anatomy/latissimus-dorsi·Muscle
Latissimus dorsi
Musculus latissimus dorsi
The lats. They give the back its V-shape and pull the arm down and back, as in a pull-up.
// Structure & location
Latissimus means the widest. The muscle arises broadly from the lower back, from the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae to the iliac crest, and runs diagonally up to the armpit. There it twists and inserts by a flat tendon on the front of the humerus. Together with the teres major it forms the back of the armpit.
// Function
It pulls the arm down from a raised position, moves it back and towards the body and rotates it inwards. According to OpenStax this is like jabbing your elbow backwards.
// For training & sport
- Pull-ups and lat pulldowns train the pull from above.
- Rows train the pull from the front, with more involvement of the muscles between the shoulder blades.
- Pullovers load it in the stretched position with the arm overhead.
// Good to know
Because it is connected to the pelvis via the back fascia, it helps keep the bar close and the back stable in deadlifts.
// Sources
last reviewed: 2026-11-14
// More from the atlas: Muscles
Pectoralis majorDeltoidBicepsTricepsForearm musclesRectus abdominisObliquesSerratus anteriorHip flexorsQuadricepsAdductorsTibialis anteriorTrapeziusErector spinaeGluteus maximusHamstringsCalves