Left side muscles

Some rather technical questions from someone with way too little technical knowledge.

A few years ago, when I decided to work out in a gym during the winter, I discovered that my muscles on the left side of my torso, basically running from the armpit down to my waist had become stronger and felt "active" in the golf swing. It was way easier to keep the club on plane, and I believe the turn was wider and smoother due to these muscles.

Unfortunately, I couldn't practice for a while, the muscles "withered" back to their old state. Now I would like to get it back. So I would like to know, what is that (or those) muscles called that I'm attempting (miserably) to describe here? And, what can I do to get them back in that strong flexible state I enjoyed a few years ago?

Sounds like you're talking about your "lats", or latissimus dorsi muscles. The most direct gym exercise for them is the "lat pulldown," which is done on a rig where you have weight plates on a pulley. You pull a bar down and the weights go up. There's also a Nautilus machine with long handles that does the same thing.

Thanks for the physionomy class.
Just wondering, is there somethin you can do with dumbells or free weights at home. I don't live close to a gym anymore, the main reason I stopped going. I've tried holding 8 lbs in front of me with a bent left arm, moving it laterally in front and behind me (sort of like a pull - push move). BUt not quite sure what it does for the latissimus dorsi (sounds like something you would catch in a third world country).

If you have a fairly heavy dumbbell you can do "vertical rowing." Stand bent over at the waist, with one hand resting on a chair or something for support. Hold the weight in the other hand and just pull it up, as if you were pulling an oar. This exercise gets the upper back muscles mainly, but it also hits the lats. Surprisingly, regular pushups also work the lats to some extent.

Another good golf exercise that gets the lats and the lower back is this "bridge" exercise: Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and your palms flat on the floor beside your hips. Then just push your weight forward so that the soles of your feet meet the floor, keeping your arms straight, and the rest of your body goes up and arches. At the end of the move, just your hands and feet are on the floor and your legs are bent at the knee, and the rest of your body is either horizontal or even arched up a bit. Be careful with that one though. Just do a few reps until you get used to it, or you can get a muscle spasm. It definitely works the lats.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

If you have a bar you can do pull ups on then you can do your lat pulls on it. Just hang from it with a grip a little wider then your shoulders. Palms facing away from you. Now pull yourself up until the bar touches the back of your neck. This will probably be very difficult so you might want to stand on a chair to help yourself up.