Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Looking for a new back workout? You've come to the right place! Back day just so happens to be our favorite due to the massive amount of weight we can pull as well as the drastic effect it can have on our physique.
Because we know how important back training is, and due to the multiple training goals a lifter could potentially have, we've created 5 free back workouts for various situations and goals.
The 5 best back workouts are:
- Back Workout For Strength
- Back Workout For Hypertrophy
- Back Workout For Strength And Hypertrophy
- Calisthenic Back Workout
- Dumbbell-Only Back Workout
For each back workout, we will teach you how to progress so you can gain muscle and strength over time.
We'll also cover the best back exercises, back muscle anatomy, and the benefits of performing back workouts.
5 Back Workout Plans
Let's get right to the workout plans. Be aware that each plan includes two sessions as training muscle groups twice a week has been shown to be optimal for strength and hypertrophy.
1) Strength Back Workout Plan
This back training workout plan is designed for those purely interested in getting stronger. Therefore, strength is the main goal which means emphasis is on big movements with heavier loads. That being said, you will do some isolation/smaller movements which are primarily to strengthen joints and improve shoulder stability.
Session 1:
| Deadlift | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Bent Over Row | 4 sets | 6 reps |
| Chin Up | 3 sets | 8 reps |
| Single Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 sets | 8 reps each arm |
| Circuit w/Cable Rope Attachment x 3 sets: | ||
| Face Pull x 10-12 reps | ||
| Rope Upright Row x 10-12 reps | ||
| Hammer Curl x 10-12 reps |
Session 2:
| Rack Pull (at knees) | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Chin Up | 4 sets | 6 reps |
| T-Bar Row | 4 sets | 8 reps |
| Kroc Row | 2 sets | 15+ reps |
| Front Barbell Shrug | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Circuit w/Cable Straight Bar Attachment x 3 sets: | ||
| Straight Arm Lat Pulldown x 10-12 reps | ||
| Bicep Curl x 10-12 reps | ||
| Back Extension (on hyperextension bench, not cable machine) x 10-12 reps |
Progressive Overload:
For progressive overload, you’re primarily going to rely on simply adding weight to the bar for 4 weeks. On the 5th week, you’ll perform a deload week where you will just use the same rep scheme but drop the load by 50%.
In the 6th week for the deadlift and rack pull, you will work up to a heavy single and perform 3 singles. You want to work up to what feels like a 95%1RM or a weight you can get twice. Then in the 7th week,, you will return to the weight you used in the 4th week and continue.
For the other movements, in the 6th week you will take about 10% of the load you used in the 4th week and continue.
For the circuit, don’t stress too much. Simply add weight and work up to RPE8-9.
2) Hypertrophy Back Workout Plan
This back training workout plan is for those purely interested in building mass. This means that it will include a lot more smaller exercises with moderate weight and moderate reps. However, there will still be a bit of strength oriented movements.
Session 1:
| Deadlift | 3 sets | 5 reps |
| Chin Up | 4 sets | 6 reps |
| T-Bar Row (Neutral & Wide - 2 sets each) | 4 sets | 8-12 reps |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 sets | 8-12 reps |
| Reverse Cable Fly | 2 sets | 12+ reps |
| Straight Arm Lat Pulldown | 2 sets | 12+ reps |
| Back Extension on Hyperextension Bench | 3 sets | 12+ reps |
Session 2:
| Rack Pull | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Pull Up | 3 sets | 8 reps |
| Seated Cable Back Row | 3 sets | 8-12 reps |
| Lat Pulldown (Close Neutral Grip) | 3 sets | 8-12 reps |
| Helms Row | 3 sets | 8-12 reps |
| Reverse Cable Fly | 2 sets | 12+ reps |
| Back Extension | 3 sets | 12+ reps |
Progressive Overload:
For progresive overload, you’ll follow two methods. For the set rep scheme, you’ll add weight to the bar (or increase the load on chin-up/pull-up). Every 5th week, take a deload week and decrease the weight
For the Deadlift and Rack Pull, you will take a deload every 5th week and decrease the load by 50%. Then in the 6th week, you will take about 10% off from what you did in the 4th week and begin the process again.
3) Strength And Hypertrophy Back Workout Plan
This program is for ya’ll you want a good mix of strength training and hypertrophy training.
Session 1:
| Deadlift | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Bent Over Row | 3 sets | 5 reps |
| Kroc Row | 2 sets | 15+ reps |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 sets | 10-12 reps |
| Barbell Front Shrug | 3 sets | 5 reps |
| Face Pull | 3 sets | 12+ reps |
| Reverse Cable Fly | 3 sets | 12+ reps |
Session 2:
| Rack Pull | 4 sets | 4 reps |
| Chin Up | 3 sets | 5 reps |
| Pendlay Row | 3 sets | 6 reps |
| Helms Row | 3 sets | 8-10 reps |
| Reverse Cable Fly | 3 sets | 10-12 reps |
| Back Extension | 3 sets | 10-12 reps |
| Straight Arm Lat Pulldown | 3 sets | 12+ reps |
Progressive Overload:
For progressive overload, you’ll follow two methods. For the set rep scheme, you’ll add weight to the bar (or increase the load on chin-up/pull-up). For the movements with the rep range, you’ll increase reps until you are able to increase the laid and still hit the lower end of the rep range.
For the set rep scheme (other than chin-up), you will take a deload every 5th week and decrease the load by 50%. Then in the 6th week, you will take about 10% off from what you did in the 4th week and begin the process again.
4) Calisthenics Back Workout Plan
If you don’t like training with a barbell or you're a fan of at home back workouts, this back workout is for you. In this calisthenic back workout plan, you’ll see how to make the most of the limited movements possible to train the back with calisthenics.
Further, we’re going to also assume you have access to some basic bars. That being said, the key to progressing with a calisthenics program is to increase the difficulty of the exercise. That being said, there will only be one session that you will repeat twice a week.
| Chin Ups (or Pull Ups) | 5 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Australian Rows | 5 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Face Pulls | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Push-Back Push Up | 3 sets | 9 RPE |
| Bent Over I-Y-T | 3 sets | 9 RPE |
Notes:
- For the chin-ups and pull-ups, you will alternate between them each session.
- For the Australian rows, switch up the grips between sessions. The options for grip are:
- Overhand
- Underhand
- Wide Grip
- Close Grip (Underhand) - For the face pull exercise, you’ll basically just perform an Australian Row but pull your face to the bar. This means you will need to set-up your face under the bar.
- For the push-back pushup, you will first perform the descent. When your chest is hovering above the ground, instead of pushing straight up, you will push your body back towards your heels. This will cause you to go back to what looks similar to the Child's Pose in yoga. You will then come up and bring your body back to the normal starting position. When you do this, think about pulling the ground backward similar to a dumbbell pullover.
Progressive Overload:
For progressive overload, you will need to gradually increase the difficulty of the movements. Below is a list for some of the exercises you can do to increase the intensity.
-
Chin-ups/Pull-Ups: You will gradually want to transfer the load to one arm over time. You can do this by:
- Pulling your weight to one side.
- Extend your support hand out to the side (the hand you don’t pull yourself to).
- Decreasing the amount of fingers on the support hand. Continue this until you are able to have minimum support while being able to pull your body to one side. - Australian Row: Very similar to the chin-ups/pull-ups.
5) Dumbbell Only Back Workout Plan
This plan is for those who might be stuck at home who only have a pair of dumbbells to use. Therefore, it will only include dumbbell back exercises. That being said, anyone can use this plan if they want to include a different stimulus for a cycle but we would advise to add chin-ups if possible.
Due to the lack of possible exercises, there will just be one session but we advise to run it twice a week.
Further, because this is written for those at home with a limited amount of dumbbells, there won’t be exact rep schemes. Instead, you’ll just use RPE.
| Bent Over Dumbbell Row (Overhand Grip) | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Straight Leg Deadlift | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Single Dumbbell Row (Neutral Grip) | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Reverse Dumbbell Fly | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
| Bent Over High Row | 3 sets | 7-8 RPE |
Notes: For the bent over high row, just bend over slightly when you perform these.
Progressive Overload:
Assuming you don’t have a ton of dumbbells to choose from, you aren’t really able to increase the load. Therefore, you basically have two choices:
- Increase the reps
- Decrease the rest time
If you do have a few different size dumbbells, we suggest you try to use bigger ones as you get stronger. Other than that, you’re only going to be able to do so much if you are going to be in this position for a while. Therefore we strongly suggest you try to buy a bigger set of dumbbells or invest in a multi-weight dumbbell.
5 Best Exercises To Include In Back Workouts
There are so many good exercises that it's hard to narrow our list down to just 5. But, if we have to, these 5 back exercises are research-backed and repeatedly used by strength and conditioning coaches, as well as personal trainers, due to their effectiveness.
The 5 best back exercises are:
- Deadlift
- Pull Up
- Bent-Over Row
- T-Bar Row
- Lat Pulldown
Here's how to do each.
1) Deadlift:
The deadlift makes our list of best back moves due to its ability to strengthen the entire back and posterior chain. A study of the deadlift found that it's particularly great for the low back and erector spinae1.
A separate study analyzed the deadlift under various loading conditions, finding it produced high levels of muscle activation in several key muscles, including the erector spinae, lats, and traps, all of which are crucial for back strength and development2.
Many strength and conditioning coaches and fitness experts consistently recommend deadlifts as an essential exercise for back development due to its ability to target multiple muscle groups at once.
How to do the Deadlift:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the barbell placed on the ground in front of you. The bar should be positioned over the middle of your feet. Adjust the weight plates on the bar according to your strength level.
- Bend at your hips and knees to lower yourself to the bar. Grip the bar with both hands, using an overhand grip (palms facing you) or a mixed grip (one palm facing you, one palm facing away). Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your hips and straighten your back while keeping your chest up and your shoulders back. Your spine should be in a neutral position, with a slight arch in your lower back. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine.
- Inhale deeply, brace your core, and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground. Keep the barbell close to your body as you stand up, pushing your hips forward and straightening your knees and hips simultaneously.
- Once you are standing fully upright, with your hips fully extended and your shoulders pulled back, pause briefly at the top of the movement to ensure proper alignment.
- To lower the barbell, hinge at your hips and bend your knees while keeping your back straight. Lower the barbell back to the ground under control, maintaining tension in your hamstrings and glutes throughout the movement.
2) Pull Up:
A study comparing the pull up to several lat pulldown variations found it was more effective than pull downs in targeting the lats3.
Further, separate research discovered that pull-ups activate the latissimus dorsi, biceps brachii, and other upper back muscles, providing an effective way to build strength and muscle mass in the back4.
How to do Pull Ups:
- Find a sturdy overhead bar that can support your body weight and is high enough that your feet don't touch the ground.
- Stand beneath the bar and reach up to grip it with both hands, using an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight, engaging your core muscles to maintain stability.
- To begin your pull up, retract your shoulder blades, bending your elbows and pulling your body upward toward the bar.
- Continue pulling until your chin passes the level of the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
- Once your chin is above the bar, pause briefly at the top of the movement and squeeze your back muscles.
- Lower yourself back down in a controlled manner, fully extending your arms to return to the starting position.
3) Bent Over Row:
This exercise targets your mid-back and lats. You can also make this a unilateral exercise by turning it into a single-arm dumbbell row.
Research shows that bent-over rows do a great job activating the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and other muscles of the upper back and posterior shoulder region, promoting back strength and muscle development5.
How to do Bent-Over Rows:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells that are challenging but allow you to use correct form.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip (palms facing your body).
- Hinge forward at your hips while keeping your back straight, allowing your arms to hang straight down towards the floor. Your torso should be at approximately a 45-degree angle to the ground.
- Engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine and maintain balance throughout the exercise.
- Pull the dumbbells up towards your ribcage by bending your elbows and retracting your shoulder blades. Keep your elbows close to your body as you lift the dumbbells.
- Squeeze your back muscles at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
4) T-Bar Row (Landmine Row):
T-Bar Rows are used by the majority of strength and conditioning coaches, as they do a great job activating the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and erector spinae muscles.
This makes them effective for back muscle growth and strength, helping you grow the wide back of your dreams.
How to do T-Bar Rows:
- Set up a barbell in a landmine attachment or corner of a wall so it's secure.
- Load the appropriate amount of weight onto the end of the barbell.
- Stand beside the landmine attachment with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Grip the end of the barbell with one hand, using an overhand grip (palms facing your body).
- Keep your back straight and core engaged as you hinge forward at the hips, allowing the barbell to hang directly beneath your shoulder.
- Pull the barbell up toward your hip by retracting your shoulder blade and bending your elbow, keeping it close to your body throughout the movement.
- Squeeze your back muscles at the top of the movement, then lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
5) Lat Pulldown:
Lat pulldowns activate the latissimus dorsi, biceps brachii, and other upper back muscles, making it an effective exercise for back development, especially when performed with a relatively heavy load6 (not so heavy that you can't maintain good form).
How to do the Lat Pulldown:
- Start by setting up either a straight bar or a wide grip bar on the cable pulley or lat pulldown machine.
- Adjust the leg pads so they rest against the top of your legs when seated, minimizing any movement and securing your position.
- Reach upward to grasp the bar with both hands using an overhand grip (palms facing away), positioning your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then pull down through your elbows, guiding the bar in a straight line until it reaches your upper chest.
- At the bottom of the movement, focus on squeezing your lats to maximize muscle engagement.
- Slowly and controlled, return the bar to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout.
Basic Anatomy Of The Back Muscles
There are multiple back muscles that make up the “back.” While they more or less all work together for most movements, you should still have a good idea of their basic function and structure.
Latissimus Dorsi (Lats):
The latissimus dorsi (or the lats for short) are the largest muscle in your upper body and sit on either side of your back. They’re a large and flat muscle that runs from the base of the spine to approximately 2/3rd of the way up. The lats are responsible for multiple shoulder movements, including:
- Extension
- Adduction
- Horizontal Abduction
- Internal Rotation
Trapezius (Traps):
The trapezius are two large trapezoid-shaped muscles that sit on the upper back. That being said, while most people think of only the upper traps that sit on the upper of the back behind the neck, the traps are much larger than people think.
Altogether, there are 3 main parts:
- Upper Traps: The main functions of the upper trap are to elevate your scapular, which elevates and brings up your shoulder girdle, and to extend, tilt, and rotate (and protect) your neck, which allows you to move your head.
- Middle Traps: The middle traps main function is scapula retraction and shoulder stabilization.
- Lower Traps: The main function of the lower trap is to move the shoulder blades downward (scapular depression).
Rhomboids:
The rhomboids are a set of smaller muscles shaped like rhomboids that attach the scapula to the spine. Technically, there are two sets:
- Rhomboid Major Muscle
- Rhomboid Minor Muscle
Together, these muscles are very important scapular stabilization muscles and perform the following functions.
- Drawing scapula superomedially
- Supporting scapula
- Rotating glenoid cavity inferiorly
Posterior Deltoids:
The posterior deltoids are one of three shoulder muscles known as the deltoids. The posterior delts sit on the posterior side of the shoulders and play a major role in drawing the shoulder back.
Erector Spinae:
The erector spinae is a large set of muscles that sit on either side of the spine. While most people think of the erector spinae as just the “lower back,” this muscle actually runs down the entirety of the spine.
There are actually three different parts of the erector spinae that start together at the base of the spine but then branch out as they travel up, almost like 6 big roots (3 per side) branching out to aid in the stabilization of the spine. These 3 muscle groups are the:
- Iliocostalis
- Longissimus
- Spinalis
The primary function of these muscles is flexion, extension, and stabilization of the spine.
Function Of The Back Muscles
As seen, the back is full of quite a few different muscles that are basically responsible for all pulling movements. That being said, there are a few movement patterns you want to include in your training to hit every muscle appropriately, as well as train the back the way it’s supposed to work.
- Vertical Pulling: Vertical pulling is when you’re pulling an object from above you down towards your body. The most obvious example would be the chin-up/pull-up. There’s also the lat pull-down and all of its variations with different grips.
- Horizontal Pulling: Horizontal pulling is seen when you’re pulling an object in front of your body towards your stomach. The most common example is the bent over row. The good thing about horizontal pulling movements is there are a lot more exercises to choose from when training this movement.
- Horizontal Shoulder Abduction: Horizontal shoulder adduction occurs when your elbows are out in front of your body and are then pulled back while staying elevated. The best example to illustrate this movement is the reverse fly. However, this can also include movements like the face-pull. These exercises are generally done with lighter weights and higher reps.
- Forward Shoulder Extension: The forward shoulder extension looks similar to a swimmer’s freestyle stroke. It is performed when the arm is elevated and is then pulled down in front of the body while remaining extended. There aren’t a ton of exercises, with the only movement really being front pull-downs (which we call swimmers). That being said, we love this movement. If you were to ask why we love it, we’d reply by asking if you’ve seen Michael Phelps back! If you look at athletes’ physiques, swimmers ALWAYS have developed backs. Therefore, it makes sense to replicate what they do, which is a ton of forward shoulder extension.
- Extension/Flexion/Stabilization Of The Spine: Spine extension/flexion consists of curling your back and extending it as well as stabilization in an isometric fashion. This is vital in any back training program to ensure your back musculature is strong enough to prevent injury and improve performance.
- Shrugs: Shrugs are an extremely simple movement and really consist of elevating the shoulders as well as scapular retraction and depression. These are awesome to improve the strength of your scapular muscles to provide a stable base for other movements. That being said, traps can also greatly increase that “yoked” look.
Benefits Of Training Back Exercises
Training the back properly will bring a ton of awesome benefits. Here are the top reasons to follow one of our back workout programs.
1. Build A Massive Upper Body:
One of the worst mistakes you can make when training is to put all the emphasis on the chest while ignoring the back. This will be a disservice for multiple reasons.
- The pectorals are much smaller than the back muscles, especially when you combine ALL the back muscles. Therefore, even if your chest does grow, it won’t result in the same increase in the size of training the back.
- The pectorals only really grow outward in front of the body as your back muscles can grow out backward, adding depth as well as out to the side to add width. This specifically occurs by growing the lats but even training the traps will cause them to protrude from behind your neck. In other words, a bigger back creates mass in all directions.
Quite simply, you CAN NOT look big if you don’t give your back enough attention. As we said, we believe you should actually give your back more attention when compared to your chest.
2. Decrease Injuries:
When comparing the anterior muscles to posterior muscles, weak posterior muscles are responsible for a much higher percentage of injuries and ailments in people. A list of these can include:
- Neck pain (generally from weak trap muscles or poor posture)
- Poor posture (mentioned above but is generally caused by weak scapular muscles)
- Lower back pain (generally caused by weak core muscles, including the erector spinae)
It's why strengthening these muscles, like in lower back workouts, is so important. Heck, even shoulder pain and elbow pain can be caused by weak scapular muscles.
For example, a major cause of tennis elbow is weak traps as they aren’t able to provide a stable scapula for the shoulder to function from. As a result, the elbow must compensate and receive too much stress.
3. It’s Easy To Train All The Muscles:
Training the back is relatively easy. Basically, any pulling movement is going to hit the back muscles. Even though there are some smaller back muscles like the rhomboids, there aren’t any rhomboid-specific exercises as anything that causes scapular retraction will train them.
That being said, even though there are a bunch of muscles in the back, it’s not really too hard to train them. You just need to be sure to hit the main movement patterns listed above and be done with it.
Related: How many back exercises & sets per week
All The Back Workout Plans You Need
You now have 5 awesome back workout plans for any situation. As you work through one plan, feel free to look through the others to give you ideas on how you can alter your current plan to add variability as time goes on.
At the end of the day, variability and continuing to implement progressive overload is the key to long-term success. Swapping exercises and rep schemes is the best way to keep moving forward.
As a bonus, any of these plans are guaranteed to kickstart your growth and add mass and strength to your back.
And if you're looking for even more back-building inspiration, check out our Ultimate Back Day Workout Routine!
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
References:
- Martín-Fuentes, Isabel, et al. “Electromyographic Activity in Deadlift Exercise and Its Variants. A Systematic Review.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 2, 27 Feb. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7046193/#pone.0229507.ref036, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229507.
- Camara, Kevin D., et al. “An Examination of Muscle Activation and Power Characteristics While Performing the Deadlift Exercise with Straight and Hexagonal Barbells.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 30, no. 5, May 2016, pp. 1183–1188, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001352. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.
- Hewit, Jennifer K . “A Comparison of Muscle Activation during the Pull-up and Three Alternative Pulling Exercises.” Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports, vol. 5, no. 4, 2 Nov. 2018, juniperpublishers.com/jpfmts/pdf/JPFMTS.MS.ID.555669.pdf, https://doi.org/10.19080/jpfmts.2018.05.555669.
- Lehman, Gregory J, et al. “Variations in Muscle Activation Levels during Traditional Latissimus Dorsi Weight Training Exercises: An Experimental Study.” Dynamic Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, 2004, p. 4, https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-5918-3-4.
- Fenwick, Chad M J, et al. “Comparison of Different Rowing Exercises: Trunk Muscle Activation and Lumbar Spine Motion, Load, and Stiffness.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 23, no. 2, Mar. 2009, pp. 350–358, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181942019.
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Muscle Activation during Low- versus High-Load Resistance Training in Well-Trained Men.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 114, no. 12, 12 Aug. 2014, pp. 2491–2497, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2976-9.
Garett Reid
Author