Move of the Month: Band-Assisted Lat Stretch

By GRP Rower, Alexander Hedge

As rowers we rely on our Latissimus Doris muscles aka “lats” not only to propel us to victory in our races but also to maintain our skeletal-muscular health when rowing.

Given the lats’ importance to the rowing stroke we are diligent in our maintenance of its integrity. One of the many exercises we deploy on the GRP is the “band-assisted lat stretch”. For this stretch you’ll just need some sore lats and an elastic band (the bigger and stronger you are, the bigger/stronger the band needs to be).

You’ll start by looping the heavy elastic band around a pull-up bar then grabbing hold of both sides with a neutral grip. Initially, you’re going to be standing. When you’re ready you’ll slowly ease yourself into a deep squat trying to get a nice hang from your lats. Once you’ve reached the bottom of your squat you can play with your grip position to aid in the stretch. Enjoy the move!