The basic position of the front lat spread is a military stance with your heels together and your toes pointed out to form a 30 degree angle. I use a slight variation in which I move the heel of one foot forward so that it’s next to the arch of the other foot. You can also move one leg forward and turn it out to highlight the sartorius, the long ropelike muscle running down your inner thigh, and the inside head of the calf. If you use the second variation, be sure you flex your leg and press your toes into the floor to flex your calf.
The next step is to roll your hands into fists and place them on either side of your waist behind your obliques, using your thumbs as anchors.
Squeeze in, and at the same time bring your lats forward. As you do that, either lift your rib cage high and inhale, which promotes the wide-back/narrow-waist look, or lift it high and exhale to show more ab development. You can also do a vacuum to create an even more impressive V-taper.
Also, it’s very important to keep your shoulders down. Some bodybuilders have a tendency to bring their arms too far forward, which naturally causes the shoulder girdle to rise, or they bring their shoulders up because they can feel their lats better. Either way, you’ll appear narrower.
1) Position yourself with your heels together and your toes at a 30 degree angle or with one leg slightly forward.
2) Flex from your calves up.
3) Rock back on your hips to flex your quads.
4) Place your fists on your waist with your thumbs as anchors and your lats forward.
5) Lift your chest high and keep your shoulders down.
6) Make sure your arms are totally flexed and control your facial expression.
Editor’s note: To contact Russ Testo for exhibitions, posing seminars or personal posing choreography via videotape, write to 3 Oxford Road, Troy, NY 12180; call (518) 274-0952; or send e-mail to [email protected].
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