Written by Tom MacCormick | BSc Sports Sci. & Coaching | MSc Str. & Cond.
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
There is a reason for the saying “shows are won from the back” in bodybuilding circles. A wide, thick, V-tapered back is the true sign of not only a dedicated lifter, but a seriously strong lifter. Building one takes time, effort and the right exercises.
By far, the best way to build a big back is using the classic barbell. Barbell back exercises allow a ton of variety, but more importantly, they allow you to move some serious weight.
In this article, we will show you how to do 7 of the best barbell exercises so you can develop a broad, thick, V-tapered back.
Table of Contents:
- 7 Best Barbell Back Exercises
- Benefits of Doing Barbell Back Exercises
- Back Muscle Anatomy
- Back Workouts With Barbell: Key Training Variables
- Sample Back Barbell Workout
- FAQs
Back Muscle Anatomy & Functions
The “back” is actually a network of inter-connected muscles. To fully develop your back, it’s important to understand the muscles function and work with one another – this will show you how to best train them.
Here’s a quick overview of the anatomy and functions of the muscles of the back to understand the movements better and help design a back training program.
Erector Spinae:
Usually referred to as the “lower back”, the erector spinae muscles appear as two groups of “fingers” that run parallel up the. Except for the lower part, you can’t see them as they sit below the traps and lats.
These 6 fingers (3 on each side), start at the base of your spine and then branch out, reaching all the way to the base of your skull. By wrapping around the back, they provide rigidity to the spine and torso.
These are primarily responsible for back extension as well as spine stability.
Latissimus Dorsi:
The lats are the body's widest muscle as well as the largest muscle in the upper body. In other words, they’re huge and extremely strong.
The lats span from your spine, about mid-to-lower back, all the way up to your scapula (shoulder blade). Developed lats will actually protrude outwards from your back, enabling them to be viewed from the front – this is why big lats are called “wings”.
Their primary functions are shoulder extension, medial rotation, and adduction of the upper arm. Shortening the lat brings the upper arm to your side, meaning pull-ups, pull-downs, and rows really target the lats.
Trapezius:
The trapezius is a broad, flat muscle shaped like a trapezoid – think of a diamond shaped muscle located on the upper to middle portion of your back.
Many people know of the traps simply as the mounds that sit on the upper backs of developed bodies. However, the traps as a whole are actually quite big. In fact, there are 3 regions:
- Upper: Improves pulling power and shoulder stability.
- Middle: Strengthens the mid-back for better posture and form.
- Lower: Supports lower back strength and overall stability.
Collectively, these are the body's primary muscle to control scapular movement, this includes stabilization and retraction.
Rhomboids:
Your last major back muscle is the Rhomboids. Technically there are two sets:
- Major
- Minor
These muscles are relatively small and sit underneath the traps. They’re a simple muscle that has one job: retract the scapula. This means they work hand-in-hand with your traps.
BENEFITS OF DOING BARBELL BACK EXERCISES
Using barbell exercises is the best form of training to quickly add mass and strength to your entire back musculature. Here are some of the best benefits of using plenty of barbell back exercises for a barnyard back.
1) More bang for your buck
The vast majority of barbell movements are going to be compound movements; this means they will train multiple muscles at the same time. Using compound movements will provide multiple benefits including;
- More muscles are trained at once meaning you don’t need as many exercises
- You can lift more weight (see below)
- Are more functional and use natural movement patterns
- Cause greater increase in strength
While there’s no strict law, we suggest most lifters use a plan that’s composed of ⅔ to ¼ compound movements.
2) Lift larger loads for greater progress
In general, compared to dumbbells, a person can lift a significantly larger amount of weight. This is because barbells are a single implement that both arms can manipulate to move a load. As a result, you can use heavier loads and lift more volume resulting in greater muscle growth.
What’s really interesting is that using heavier loads has a much greater effect on building strength.¹ In this context, “heavy is relative”, not absolute. However, it can be awkward using dumbbells and other equipment to use loads of 85% and heavier.
3) Builds a solid foundation
There’s a reason why your primary lifts are big, barbell compound lifts:
Barbell training lays the foundation of any strong, athletic body.
The majority of the exercises you perform during your lifting career will come secondary to barbell movements. For example, tricep extensions will never build optimal triceps with powerful bench presses. Reverse cable flies will never build traps in the same manner as rack pulls.
Now, this does not mean that non-barbell exercises are bad. In fact, there’s plenty of nuance and exceptions in the above statement. However, building a foundation with a barbell will play dividends in the long run.
7 BEST BARBELL BACK EXERCISES
Let's get into the star of the show - the 7 best back exercises with barbells! Just stay tuned afterward, as we'll discuss the back anatomy, the benefits of barbell back exercises, and a few great back workouts.
The following barbell exercises for back are in no particular order. Although, we are kicking this off with the king of back exercises.
1. Conventional Deadlifts:
Deadlifts work the whole posterior chain from hamstrings to traps. They predominantly train the back isometrically, placing huge strain on the erectors, lats and upper back to maintain proper form while the lower body provides the movement.
This one of the best bang-for-your-buck exercises and is the foundation of many great physiques.
A few key notes: It's easy to get carried away, rushing negatives, and bouncing weights. This might feed your ego but just increases injury risk and hinders gains by ramping up fatigue and unneeded loading.
Deadlifts are a wonderful exercise, but they are very fatiguing - especially as you start getting stronger. If you’re taking an hour to warm up and they leave you too drained for anything else, you might need to reconsider if they’re worth it. Their cross-over with lower body training is also something worth remembering.
Here are some set-up and technique points to get the most from them:
- Place your feet around shoulder width and the bar over your midfoot.
- Put your hands on the bar outside your knees and push your shins to the bar.
- Neutral spine and neck. I think “chest up ribs down.”
- Take the slack out of the bar.
- Maintain this position and pick up the bar.
- Slowly lower the bar back down.
2. Rack Pull
Many people will look at a rack pull and judge it incorrectly. They will usually call it a fake deadlift or an ego lift because you can pull a lot of weight. We call it a must for anyone wanting to build a huge back.
Instead of looking at the rack pull as a deadlift variation, simply look at it as, well, a rack pull. The truth is it should be viewed as a standalone back exercise whereas the deadlift is total body exercise.
A rack pull is performed by pulling a barbell from an elevated rack position. Technically, this can be any height but to focus on the training the back pulls from about knee level or slightly above. This will allow heavier loads while placing greater stress on the back muscles.
We believe this is one of the best barbell back exercises to build up your traps and middle back, based on two studies.
- Research shows that during a deadlift, the traps take over and see more activation once the barbell passes the knees.²
- Research also shows that trap activation increases with heavier loads. As rack pulls allow heavier loads, you’ll build some massive traps.³
Therefore, when we perform these, we stick to heavier loads of 85% or greater (1-5 reps).
Here are some set-up and technique points to get the most from them:
- Set up a rack so that a barbell will sit at knee level.
- From here, the set-up is the same as a deadlift.
- Place your feet around shoulder width and the bar over your midfoot.
- Put your hands on the bar outside your knees and push your shins to the bar.
- Neutral spine and neck.
- Take the slack out of the bar by pulling up on the bar slightly.
- Be sure to engage your lats.
- Drive your feet into the ground as you pry the barbell up.
- Slowly lower the bar back down.
3. Barbell Bent Over Rows
To target the mid and upper back with barbell rows, the key is focusing on scapula movement. This barbell back exercise allows for full protraction and retraction of the shoulder, really focusing on scapula depression and mid-back growth.
The considerations for this exercise are identical to the narrow grip barbell row. Large compounds challenge the whole back, so adding sets increases the strain on other muscles, impacting their training and how much volume they can handle.
Ladies looking to grow their backs will also find the barbell bent over rows included in women's back workouts due to its muscle-sculpting abilities.
How to do Standard Grip Barbell Bent Over Rows:
- Grip the bar just outside shoulder width, maintaining neutral spine and upper body parallel to the floor.
- Start with the shoulder protracted and the scapula wide on the ribcage.
- Row the bar into the bottom of the ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades and keep elbows at 45 degrees.
- Slowly lower the weight back down, letting your shoulder blades move wide on your ribcage again.
With that said, there are other versions of this barbell movement. If you’re interested in more information on the different grips used in barbell rows? Head to our article that covers the Different Barbell Row Grips!
4. Pendlay Rows
Pendlay rows are like a cousin of the barbell bent over row. It’s almost the same exercise except that the barbell starts on the ground.
Created by USA Weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay, this row variation is designed to strengthen the back and enhance muscular development for pulling movements like snatches, cleans, and deadlifts.
It does this by having the weight start from a dead-stop on the ground. This negates the stretch-shortening cycle making the lifter depend on pure power and strength to get it off the ground.
You can perform these into manners;
- Heavier loads with a slow lift
- Lighter loads with an explosive lift.
How to do the Barbell Pendlay Row:
- Set up the loaded barbell on the floor
- Stand with your feet about hip width apart.
- Reach down to grab the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
- Straighten your back and lower hips as you would for a deadlift.
- Your back should be close to parallel.
- Brace your core and explosively pull the barbell to the base of your chest.
- Make sure to maintain a solid position with your core.
5. Power Rows
Power rows are another variation of the barbell row that uses momentum to move big weights in a controlled fashion. Think of it as a combination of a deadlift and bent over row.
It starts with the first half of a deadlift which should be strong and powerful. The momentum from this part should then be transferred into a powerful back row. Essentially, this is a pure strength and power movement.
When we perform these, we keep reps low, below 5. However, these may be using heavy or light loads. When using heavy loads, you use the momentum of the first half to overload the row. This means this should be heavier than what you can usually do during a row. If you use a lighter load, the movements should be as fast and powerful as possible.
How to do A Power Row:
- Set up a barbell and set-up in the same manner as you would a deadlift with the weight on the ground.
- Grab the barbell with an overhand grip that’s slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Be sure the barbell starts close to your shin.
- Pull the slack out of the bar and pull your shoulders back.
- Drive your feet into the ground and pull the barbell off the ground.
- Your back should maintain the same angle.
- Once the barbell reaches your knee, stop elevating and finish with a row to your belly
6. Snatch Grip High Pull
The barbell snatch-grip high pull is an exercise we don’t see often but is one of the best exercises to build that “jacked” look. It’s a derivative of Olympic lifts so you know it will build an insane upper back. However, it lacks the complexity making it much more accessible.
Specifically, the barbell snatch grip high pull is particularly effective for building impressive traps. At the same time, it will develop your entire mid-back, rhomboids, and rear delts. You’ll also get great activation in your entire posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
With that said, this is still a more complex exercise than something like a barbell bent over row. It should only be used by those with a good base of muscle and strength. Further, the movement does require powerful hip extension and the basic components of an Olympic lift. Be sure to start with low weight and allow yourself to progress.
How to do A Snatch-Grip High Pull:
- Load a barbell and place it on the ground.
- Grip the bar with a wide snatch grip, about 1.5-2.0 normal width depending on your body.
- Sit your hips back with your chest up.
- Spread your body weight through your entire foot.
- Brace your core and pull the slack out of the bar.
- Drive your feet into the ground to pull the bar upward.
- Keep the barbell close to your body.
- Once the bar hits your hips, perform powerful hip extension.
- Keeping your elbows higher than the bar, pointed back at a 45-degree angle, powerfully shrug your shoulders and pull the bar to nipple level.
- Let the bar drop quickly back to the starting position. Ideally you can use bumper plates and use a controlled drop
Note: You can also perform this from the hang position.
7. Zercher Carry
To round off our top 7 barbell exercises to build your back, we’re going to use another rarely seen exercise. This just means you’ll have the biggest back in your gym if you start training these.
A Zercher carry is extremely easy to perform, at least biomechanically. It consists of you holding a loaded barbell in the crease of your elbows in front of your body. As you cradle the barbell, you simply walk while keeping an erect posture with your shoulders pulled back. Sounds easy but is brutal on your core and upper back.
The best set-up can be a bit tricky. In a perfect world, you would have two sets of boxes you could set-up. Place a loaded barbell on one then pick it up and carry it to the other set. Another option is to simply take from a rack. Your last option, and hardest, is to pick the barbell from the ground and get it in position.
How to do A Zercher Carry:
- Set-up a loaded barbell depending on your situation.
- Place the barbell in the crease of your elbows.
- If this is uncomfortable, you can use a towel or even a squat pad for cushion.
- Cradle the barbell by pulling it into your chest.
- Keep your hands high. Some people will actually cup their hands.
- Keeping your torso erect and shoulders pulled back, walk slowly and controlled.
Note: If this does not work for you, you have two other options. The first is to just hold the barbell with an overhand grip and let it hang in front of your body. This tends to work better with a wider grip. Your second option would be to use a front rack position.
IMPORTANT TRAINING VARIABLES FOR A BARBELL BACK WORKOUT
There are some important training variables that you must follow when it comes to back training. Here are 5 things you need to pay attention to and employ into your workouts over time.
1. Technique:
With any type of training, using proper technique and form is vital. This is true for everybody but especially true for beginners for a few reasons;
- Learning poor movement patterns are hard to unlearn
- Beginners don’t have the muscular strength to accommodate bad form. For example, a beginner can hurt their back on deadlifts easier as they don’t have a strong back.
- You’ll get better results
Therefore, all new lifters need to take the time and learn the movements properly. Use a lighter load and hire a trainer if needed. This may be frustrating as you might want to go and use big weight. Trust us, learning prosper technique will definitely pay off.
2. Use A Variation Of Back Exercises To Target All The Muscles
As we saw, your back has a lot of muscles with different functions. This is why it’s crucial to use a variation of exercises to fully train each muscle specifically.
At the minimum, you should use a vertical pulling and horizontal pulling exercise. For example;
- Vertical Pulling: Chin-Up, Lat Pulldown
- Horizontal Pulling: Barbell Row, Barbell Power Row
3. Volume
Volume refers to the total amount of demand you place on a muscle weekly. The best way to think of this is by total “working sets”
In general, 12-20 sets per muscle per week is ideal for strength and muscle growth. What makes this especially difficult for the back is there’s so much overlap between exercises. This can make it challenging to accurately calculate.
However, in our experience, most people can handle more volume in the back so this shouldn’t be an issue, assuming you’re not using 30-40 weekly sets.
Just be sure to use plenty of variation. For example, don’t do 20 sets of barbell rows. Mix it up.
4. Frequency
The general rule for training frequency is to hit a muscle twice a week. This seems to optimize the train-recovery cycle as muscles take 48-72 hours to recover. However, some people can handle more.
Let’s say you’re going to train the back twice a week. Assuming you plan to use 20 weekly sets, this would mean you can use 10 working sets during each session.
5. Rep ranges and intensity
This refers to the load and rep range that you use. A basic breakdown looks like this:
- Strength: 1-5 reps and 85%1RM or greater
- Muscle Growth: 8-12 reps and 70-80%1RM
- Muscle Endurance: 15 reps+ and less than 70% 1RM
Now, the above is a spectrum and definitely not absolute. There’s plenty of crossover with the training variables.2 Regardless, you should ideally use the entire spectrum to optimize your back training.
When using barbell movements, we like to stay on the heavier side for the majority of training. That would be anywhere from 1-8 reps using loads of 80%-Max Effort (but use max efforts sparingly).
SAMPLE BARBELL BACK WORKOUTS
This workout includes a relatively low volume for the start of a mesocycle in someone new to training. Volume could be added to this back workout with bar by increasing sets on one or multiple exercises over a mesocycle. Lower back volume is lower than the other regions due to usage during bent-row variations.
Barbell Only Back Workout
Ideal for beginners, those pushed for time or facilities, or those who want to focus on barbell training. Perform each session (two sessions total) twice weekly.
|
Session 1: Lat Focus |
Session 2: Mid/Upper focus |
|
Deadlift (3 sets x 6-8 reps) |
BB Row (3 sets x 8-12 reps) |
|
Narrow BB Row (3 sets x 8-12 reps) |
Single Arm Meadows Row (2 sets x 12-15 reps each side) |
|
Pull Overs (2 sets x 12-15 reps) |
Single Arm Landmine BB Row (3 sets x 8-12 reps each side) |
|
Wide BB Row (3 sets x 12-15 reps) |
Hyperextensions (3 sets x 12-15 reps) |
Multi-Equipment Back Workout:
Now, if you are looking to incorporate barbell exercises into a multi-equipment back workout, below is a good workout routine...
This is ideal for more seasoned lifters looking to incorporate barbells into their regular routine.
|
Session 1: Lat Focus |
Session 2: Mid/Upper focus |
|
Deadlift (3 sets x 5 reps) |
Power Row (5 sets x 5 reps) |
|
Pull Ups (3 x 8-12 reps) |
Incline Dumbbell Row (2 sets x 12-15 reps) |
|
Bent Over BB Row (3 set x 8-12 reps) |
Lat Pull Down (3 sets x 8-12 reps) |
|
Upper Back Cable Row (3sets x 12-15 reps) |
Hyperextensions (3 sets x 12-15 reps) |
FAQs ABOUT BARBELL TRAINING & BACK WORKOUTS
Remaining questions about barbell back exercises? Let's answer them here.
What are some drawbacks of barbell training?
None inherently. However, it can be intimidating to some trainees, especially new lifters. In addition, the movements are more complex when compared to machines so take more time to learn.
Should you use only a barbell?
Nope. While you definitely can, if you have options, you should incorporate other training implements to optimize your back training. This includes equipment such as dumbbells and the cable pulley machine.
In our opinion, a good back day workout will include a mix of equipment for the best hypertrophy results.
How Much Does A Barbell Weight?
Men’s Olympic barbell weighs 45lbs (20kg).
Women’s Olympic barbell weighs 35lbs (15kg).
Back Exercises With Barbell: Key Takeaways
Barbell exercises are a great way to build the foundation of a physique and can be utilized by anyone, from beginners to advanced bodybuilders. Back exercises using a barbell force you to learn the correct technique, while hitting multiple muscles at once through a variety of ranges.
However, as you become more advanced their compound and unforgiving nature can be a downside. The stronger you get and the more volume you require to progress, relying solely on barbells can result in excessive global fatigue. Be smart. Don’t feel restricted to only using barbell exercises.
Get the benefits barbell exercises offer and supplement them when needed with other back exercises. Barbells can easily be incorporated into any training program and can be particularly effective alongside dumbbells, machines, and cables to build the biggest, strongest back you possibly can.
Ready to find the perfect back program for you? Check out these 5 Best Back Workouts for Building Muscle & Strength! Interested in adding a barbell to your home gym so you can do back exercises anytime, anywhere? Here are the 15 Best Barbells For Home Gyms.
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
- Lopez, Pedro, et al. “Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. Publish Ahead of Print, no. 6, 26 Dec. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000002585.
- ESCAMILLA, RAFAEL F., et al. “An Electromyographic Analysis of Sumo and Conventional Style Deadlifts.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 34, no. 4, Apr. 2002, pp. 682–688, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11932579/, https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200204000-00019.
- Uknowledge, Uknowledge, et al. COMPARISON of MUSCLE ACTIVATION and KINEMATICS COMPARISON of MUSCLE ACTIVATION and KINEMATICS during the DEADLIFT USING a DOUBLE-PRONATED and during the DEADLIFT USING a DOUBLE PRONATED and OVERHAND/UNDERHAND GRIP OVERHAND/UNDERHAND GRIP.
Tom MacCormick
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