Teres Major

Meaning "big rounded (muscle)", the teres major is a muscle which is located to the outer region of the upper back, and is often an assisting muscle in many back exercises.

With the teres major being recruited during many back exercises due to the adduction and extension of the shoulder, and the retraction of the scapular, there is no needed to focus on this muscle in isolation. The inclusion of rows and pull up exercises will stimulate the teres major greatly, so the muscle receives a great amount of stress during the average back workout.

With the muscle being made up of a high population of slow twitch muscle fibres, it could be argued that the teres major is best stimulated with high time under tension training, although in the real world this muscle will benefit and develop in size and strength from working the upper back muscles as a whole.

Teres Major courtesy of Fitness Uncovered - Bodybuilding & Fitness

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