Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Length Test (Tight Lats?)

[@OverheadAthletics]

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[@firehair668]

I like to use the following test for a quick screen of lat dysfunction: the subject is instructed to back up to a wall and place their thumbs next to their ears with elbows pointing anteriorly. The subject is then asked to draw a straight line up the wall with both thumbs, trying to keep the elbows forward and thumbs parallel to each other. One of two things will happen if there is lat tightness, the elbows will point outward and/or the subject's hands will move medially toward each other and may even collide. This test can be performed standing against a wall or lying supine on a table. Very useful to explore the lats if excessive forward trunk lean is observed with overhead squat or back pain is noted with the traditional deadlift.

[@OverheadAthletics]

Awesome!

[@Glurbschnurb]

Awesome and very helpful video. Thanks! Troubleshooting my back with sciatica, kyphosis and anterior pelvic tilt is quite the task.

[@OverheadAthletics]

It definitely can be! Check out our most recent video on the thoracic spine! We put it up a couple months ago. You may find it useful!

[@wesrichmond]

I struggled with overarching my lower back during over head pressing as a compensatory mechanism for my tight lats. I had no idea that I had tight lats, let alone know this was the reason why I was experiencing lower back pain during my over head presses. The wall exercise is great form of active stretching.

[@OverheadAthletics]

Great! You’re not the first one to deal with that!

[@3picBRANGDONG]

would this be as a warmup before static stretching as I fear this will become ballistic stretching for me which is when u bounce and this can actually make it worse

[@OverheadAthletics]

New video posted on the best lat stretches!

[@lmtocean]

Easy and Understandable! Excellent Tests! 💯

[@OverheadAthletics]

Glad you liked them! Hopefully they will be useful to you in the future!

[@solar0wind]

A few months ago, I noticed that I always pull my right shoulder up and forwards. Recently, I noticed that it's because my right lat is barely doing anything. I've done a lot of swinging and hanging down from bars plus practicing chin ups in the last couple of months, and I really noticed how my left lat does most of the work. Also, I've had right wrist issues for years. Due to trying to alleviate pain while exercising I always bent slightly into my arm while e.g. being in plank pose. Just now am I realising that both issues are related and were exacerbating each other. As a result of the bending, something is shortened in my arm now. When I stretch my arm to the side keeping it straight and flex my wrist backwards, it pulls so much in my arm, and I can't even flex my hand to 90 degrees. It's more like 70 to 80 degrees. On the left side I can do about 90 to 95 degrees. Something is severely shortened in my right arm (any idea what that could be? A tendon? Muscles?), and my lat is a bit tight. In any way, due to the inactivity my right lat is extremely weak, and I'm trying to activate it at the moment.

[@Abdi_209]

Did you figure it out

[@PastorEhis]

Thanks so much. I will like to see more videos on how to repair the lats issue, because I did the test on the wall like you showed there and I have same issue with my lats

[@OverheadAthletics]

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[@jimnespor1818]

The differentiation would be to compare how far the shoulders move into flexion with the arms in external rotation, and then internal rotation. The internal rotation causes slack in the latissimus. This would isolate better.

[@OverheadAthletics]

Thanks for the comment Jim. We are well aware of this however this does not differentiate between teres major and latissimus dorsi nor does it necessarily differentiate between capsular restriction or a muscle length impairment. You would also need to look at end feel, joint play, and lumbopelvic contributions to ROM preclusion.

[@jenniferw5095]

I have tight lats and anterior pelvic tilt from a major fall injury.

[@gricius]

This is so awesome. I'm just a person who has chronic injuries (like 7 years) and discomfort throughout the whole spine. I did the tests and found that I can barely lift my arms up with posterior pelvic tilt. May I ask? The second test, can it become an exercise? Whilst doing it, I felt a crazy pull in the front of my hip, so I tried actively extend the leg and the hip then relaxes. Does this mean that it just confirms that I have poor lat function and I am overcompensating with the lumbar spine extension, and that the second test is de-activating my hip flexors? I feel much better afterwards. Big thank you.

[@johannareyes6857]

I tried to do this tests and when lifting my arms my spine hurt, I felt like a puncture on the right side of my back and I felt my arms so tired. I couldn’t hold it for so long.

[@briancorcoran8266]

Very insightful

[@OverheadAthletics]

Thank you!

[@briancorcoran8266]

Overhead Athletics my overhead mobility is awful. No pain or anything just super restricted. I do a lot of pull ups and did a lot of incline benching in former days. Maybe my lats and pec minors are tight and limiting my range of motion ? Also I naturally fall into an anterior pelvic tilt when I don’t exercise and stretch for a little while. The APT has improved a lot last couple years I stay on top of it with core exercises daily and hip flexor stretching.

[@nicknasser713]

Any direction you can give on an unusual discrepancy? On one side there is tightness in the long fibers of the lats originating from the lower insertion, and on the other side lat tightness in the fibers originating from the mid back. Both synchronized and isolated stretching result in different compensitory movement.

[@OverheadAthletics]

My guess would be that you do something asymmetrical often in your life and have developed a muscular asymmetry over time. My advice is to find where you’re most restricted and hangout there.

[@kenpoDC]

Much better! 👍🏻

[@OverheadAthletics]

👍🏻

[@vijaygambhir6092]

Thanks

[@colliningraham8838]

I discovered this on my own but its good to know that it is what I thought it was. I got a balled up sweater under my tail bone with my hands behind my head. Im trying to get my wings out but im learning to keep my arms in front of my sholder other wise it feels like im pinching something in my sholder.

[@colliningraham8838]

Actually my arms by my side slightly at an angle workes better.

[@OverheadAthletics]

Glad it worked for you!!

[@davidamaka3081]

Sir from the tight lat video which side of the arm is tight

[@OverheadAthletics]

The latissimus dorsi muscle

[@AlejandroGonzalez-wo5fk]

The right side

[@SouthAfricanVoice786]

Tried the lying down test and it feels like my right shoulder is closer to my ear. Is there a reason why this is?

[@OverheadAthletics]

This often happens in the presence of capsular restrictions and/or scapular dyskinesia

[@SouthAfricanVoice786]

Overhead Athletics Thank you for your reply. I will look into this.

[@kenpoDC]

Please buy a lavalier mic.

[@OverheadAthletics]

This an older video! We have one now!

[@sixscripts]

long time gym kid, started when I was 17, now 23 and been looking for a way to specify whether I was having a tight lat or rear delt issue. They tend to work together annoyingly and can often portray each other being the culprit. great video and a wonderful tool additive, thanks coach.

[@OverheadAthletics]

Absolutely, rear delt issues are rare because the muscle only crosses one joint. You’re likely dealing with a lat or teres major issue