Lats in Spanish | Say It Like A Trainer

Most Spanish speakers say el dorsal ancho (one side) or los dorsales (both sides) for the latissimus dorsi muscle.

You hear “lats” all the time in gyms, training videos, and workout apps. The catch is that “lats” is slang. When you switch to Spanish, you’ll sound more natural if you use the terms Spanish speakers already use in coaching, anatomy, and everyday gym talk.

This article gives you the exact Spanish words, when to pick singular vs plural, how trainers cue the movement, and a few ready-to-use lines you can say without sounding like you ran it through a translator.

What people mean by “lats”

“Lats” is short for latissimus dorsi, the wide back muscle that helps you pull, climb, row, and bring your arm down and back. In casual English, “hit your lats” often means “train the big side-back muscles” rather than talking about a lab-style anatomy label.

Spanish gym talk works the same way: people mix a formal name with a shorter nickname. If you learn both, you’ll understand programming notes, cues from a coach, and labels on Spanish workout plans.

Lats in Spanish terms you’ll hear at the gym

The most common Spanish term for the muscle is dorsal ancho. It’s the direct, standard label you’ll see in Spanish anatomy references and many Spanish-speaking clinics and training texts. Kenhub’s Spanish anatomy page lists dorsal ancho and also shows common alternates like músculo gran dorsal and latísimo del dorso (Kenhub: “músculo dorsal ancho”).

In day-to-day gym speech, you’ll also hear the plural los dorsales. People say it when they mean both sides together or a “back-day” focus that includes that area. Think of it like English “lats” as a pair.

Singular vs plural, in plain words

• el dorsal ancho: one muscle, one side, or the muscle as a concept.
• los dorsales: both sides, the pair, or the area you feel during rows and pulldowns.

If you’re describing soreness on one side, singular sounds clean: “Me tiró el dorsal ancho derecho.” If you’re talking about a workout day, plural sounds natural: “Hoy toca dorsales.”

Common alternates you may run into

Spanish has a few accepted variants that show up in anatomy contexts. You don’t need to memorize them all, but recognizing them saves confusion when you read Spanish sources or captions.

• músculo dorsal ancho: same idea, slightly more formal.
• músculo gran dorsal: used in some regions and textbooks.
• latísimo del dorso: closer to the Latin-root phrasing.
• latissimus dorsi: still used in Spanish writing, mainly when the text stays close to Latin naming.

If you want a quick “this is the right word” check, Cambridge’s bilingual dictionary entry ties latissimus dorsi to músculo dorsal ancho (Cambridge Dictionary: “latissimus dorsi”).

How to say it out loud without stumbling

Good gym Spanish is not only the right noun. It’s also rhythm and stress. Spanish speakers notice when you pronounce a term like an English speaker reading it letter by letter.

Easy pronunciation cues

• dorsal: dor-SAL (stress on the last syllable).
• ancho: AN-cho (the “ch” is like “church”).
• dorsales: dor-SA-les (stress stays on SA).

When you say “dorsal ancho,” keep it as one unit. In coaching, it often comes out fast: “Activa dorsal ancho,” “Siente dorsales,” “Baja con dorsales.”

Quick grammar that keeps you sounding natural

Spanish often uses articles with muscles: el dorsal ancho, los dorsales. English skips “the” in a lot of spots (“feel lats”), yet Spanish likes it: “Siente los dorsales.”

For sides, Spanish usually adds derecho and izquierdo: “el dorsal ancho derecho,” “el dorsal ancho izquierdo.” When you point, people also say este lado or aquí while touching the area.

Where translation goes wrong in workout notes

The biggest mistake is translating “lats” as “latas” (cans). It looks close on the page and it’s wildly wrong in a gym. If you see “latas” in a Spanish plan, it’s almost always a bad machine translation.

The next common slip is using espalda (back) when the plan really means the muscle group. Espalda is fine for a general “back day,” yet it loses precision when the coach wants you to drive the movement with your lats.

Back-day words that pair well with dorsales

• espalda: the whole back area.
• dominadas: pull-ups or chin-ups, depending on grip context.
• jalón al pecho: lat pulldown to the chest.
• remo: row (many variations exist).

Using these together sounds like real gym Spanish: “Hoy espalda: remo y jalón, buscando dorsales.”

Trainer-style cues you can copy

Coaching cues in Spanish tend to be short and direct. You’ll hear a lot of verbs that tell you what to do with the shoulder blade and the elbow path, then one word that tells you what to feel.

Cues for pulldowns and pull-ups

• “Pecho arriba, costillas abajo.”
• “Hombros lejos de las orejas.”
• “Codo hacia la cadera.”
• “Baja con dorsales, no con bíceps.”

Cues for rows

• “Tira el codo atrás, pegado al cuerpo.”
• “Pausa un segundo y aprieta dorsales.”
• “No subas el hombro al final.”

Cues for straight-arm pulldowns and cable work

• “Brazos casi rectos, baja hasta el muslo.”
• “Siente el dorsal ancho desde la axila.”
• “Controla la subida, no dejes que te jale.”

These lines are also useful when you train with a Spanish-speaking partner. They’re short, they make sense fast, and they name what matters: dorsales.

Table of Spanish terms, meanings, and when to use them

Use this table as your mini cheat sheet when you’re reading Spanish programs, watching Spanish form videos, or writing your own notes.

Spanish term	What it points to	When it fits best
el dorsal ancho	The latissimus dorsi muscle (one side or as a label)	Anatomy talk, precise form notes, one-side soreness
los dorsales	The lats as a pair / the area	Gym talk, “today we train lats,” general programming
músculo dorsal ancho	Same as dorsal ancho, spelled out	More formal writing, captions, clinic-style wording
músculo gran dorsal	Alternate Spanish name	Some textbooks, some regions
latísimo del dorso	Alternate name closer to Latin roots	Anatomy contexts, translations that stay close to Latin
jalón al pecho	Lat pulldown movement	Programs and machines in Spanish-speaking gyms
remo con barra / mancuerna	Barbell or dumbbell row	Exercise lists, coaching cues
dominadas	Pull-ups / chin-ups (context decides grip)	Bodyweight plans and coaching

How Spanish anatomy sources label the muscle

If you want the formal reference name, Spanish anatomy materials often mirror the international naming pattern. You’ll see the Latin label musculus latissimus dorsi in global terminology documents, then Spanish texts map it to dorsal ancho or a close synonym. The IFAA’s anatomical terminology committee (FIPAT) maintains the standard terminology set (IFAA: Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT)).

For Spanish medical vocabulary, the Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España maintains a free online dictionary of medical terms that’s handy when you want Spanish wording that reads like Spanish, not like a calque (RANM: Diccionario de términos médicos).

Spanish sentence templates that sound like real gym talk

Below are plug-and-play lines. Swap the exercise name, the grip, or the side as needed.

Talking about the plan

• “Hoy entreno dorsales y tríceps.”
• “Metí jalón al pecho y remo para dorsales.”
• “Quiero sentir más el dorsal ancho, no tanto el brazo.”

Talking about form

• “Bajo el hombro y llevo el codo hacia la cadera.”
• “Siento el dorsal ancho cerca de la axila.”
• “Si tiro con el bíceps, se me va la tensión.”

Talking about soreness or tightness

• “Tengo cargado el dorsal ancho izquierdo.”
• “Me duele aquí al levantar el brazo.”
• “Voy a bajar peso y cuidar la técnica.”

If pain is sharp, sudden, or keeps coming back, a licensed clinician is the right person to assess it. This article is language-first, not medical care.

Table of quick swaps from English gym slang to Spanish

When you translate English cues into Spanish, keep the verb short and keep the muscle name familiar. This table gives you clean swaps you can say mid-set.

English cue	Spanish cue	What it nudges
Feel your lats	Siente los dorsales	Target the back, not the arms
Pull elbow to hip	Codo hacia la cadera	Elbow path that loads dorsales
Shoulders down	Hombros abajo	Avoid shrugging on pulls
Chest up	Pecho arriba	Torso position for pulls
Control the way up	Controla la subida	Slow return phase
Squeeze at the top	Aprieta arriba	Brief pause and tension

Small details that make your Spanish sound fluent

Use “dorsales” as a category. In Spanish programs, muscle groups are often written as categories: “Pecho,” “Pierna,” “Hombro,” “Dorsales.” Writing “Dorsales” as a header reads naturally.

Pick one style and stay consistent. If you use “dorsal ancho” in your notes, keep using it. Mixing “dorsal ancho,” “gran dorsal,” and “latissimus” in the same plan can confuse a training partner.

Match the cue to the exercise. “Codo hacia la cadera” fits rows and pulldowns. “Brazos casi rectos” fits straight-arm pulldowns. Spanish speakers notice when a cue doesn’t match what the body is doing.

Use body words Spanish speakers already use. “Axila” (armpit) is common when pointing to where the muscle sits. “Cadera” (hip) is common when describing elbow travel. These make your cue feel local.

A quick checklist before you post or coach in Spanish

• Use el dorsal ancho for the formal muscle label.
• Use los dorsales for the pair or the muscle group on a program.
• Skip “latas.” It’s cans, not muscles.
• Keep cues short: “Hombros abajo,” “Codo hacia la cadera,” “Siente dorsales.”
• When in doubt, check a trusted reference and copy its spelling.

Once you lock in these few terms, Spanish training content gets easier to follow. You’ll read programs faster, catch cues in videos, and talk about back training in a way that sounds like you belong in the room.