We’ve already discussed the basic principles behind getting a great v-taper and we’ve looked at the moves you need to incorporate into your training to get there. But what’s important to remember is that knowing how to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. If you really want to get the v-taper you’re looking for, then you need to be able to take these moves and put them into a training routine.
Well, to save you the trouble, we’ve done that for you. The following is a workout especially designed to give you that wide shouldered ‘Johnny Bravo’ look. Fit this into your program and you’ll see your body quickly change shape for the better.
The Routine
- 5 sets of pull ups (to failure)
- 2 sets of lat pull downs (to failure)
- 3 sets of lateral raises (to failure)
- 1 x tabata finisher
To start with, you’re going to do five sets of ten reps on the pull up bar. Keep your arms wide apart and make sure to use a slow and deliberate form all the way through each rep. You should really be able to feel this engaging your lats and you can even try consciously squeezing them as you perform each rep. Five sets is a lot but this kind of intensity is what you need for rapid results.
From there, you’re going to head on over to the lat pull down. Now you should be completely exhausted on the pull ups, this will allow you to keep going even as your form is sacrificed a little. Remember, that for hypertrophy you’re looking to flood the muscle with blood by doing high rep ranges. So put the weight on something relatively light you can handle easily and then just keep slowly performing reps for about 8-12.
Next up, you’re focussing on the shoulders. More specifically, you’re focussing on the medial deltoids which are found on the sides of the shoulders. Lateral raises will thicken these up and give you a little more width. Use weights that you can use for about 12 reps. People are often afraid to go heavy with raises but this can end up limiting their gains.
Finally, we’re finishing on a tabata routine to burn those calories and help you get slimmer. Tabata is four minutes of hell, consisting of 20 seconds of intense exertion followed by 10 seconds of rest – but repeated eight times. You can do this with any move that helps you to raise your heart level, whether that be running on the treadmill or hitting a heavy bag.
Tip: One additional tip is to wear wrist straps during the lats portion of this workout. This will enable you to keep going even when your grip and forearms tire out. We’re interested in building a v-taper here and as such we want to ensure we’re exhausting the lats rather than any other part of the body.
