I want to have more of a "V" shape

[Phenomenom101]

Hello,

I have recently been looking at the shape of my body and I just don't like it. See, what i want to grow is the musles that are below your armpits and that kinda give your body a "V" shape. The best way to discribe it is the kind of muscles that Bruce Lee would show off. The kind that make it look like if he had butterfly wings under his arms. I don't know the name of the muscle that's why I'm describing it. I just want to know what I could do to make it bigger and what type of exercises to do. Also does anyone know how to make the muscles in your neck grow so you have a thicker look to your neck? Hope you can answer all my questions, THANKS

 

[The Great Juan]

The muscle you are talking about is the Latissimus Dorsi, or Lats for short. The best excercises to work these are rowing movements (bend-over dumbell rows, barbell rows) and chinups (widegrip).

Unfortunately, if you think just working one type of muscle will change the way you look, you might be dissapointed. You will get very slow gains because you just aren't stressing you entire body enough. I reccomend you do a full body workout using heavy (i mean heavy for you) weights, as the more stress your body is under, they more it will work to make you bigger and stronger to combat the stress. As a side effect, you bone density will increase greatly leading to alot of health gains, less chance of injury in an accident etc.

 

[Metaphor]

Large quads, slim waist, sweeping lats, and large deltoids. Four main ingredients for the v-shape.

 

[NEWBIE101]

Bump on what the other two said. The V Shape comes from a cut body with large muscles(especially back and legs). I'll give you a good workout for both. Make sure that you continue to work other bodypart though.

Back-
Deadlifts 3x6-10
Pullups 3x6-10(Add weight if you can do more than 10 reps)
Bent Over Barbell Rows 3x6-10
DB Rows or Cable Rows(your preference) 2x6-10

Legs-
Squats 3x6-10
Leg Press or Hack Squat(preference) 3x6-10
Leg Curls or Stiff Legged Deadlifts 3x6-10
Calf Raises 3x6-10

 

[Phenomenom101]

I just wanted to know would doing the pull ups affect different muscles if you do them with palms facing you instead of palms facing away from you?

 

[Metaphor]

Pullup is palms away
Chinup is palms toward you

Pullups (wide) stress the outer lats more. Chinups place more emphases on the biceps and inner back.

 

[NEWBIE101]

Originally posted by Metaphor
Pullup is palms away
Chinup is palms toward you

Pullups (wide) stress the outer lats more. Chinups place more emphases on the biceps and inner back.

Yup. And also the closer the grip you take for pullups the more the biceps are worked.

 

[Soshyopathe]

Sorry to be anal, but close-grip chins are bis, lower lats, and outer back. Wide-grip chins are for upper lats and inner back.

Getting more muscular overall will increase your V-taper, but there are a few techniques you should throw in as well. Heavy dumbell pullovers with a good stretch at the bottom will put stress on your ribb cage to expand. Super wide-grip pullups slowly force your scapulae outwards and widen out your back. These excersizes done after squats should be effective, since the squats trigger a good amount of GH.