Latissimus Dorsi muscle

Not sure how much this would improve running. It is not a leg muscle and not a core muscle and any all around strength program would get it as good as you would need for running.

the lat is a core muscle.

The latissimus dorsi is the most powerful shoulder extender. Shoulder extension contributes directly to push off force. To see this in action, stand on one leg on a scale and extend your shoulder forcefully—the reading on the scale will jump as you do so. Strengthening the lats may be more important for sprinters than distance runners, but in general they are definitely important muscles for running.

coach wrote:

the lat is a core muscle.

As "core" is not a proper anatomical term, only a vague abstraction with no firm meaning, there is no qualifying criteria by which you can classify muscles as being part of it it not.

You should be training all of the muscles of your body. Don't do silly marathon core sessions, but instead do compound movements with low reps and high weight. Low reps and high weight build strength without mass, and it has been shown to improve running economy.

For example you could do:

Workout A -

Bench Press 3x5

Pull-up (weighted) 3x5

Workout B -

Deadlift 1x5

Overhead Press 3x5

Bent Over Row 3x5

Week 1:

Monday A + Squat 3x5

Wednesday B

Friday: A + Squat 3x5

Week 2:

Monday B + Squat 3x5

Wednesday A

Friday: B + Squat 3x5

No, it really isn't.

QL

Rectus abdominus

Transverse abdominus

Erector spinae

Obliques

Deep spinal stabilizers (rotators, multifidii, and intertransversarii

the lat acts as a synergist with the lumbar spine. In this respect you could look at it as a "core" muscle. It also has a role in breathing. It should not be neglected. Strengthen it, stretch it roll on it.

Yes, the lats are important for running.

Latissimus dorsi arises from a *very* broad point of origin which includes the iliac crests, sacrum, all of the lumbar vertebrae, many thoracic vertebrae, ribs 9 through 12 and even portions of the inferior angle of the scapula. From all of this it inserts into the lesser tubercle of the humerus.

So, yes, it could be considered a muscle of the midsection, as well as the pelvis, shoulder girdle, spine and of course the upper arm.

It is important for running as it provides a direct muscular link between the upper extremeties and the pelvis, and assists in maintaining upright posture and powerful arm swing. The pair work in concert to help resist trunk flexion and thus maintaining posture when you're tired at the end of a race.

FWIW the precise action of the latissimus dorsi is medial rotation of the shoulder (think turning your thumb in), adduction of the shoulder(bringing the arm into the body) and extension of the shoulder (driving your elbow back).

The late have no role in breathing and are not synergistic to lumbar muscles. The thoracolumbar fascia attaches to the latissimus in the low back but the latissimus adducts the shoulder, extends the shoulder and internally rotates the shoulder. The lumbar spine does not do any of these actions so they are not synergists.

coach wrote:

the lat acts as a synergist with the lumbar spine. In this respect you could look at it as a "core" muscle. It also has a role in breathing. It should not be neglected. Strengthen it, stretch it roll on it.

let me throw out my anatomy guide (from NASM) as it reads the lat "assists in dynamic stabilization of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex through the thoracolumbar fascia mechanism (posterior oblique system). I'll also throw out MUSCLES Testing and Function by Kendall, McCreary, Provance 4th edition because they write "although its respiratory role is essentially

in forceful expiration, studies have shown

that the Latissimus dosi also has a role in

deep inspiration. The anterior fibers, which

are active during trunk flexion, assist in

expiration: the posterior fibers, active

during trunk extension, assist in

inspiration. (pp.330)"

strengthen the lats by doing complex movements and your core, posture, athletic performance will all improve.

Get back to me from a credible source about the function of the latissimus functioning in breathing. Like, from an anatomy and ohysiology book, not some hace personal training book. Just because they attach to the thoracolumbar fascia doesn't mean they are synergistic or assist. You have to consider the origin, insertion, and fiber direction.

I thought the text muscle testing and function was a credible source. Thanks for teaching me otherwise. Perhaps you're one of the PTs that another thread was talking about.

get used to it. wrote:

Get back to me from a credible source about the function of the latissimus functioning in breathing. Like, from an anatomy and ohysiology book, not some hace personal training book. Just because they attach to the thoracolumbar fascia doesn't mean they are synergistic or assist. You have to consider the origin, insertion, and fiber direction.

Muscles: Testing and Function is required reading for my physiotherapy degree, in first and second years. It's a four-year degree and very well-regarded internationally so I trust the course conveners know wtf they're doing.

Regardless, I'm certain my 2013 Gray's also indicates latissimus dorsi play a role in breathing (they definitely insert into the ribs). I haven't my Gray's in front of me, but in any case, the textbook indicated above is an excellent source and most definitely a credible reference. That's unless my course is full of crap and an internet random is correct. Possible, but unlikely.

Thanks guys, do you know where I can get that book

the question wrote:

Thanks guys, do you know where I can get that book

I got mine through my uni bookshop. You could hit up Booktopia or Bookrepisitory, I guess.

But it's not cheap, and is specific to physiotherapy. There is a lot of information in there with regards to muscle strength and length testing, and grading of function. These tests are very specific (long extensors of the fingers, for example), and the use of goniometers to test for hip abduction etc along with extected ranges of movement of each joint on each axis. A lot of information also looks at how certain gaits of movement patterns indicate deficiencies at certain parts of power chains. Many tests also assume you have access to a mechanical plinth which can be raised and lowered.

That said, it is also a very good resource with regards to muscle function: origin, insertion, innervation et al, and a runner would find it endlessly useful for self-appraisal, and to supplement what your PT tells you. They may well be able to direct you toward certain sections if you indicate you're interested.

all I was trying to do was point out that the lat is an important muscle and should not be neglected and taken for granted,dysfunction can lead to a myriad of problems.