What is the best lat exercise...
 

... to do with dumbbells (I'm working out at home) besides one arm dumbbell rows?

I'm trying to substitute the lat pulldown machine and I'm not ready for actual pull ups yet (nor do I have a pull up bar, so I can't do assisted pull ups, either).

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Lying dumbbell pullovers? I think that's more back but I loved those in my last rotation and could really feel them working along my whole back. I'm doing bent knee dead lifts now with dumbbells.

Here's a pull up exercise you can do without a bar:
Drape a towel over the top of an open door and grab the towel on each side and pull up as much as you can. You can lift up on your toes (or not).
I can feel this in my whole upper body. Pull up and hold for a count of 7-10, relax and do it again.

Best wishes :)

I agree with Fran's dumbell pullover suggestion.

I'd also look into getting some jumpstretch bands to similate your lat pulldowns and other cable machines. Here are the many things you can do with jumpsstretch bands, including pulldowns.

http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?tid=101&__N=Band%20Exercises

For most exercises, a mini, a monster, and a light will cover you.

And if you ever get a pullup bar, they are a great way to work up to pullups. For these, you may or may not need to add an average band to your set. You likely won't ever use the strong band unless you are utilizing them for accommodating resistance on heavy squats, deads, or benches. You could tow a car with those things!

Josephine? Have you had a look at www.stumptuous.com and www.exrx.net?

Yeah, I'm going to start with Krista beginner's full body routine and was looking for what people thought the best thing to substitute for the lat pulldowns is (based on their personal experience).

Krista rocks. :)

I see that "dumbbell pullovers" are classified as a chest exercise, while "barbell pullovers" are a lat exercise. Is it a matter of where your hands are (i.e., the single dumbbell requiring a narrow grip)?

I guess what I'm asking is, if I don't have a barbell is there a way to do this exercise with dumbbells (or a single dumbbell) that will target the lats more than the chest?

Did you see these?
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...eralRaise.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...eralRaise.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/.../DBRaises.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...prightRow.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...eralRaise.html

Josephine,

The Dumbell Pullovers will be fine. Both the DB and BB will work both the lats and chest as well as other muscles. Neither is a total isolation exercise.

Besides, if you look at the workouts, Krista is training movements not muscles anyway. Breaking down the workouts, you have:

1. Lower Body
2. Vertical Pull
3. Vertical Push
4. Horizontal Pull
5. Horizontal Push
6. Accessory
7. Core

or on the alternatives
Day 1
1. Lower Body
2. Vertical Pull
3. Vertical Push
4. Accessory
5. Core

Day 2
1. Lower Body
2. Horizontal Pull
3. Horizontal Push
4. Accessory
5. Core

So you are not really looking for a Lat exercise, you are looking for a vertical pull for which the dumbell pullover qualifies. I know that it seems as if you are pulling the weight horizontally but the plane of movement is based in relation to your torso which is why the dumbell rows are horizontal pulls even though the weight is moving vertically in relation to the ground.

Ya, but I think those are delt exercises, versus lats... unless I'm misunderstanding? :)

Okie dokie, I'm sold. Dumbbell pullover sounds good to me.

Thanks for the input, everyone! :)

You are right. I was reading lateral delts. Not lats. I've had to much sun today.