, they start losing their form, and remember, if we're trying to increase neuromuscular control that's kind of a step backwards. We want to increase neuromuscular control, we want to optimize movement. So I'm going to have Leanne start just like she's going to do a two-handed press with the medicine ball, except we're going to add just a little bit of rotation. So I'm going to, once again, palpate Leanne's ASIS, making sure her pelvis stays stable, and I'm going to have her reach for my hand here. Good, and she should be feeling a stretch on this lat, the side opposite from where she's reaching. You feel that? -Yeah. Let's come up just a little higher, but a little bit more stretch. There we go, good. Big stretch, and I'm going to keep going through the same type of progressions we went through with the band. So now I'm going to have you go ahead and spin on this hip. Nice reach up. Try not to go into an anterior pelvic tilt, drawn-in for me. Speed that up just a little bit. Good. And then, of course, I can make this even more complicated if I want to get more involved, get more muscles involved, maybe kill a few birds with one stone here, I could have Leanne reach down for that toe in either a squat or deadlift fashion, and then reach up. So now we've got this big movement pattern, just reach down towards your toe, and then reach up.  She can start speeding this up a little bit as she gets better form. Make sure you're keeping your glutes engaged, you're drawn-in so you don't go into that anterior pelvic tilt. Now, generally for dynamic stretching you're going to do 10, maybe up to 20 repetitions. Leanne's done like 500 here, that's probably way too many repetitions for any one side of a dynamic stretch. You have tons of progressions. Let's try to back off some of the more complicated progressions to start, and try to think about optimizing movement starting with our regressions, and then progressing. So we did the band press, then the band press with rotation, trunk rotation that is, then the band press with external rotation of the humerus, then we did hip rotation, and then we added the ball. We went through those same progressions again, and then we added the toe touch to press. I hope you enjoy this video, I hope I just gave you a ton of stuff to work with with your clients, your athletes. I think you are going to enjoy this progression and the performance increases you get. Thanks again Leanne for participating.

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Have your patient/client assume a standing position and cue ideal 

 (feet hip-width, neutral pelvis, shoulders down, and back).

Attach a light resistance band to a low object, approximately 12″ posterior and 12″ lateral to the foot of the side you are targeting.

Have your patient or client grab the resistance band, and curl so that they are comfortably resting in cradle/rack position (elbow in full flexion, hand-over elbow near shoulder).

To fully lengthen the latissimus dorsi, your patient/client is going to reach as high as they can (shoulder flexion) while supinating (palm faces face), and rotating away from the band (contralateral trunk rotation).

Have them return to the starting position and start again. It is acceptable to dip into a quarter squat in-between reaches to enhance the fluidity of the movement pattern.

Perform 10 – 20 repetitions, gradually speeding up the tempo to near the speed of activity.

Switch sides or move on to the next technique.

Demonstration Necessary: This is a complicated movement pattern, that may initially appear strange to your client/patient (similar to a “reverse lay-up” in basketball). Demonstrating this movement for your client/patient will make your job much easier.

Be Patient: As this is a complex movement pattern, allow time for practice. If it is not perfect after the first session, try again… and again. If it does not work in the 4th or 5th session, then it may be time to consider another technique.

Using a heavy resistance band: The band is intended to activate 

 , not provide resistance for strength and conditioning. This technique is generally used during warm-ups; a light resistance band is sufficient for even the largest athletes.

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