WHAT’S GOING ON BACK THERE.
By
Back Anatomy - learn it, love it.
The latissimus dorsi muscles (also known as the lats) are the largest muscles of the back. Being large, fan-shaped muscles, they are able to provide force in a wide range of body positions, e.g. leaning back to straight vertical and all points in between. The lats are attached to the upper end of the humerus with fibers running down in a fan down the vertebral column and pelvic girdle.
The trapezius (trap) muscle is a long, trapezoid-shaped muscle that runs down the upper section of the spinal cord, originating at the base of the skull and attaching down in the middle to lower back. The angles of the trapezius fibers provide pull in three different directions: up, down and in towards the centerline of the body.
The function of the lats is to pull the arm down towards the pelvis. When the arm is fixed (e.g. during a chin-up), the lats serve to bring the body up towards the arm. It is the same basic movement but with the directions reversed. The lats also function to stabilize the torso during many movements, including the flat bench press.
The functions of the trapezius muscle include scapular elevation (shrugging up), scapular adduction (drawing the shoulder blades together) and scapular depression (pulling the shoulder blades down).
Now you know!
Today’s Workout:
1-1-1-1-1 Weighted Pull ups
Followed by 150 Burpees for Time.





6 Comments
November 10th, 2009 at 11:13 am
And knowing is half the battle.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Great post Trav!
November 10th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
that’s where all my pestery tension is located. wtf back, don’t you like pushing and pulling?!
November 10th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I’ve got enough traps to share, if anybody wants some.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Oh my, the Borawski traps…wow, hadn’t thought about those puppies in a while. I covet your traps, Becca.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I must see Becca’s Traps. =)
When I massage people and I demonstrate where the trap attaches, they can’t believe that the muscle covers so much ground.