Okay, I couldn't help myself with that thread title. I have a kind of embarrassing question. Or rather, the question itself isn't embarrassing, but the weight I'm lifting is! I have been lifting weights since last May and have seen major improvement in just about every muscle group, that is, except my lats! I seem to have plateaued at a pretty low weight and need some advice about how to kick my weak lats up a notch.

Enter embarrassing stats: I can too easily lift 60 pounds on the lat pulldown (I could probably easily do 5 sets at this weight, but don't, of course.) However, when I try 75 pounds, I can do about one set with decent form, but then it all falls apart on the second, so I drop the weight back down. I think the issue is that I need an "intermediate" weight between 60 and 75 to see any improvement. Is there any way to do this? I've read about "negative reps" for learning to do pullups -- is there a way I could practice this somehow on the chin assist machine?

Mel? Are you out there? Don't you wish you got paid for all the free advice you dole out here?

I'm not Mel, though we're often confused ...

Our gym has 5 and 7.5 pound weights that can be added to the weight stack on the lat pulldown machine (and most of the other machines). They look kind of like black bricks with notches to fit on the weight stack. You might want to check to see if your gym has them? It's the perfect way to increase your weight without making that 15# jump.

If you don't have those 5 and 7.5# intermediate weights, you could always take a 5 or 10 pound plate from your free weight area and pin it onto the weight stack.

You're not Mel, but you play one on TV?

So THAT'S what those little black things are! I've seen those a million times, but I never knew what they were for. Thanks so much, Meg. That should definitely help me out.

My gym has these too, though some times you have to look around for them. I'll even stack two 5# ones on to add 10# instead of just 7.5#. You are right where I am with the lat pulldowns. Last time I did them, I did 65# with good form, while I couldn't have done 75#.

If one day you can't find the intermediate weights, you can try drop-down sets - for examples 5 reps of the higher weight, then stand up & quickly change the weight setting and finish your set at the lower weight. With the lat pull down I find I can do this quickly enough that it remains one set. But 60 lbs has been quite the sticking point for me as well (my drop-downs are from 60 to 45, because some days I can't do 3 good sets at 60. Sigh.)

Here is what has helped me get up in my weight with the lat pull down.... I do the sets I need to do. Then I take the heaviest I can do, which right now is 105, I think, and just do ONE, rest for 2-3 mins, do ONE more, rest again... after a while I was able to do 6 reps at 105#... At one point I was following a program I can't remember the name of it at the moment, where you took your one rep max and did one rep every minute for 15 minutes... example: do one rep this may take 5-6 seconds, rest the rest of the minute, do another rep, rest the rest of that minute, do this for 15 minutes... I hope I make sense ...

Ooh - that's a nifty idea. Maybe I'll try that! These are definitely some good suggestions. I'll be latterific in a few weeks!

Good ideas, everone! Sorry I've been absent, it's been kind of crazy at the gym and I'm leaving town tomorrow for a few days. Lot's of running around to get ready

We also have "plate-mates" at our gym- magnets about the size of donuts in 1.25 and 2.5 lb weights. I stick them to weight stacks, or on the ends of dumbbells and barbells to make smaller increments.

Another idea is to switch to another exercise for a while. Try a standing lat pull down with a straight bar attached to a high cable. Do assisted pull-ups. Does your gym have a Hammerstrength High Row? or lying dumbell extensions with straight arms. All these work lats.

I do a lot of shorter, heavy sets and drop sets if I'm trying to break a plateau.

Good luck!

Mel