A while ago, I wrote a blog post about the dead hang exercise and why I love it. I discussed the deep stretch on the lats as well as helping to improve your grip. There’s only one limitation to the dead hang though, most people don’t have the grip strength to hold themselves up on the bar for more than just a few seconds!
This is what made me think of a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger featured in his very own book “The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding.” This image portrayed him holding onto a bar with a forward lean and shifting his hips back for a stretch on the lats. You all know I love Arnold and can quote every movie line from his entire filmography (just ask Lauren, she’ll tell you the horrifying truth…), I found a way to make this stretch even better: Add a resistance band!
The increased tension on the band deepens the stretch on the lats while also increasing the challenge on your grip. Bonus tip: Rotate your hips in the opposite direction of the arm you’re stretching and you’ll feel it all the way down your lats and into your lower back.
To your lifelong health and success,
-Demarco Crum, CPT
