Deadlifts
To perform deadlifts properly, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Bend at your hips and knees to lower your body and grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands just outside your legs. Engage your core and keep your back straight as you lift the weight by straightening your legs and hips until you are standing upright. Raise your chest as you lift to avoid arching your lower back. Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position in a controlled motion.
Muscles Worked
The deadlift works the entire back side of your body. It effectively targets the hamstrings, glutes, lower back (erector spinae), and latissimus dorsi. Deadlifts are one of the best exercises to build a strong, muscular back. They have also been shown to boost testosterone and growth hormone levels when performed heavy.
Variations
Some variations include sumo deadlifts which use a wider stance, trap bar deadlifts which use a trap bar for an easier grip, and straight-leg deadlifts which keep the knees slightly bent. You can also modify the movement by adding dumbbells or using different stances.
Pulldowns
Sit at a pulldown machine and grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulders agone and downward and grip your lats. Pull the bar down by your chin or chest in a controlled motion. Do not jerk or swing the weight down. Slowly return the bar to the starting position above your head by extending your arms.
Muscles Worked
Pulldowns primarily target the latissimus dorsi muscles along the back. They also work the biceps, rear delts, and lower trapezius. Pulldowns allow you to use heavier weight than pullups to further stress the back muscles.
Variations
You can perform close-grip pulldowns by bringing your hands closer together or wide-grip pulldowns to target different parts of the lats. You can also do pulldowns unilaterally by using only one arm at a time. Cable pulldowns offer more range of motion compared to machine pulldowns.
Pullups
To do a pullup, grab the pullup bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Hang from the bar and pull your bodyweight up by contracting your back muscles until your chin clears the bar. Manage your body straightway from head to heels. Slowly lower your body back to the starting position in a controlled motion.
Muscles Worked
Pullups primarily target the latissimus dorsi, biceps, and rear deltoids. They work the back muscles through their full range of motion. Pullups require more functional upper body strength than pulldowns since you must support your entire bodyweight.
Variations
If regular pullups are too difficult, try assisted pullups using a resistance band. Chin-ups recruit more biceps by using an underhand grip. Wide grip pullups target the latissimus dorsi to a greater degree. You can also try full range of motion slow pullups for added time under tension.
Rows
Set up a barbell, dumbbells or resistance cable at around hip height. Bend at the hips and knees to tilt your torso parallel to the floor while maintaining an arch in your lower back. Grasp the weight and pull it straight up your torso by contracting your back muscles. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower the weight back to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner.
Muscles Worked
Rows target the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, and biceps. They are an essential back exercise to develop width and thickness. Different row variations allow you to target the upper, middle or lower back.
Variations
Cable rows allow you to focus on the negative portion of the movement. Bent-over barbell rows emphasize the lower lats while T-bar rows use a T-shaped handle. One-arm dumbbell rows add an anti-rotational stabilization element. You can also try seated cable rows or inverted rows using a TRX suspension system.
Back Flyes
Lie chest down on an incline bench with dumbbells on the floor underneath you, arms extended straight down. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to lift the weights upward in an arcing motion until your hands are around shoulder level. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position in a controlled fashion. Keep your torso stable on the bench throughout the movement.
Muscles Worked
Back flyes target the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and rear deltoids. They emphasize squeezing the shoulder blades together to strengthen the middle and upper back region. Back flyes complement rows and pulldowns by working the back muscles from a different angle.
Variations
You can perform kneeling cable crossovers instead of incline back flyes. Try twisting cable flyes by angling your hands inward or outward during the movement. Bent-over back flyes work the lower lats from a standing position. Machine flyes allow you to focus on proper form without holding dumbbells.
Shrugs
Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands just outside hip width. Keep your reverse straight and knees slightly fraudulent. Raise your shoulders upward forcefully as high as possible by contracting your trapezius muscles. Pause, also sluggishly lower reverse to the starting position. Avoid swinging or jerking motions.
Muscles Worked
Heavy shrugs are an effective trap-building exercise targeting the upper trapezius muscles. They also work the rhomboids and rear delts. Shrugs strengthen your upper back to support heavy weight during pulling movements.
Variations
Dumbbell shrugs allow for fuller range of motion. Reverse flyes on a pec deck work the lower traps from a different angle. Barbell shrugs behind the back eliminate leg drive. Farmer’s walks build total back strength while challenging your grip. Plate shrugs increase time under tension by holding small weights.
Hyper extensions
Kneel on an exercise bench with your torso hanging face down off the edge and hold weights extended straight out in front of your face. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to lift your torso until it’s in a straight line from chest to knees. Lower back to the starting position in a slow, controlled motion.
Muscles Worked
Hyperextensions heavily target the erector spinae muscles of the lower back to build spinal endurance as well as strength. They complement exercises like deadlifts by strengthening your lower back from another angle. Core stability is also challenged to keep the spine neutral.
Variations
Add weight plates or a weight plate across your back to progressively overload the muscles. Single-leg hyperextensions work each side independently. Towel pulldowns involve pulling a towel as you extend for more lat involvement. Reverse hyperextensions focus on strengthening the rectus abdominis.
Complete Back Workout Routine
Here is a sample 4-day per week full back workout routine that incorporates the effective back exercises discussed above:
Day 1 – Pull Focus
Deadlifts 4×5-8 – Pulldowns 4×8-12 – Seated cable rows 4×10-15 – Dumbbell rows 4×10-15 – Face pulls 4×15-20
Day 2 – Upper Back
Pullups 4x failure – One-arm dumbbell rows 4×8 each side – T-bar rows 4×8-12 – Incline back flyes 4×12-15 – Shrugs 4×12-15
Day 3 – Lower Back
Hyperextensions 4×12-15 – Straight-leg deadlifts 4×10-12 – Good mornings 4×10-12 – Back raises 4×15-20 – Plank 3×30-60 seconds
Day 4 – Full Back Blast
Deadlifts 4×5 – Pulldowns 4×8-10 – Bent-over rows 4×10 – Lat pullovers 4