How to Build a Lat Machine

You can strengthen your lats at home instead of at the gym, by building your own lat machine. The lat muscles, our largest back muscles, account for the V-shape frequently seen on swimmers' bodies. You need a sturdy door, a hook, resistance tubing and a steel bar to build the machine. Use the machine the same way you would use the lat pull-down machines found in health clubs. Consider having a fitness professional explain proper usage of the machine to avoid hurting yourself. Keeping your back strong will help you maintain good posture and help you look great on the beach.

Things You'll Need

• Sturdy door
• Resistance tubing
• Steel bar
• Hook

Instructions

1. Buy the equipment you need for your lat machine. You will find resistance tubing online or in sporting goods stores. Buy three different resistance levels and choose ones with handles, if possible.

2. Acquire a light to medium-size steel bar and an over-the-door hook with a long, upward-tilted hook. You will find these at a home improvement retailer or a hardware store.

3. Choose a sturdy door in your house that you can lock. Your front door is usually the best choice. Place the hook over the door and lock the door for extra stability.

4. Tie the lightest level of resistance tubing around the steel bar, using a tight knot. The knot should be in the middle of the bar. Ensure that the tubing measures about one yard on either side of the knot. If you have tubing with handles, simply hook both handles around the hook on the door. Otherwise, tie the ends of the tubing into a tight knot and then place it over the door hook.

5. Place a small chair underneath the bar, which should now be hanging in front of the door. Sit on the chair, facing the door. The bar should hang above your mid-thigh. Reach up and grasp the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart to ensure proper resistance-tubing length. If you cannot extend your arms fully before you start the lat pull-down exercise, you must shorten the tubing. The easiest way to shorten it is to wrap the tubing around the hook and/or the bar until you have achieved the desired length. You can also move your chair away from the door to shorten the tubing. Do not move it more than a foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Exchange the resistance tubing to the next level after you have mastered the correct form of the lat pull-down exercise using your current level.

• Use a sturdy hook and door when building this machine. Otherwise, you may hurt yourself due to breaking the hook and/or the door when pulling down.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Lat Pull-Down with Weight Machine
• YouTube:- Homemade Muscles
• Critical Bench: Back Muscles