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Latissimus dorsi
The largest muscle of the back by surface area, connecting the pelvis and lower spine directly to the upper arm.
Latin name: Musculus latissimus dorsi. In plain English, the broad muscle of the back. It is filed here under chest and back.
Reference information, not a diagnosis. Where a symptom is described below, it is there so you can describe your own more precisely to a clinician — not so you can name what you have.
Where it is
Latissimus dorsi covers the lower half of the back like a sheet, arising from a huge area — the lower thoracic and all the lumbar spinous processes through the thoracolumbar fascia, the back of the pelvis, the lowest ribs — and narrowing dramatically as it sweeps upward and outward to wrap around the armpit. Its tendon inserts on the front of the upper arm bone, which is why a muscle of the back ends up rotating the arm inward.
It is one of the few muscles that links the arm directly to the pelvis, crossing the shoulder, the rib cage and the lumbar spine. That reach is why it is loaded in a deadlift as much as in a pull-up, and why tightness in it can influence how the arm and the lower back behave.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Spinous processes of T7 downward and the sacrum through the thoracolumbar fascia, the posterior iliac crest, the lower three or four ribs, and often the inferior angle of the scapula |
| Insertion | Floor of the intertubercular groove of the humerus |
| Nerve | Thoracodorsal nerve (C6-C8) |
| Main actions | Extension, adduction and internal rotation of the arm; assists in raising the trunk toward a fixed arm |
What it does
The classic action is pulling the arm down and back: a pull-up, a swimming stroke, pushing yourself up out of a chair with your hands, throwing a ball hard. When the arm is fixed above you and the trunk moves instead, the same contraction pulls the body up toward the bar, which is exactly what a pull-up is.
It also contributes to forced expiration and to coughing, and it tenses the thoracolumbar fascia, which is part of how load is transferred across the lower back between the arms and the opposite leg. That fascial link is one of the reasons the back is best trained as a system rather than a list of separate muscles.
Exercises that load it
| Exercise | Category | Muscles the exercise library lists |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-ups | Strength | Lats, biceps, mid-back, grip |
| Bent-over row | Strength | Mid-back, lats, biceps |
| Rowing machine | Cardio | Legs, back, arms, heart |
| Swimming, freestyle | Cardio | Whole body, heart, lungs |
| Deadlift | Strength | Hamstrings, glutes, back, grip |
Vertical pulling — pull-ups, chin-ups, pulldowns — loads it through the fullest range, from a hanging stretch to a strong contracted position. Horizontal pulling loads it with more contribution from the mid-back. Rowing and freestyle swimming load it repeatedly at lower intensity. In a heavy deadlift it works isometrically, keeping the bar close to the body.
How it is lengthened
Reach one arm overhead and side-bend away from it, ideally with the hips anchored — kneeling and reaching forward onto a bench with the hips back gives a cleaner version, since the pelvis cannot cheat. A hanging stretch from a bar does the same thing under body weight. Because the muscle crosses the lower back, keep the ribs from flaring: the stretch should be felt along the side of the trunk, not as a pinch in the lower back.
When it goes wrong
| Problem | What it typically feels like | Usual setting |
|---|---|---|
| Latissimus strain | A pull along the side of the back or under the armpit, worse on hard pulling or overhead reaching | A sudden maximal pull, a big increase in pull-up or rowing volume, or throwing |
| Shoulder range limitation | The arm will not reach fully overhead without the lower back arching to compensate | Long-standing tightness, often in people who pull a lot and stretch little |
| Referred back tightness | A broad ache across the lower back after heavy pulling rather than at any single point | Loading the thoracolumbar fascia hard, for instance in a heavy deadlift session |
Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, night pain that does not change with position, or any change in bladder or bowel control is not a muscle problem and needs urgent medical assessment.
Nothing on this page is a treatment plan. If a problem is limiting what you do, is not improving, or is getting worse, the right next step is an assessment by a doctor or a physiotherapist who can examine you.
Sources: descriptive anatomy from Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th US edition (1918), which is in the public domain; Latin names follow Terminologia Anatomica, published by the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology. Nerve root levels are the conventional ranges taught from those sources and vary between individuals and between textbooks. Exercise cross-links use the TempoLife exercise library. Checked 2026-09-06.
Frequently asked questions
Why do wide grips feel different on a pull-up?
Grip width changes the angle at which the arm approaches the body and therefore how much of the movement is adduction versus extension. Neither is more correct; they load slightly different parts of the same muscle and different amounts of elbow flexor work.
Can tight lats limit overhead pressing?
They can. Because the muscle pulls the arm down and inward, a genuinely short latissimus makes it harder to bring the arm fully overhead without arching the lower back to compensate. That said, most overhead limitations involve the shoulder blade and the thoracic spine too.
Is the latissimus a breathing muscle?
It assists forced expiration and coughing, but it is not a primary breathing muscle. The diaphragm does that job.
Nearby in this reference
Pectoralis major
The big chest muscle
Erector spinae
The columns of muscle either side of the spine
Deltoid
The cap of the shoulder
Rotator cuff
The four small muscles that hold the shoulder in its socket
Trapezius
The big diamond across the upper back and neck
Rhomboids
The straps that pull the shoulder blades together
All 34 body parts · Exercise library · Body map
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