When it comes to developing the upper body, the back needs to be paid significant attention. If you’re looking to get bigger, the back will provide greater width to your physique. In this article we will look at seven movements that focus on all aspects of the back. Implement these exercises into your next gym back workout.
Gym Back Workout – Back Training
For maximizing muscle growth in the back, a variety of exercises need to be used and as previously mentioned. Having access to a gym gives us the opportunity to utilize a range of equipment to achieve our goals. This article contains a well-rounded list of exercises for all parts of the back. Your gym may not have all the required equipment below, but there will be other exercises that target the same areas of the back using equipment that is available to you in your gym. The list of equipment used is below:
- Pullup bar
- Cable pulley machine
- Cable low row machine
- Lat pulldown machine
- High row machine
- Bench and dumbbells
Anatomy of the Back Muscles
Before we begin with the exercises, we first need to understand the anatomy of the back. It is important to have the knowledge of the key muscles of the back and what their function is to understand how to train them effectively. Preparing ourselves with the knowledge of how the different muscles in the back work gives us an advantage when training. Ensure you have a read of the below:
- Rhomboids – the rhomboids are two muscles located in the inner portion of the upper back. The two muscles are called rhomboid major and rhomboid minor. The primary function of the rhomboids is to the retract the scapula. They also play a key role in stabilizing the scapula into position and reinforcing the shoulder
- Erector Spinae Muscles – the erector spinae muscles are nine muscles divided into three different groups: iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis. The muscles are important as they are used to extend and laterally flex the spine. They keep the spine erect and upright, important for many exercises when working the back muscles
- Trapezius – the trapezius muscle is a large, almost diamond shape muscle which runs from the neck all the way down to the mid-lower back and also reaches out to the shoulders too. The trapezius is split up in three parts, the upper traps, middle traps and lower traps. The upper traps run from the neck to the top of the shoulder. The middle traps run along the top of the back, in line with the rear delts. The lower traps run from inline with the arm pit down towards the middle of the spine
- Latissimus Dorsi – or more commonly referred to as the ‘lats’ is the widest muscle in the human body. It connects from the shoulders, and it covers all the back from the bottom of the shoulder blades down to the tail bone. When well developed, it will give the ‘wings’ look to somebody as it widens the back significantly.
How to shift the focus to different parts of the back by changing form:
When training the back, it is crucial to pay attention to which part of the back is doing most of the work to ensure every muscle gets a fair workout and to avoid muscle imbalances. The easiest way to change the emphasis on different muscles is by altering the arm position.
When the arm is flared out at a 90-degree angle, the focus will be put mainly on the upper back such as the upper traps and the rear delts. When at a 45-degree angle, the emphasis will be on the upper-mid back with the mid traps and rhomboids doing most of the work. And finally, when the arms are tucked close to the body, the emphasis will be on the lats.
However, just because the arm is at a certain angle, it doesn’t mean the other parts of the back are not getting any engagement. All muscles will be working during the movements, but just not to a greater extent as others. It’s important to build the mind-to-muscle connection so you can feel the muscle you’re aiming to target during the exercises. This will help you a lot when the weights get heavier so you know that the muscle is still being worked effectively.
The Exercises
The six exercises below makeup the full back workout in this article. All of the muscles in the back will be targeted in this workout. Due to the nature of back exercises requiring a lot of ‘pulling’ motion, the biceps will be engaged as well. It’s important to note, however, that these exercises can be used in other workout types. For example, you could include these movements in a full upper body workout, or a pull workout. At the bottom of the list of workouts, there will be examples of how you can fit these exercises effectively into other workouts.
The Pullup – Whole Back
The pullup is the ultimate back exercise. When done correctly, it will engage essentially all of the back muscles. It will primarily engage the lats as the main job of this muscle is to pull the arms down and toward the body, especially from a vertical angle above the head. Along with the lats, the trapezius muscle will also do a lot of the work. The main job of the trapezius muscle is to assist with vertical pulls like the pullup. The rear deltoid will also be engaged during this movement.
Really focus on engaging the back muscles with this movement. It’s very easy to forget this and just pull with your arms. If you’re newer to the gym/this movement, try using assistance from an assisted pullup machine or by using resistance bands. You can progress this exercise by adding sets and reps but also by adding weight. Ensure you’re able to perform the exercise with great form before making it any harder, however.
To perform:
- Grab a pullup bar with both hands, they should be just over shoulder width apart on the bar
- Try and retract the scapula when hanging by bringing the shoulder blades back and down, this will help with the engagement of the back muscles when pulling
- Pull yourself up and think about driving the elbows down and behind you, hold the peak contraction at top for a second before lowering down to complete a repetition.
Barbell Row – Upper Back
The barbell row is one of the most well-known back exercises. It’s a very popular exercise for building strength and muscular size in the upper back. It can be altered to engage the lats more by using an underhand (supinated) grip but we will use the overhand (pronated) grip to focus the on the upper back.
One of the key benefits to this exercise is that, when performed with correct form, it requires full body activation in under to have constant balance and stabilization. This will lead to improved posture over time due to the engagement of often underdeveloped and neglected muscles.
It can be a difficult exercise for some people, however. A weak core and other stabilizer muscles can make the movement hard and also increases the risk of injury. Also, it can be a tough exercise for those who suffer from lower back pain or people who are limited by pre-existing mobility issues.
To perform:
- Load a barbell and place it on the floor or on a rack that’s low enough for you to lift off
- Grab the barbell with a pronated grip and stand up straight before leaning forward slowly, engaging the core and keeping your back straight, avoid arching forward and overarching back
- Row the weight up towards your chest, think about driving your shoulder blades back and hold the peak contraction for a second
- Lower the weight back down to complete a repetition.
Single Arm Lat Pulldown – Lats
This is the first movement that directly targets the Latissimus Dorsi muscle. The single arm lat pulldown is done using the lat pulldown machine but with a single handle attached to the pulley. The lat pulldown in general is often used very effectively to build the wing-like muscles in the back but performing the movement unilaterally (one-arm at a time) can allow us to focus on each lat individually. It can also allow us to manipulate our bodies to gain a greater contraction at the peak of the exercise.
To target the lats specifically, think about bringing your arm down and driving the elbows back behind your body. With the single arm handle, you can change your grip throughout the movement. Focus on not using your bicep in the movement, it can be better to use a lighter weight to begin with to build the mind-muscle connection.
To perform:
- Secure yourself properly to the lat pulldown machine by altering the leg holders to the right gap
- Grab the handle with one hand and pull the weight down, focusing on using the back and as you pull, twist your palm towards you to engage the lats further
- While pulling down, you can lean into the side you’re working to again further focus on the lats and squeeze at the peak contraction before releasing the resistance back up to complete a repetition.
Chest Supported Dumbbell Row – Upper Back
The chest supported dumbbell row can be used to target all the muscles in the back, but this version will focus on the upper back. Despite both arms working at the same time, due to dumbbells being used, it allows each side of the back to work on its own, avoiding muscle imbalances.
The chest supported dumbbell row is best utilized when you have a bench/other supporting object. You can complete a dumbbell row without a bench but using a bench eliminates the risk of injury which is there when performing the bent over row.
To perform:
- Lay face down on a bench set at a 30–45-degree angle with a dumbbell of desired weight in each arm
- To focus on your upper back, have your arms at a ~60-degree angle and row the weight up towards your chest, emphasizing the use of the back over the arms
- Bring the weight back down to complete a rep.
Low Lat Row – Lats
So far, the lats have been hit through two vertical pulling movements. Now we will target them from a different angle, horizontally, to develop the muscle further. To do this, the horizontal cable pulley machine will be used.
Hitting muscles from alternative angles will mean that if there are muscle fibers running in different directions, they will also have chance to do the major work, building their strength and size. Although the main job the lats is to pull the arms down from above the head, they are also engaged when pulling horizontally with the arm/elbow tucked in close to the body. This will target the lower lats to a great degree.
As mentioned above, the lats will be directly engaged through keeping the arm tucked in close to the torso when performing the rowing movement. For this reason, use an attachment on the machine that’s narrow, avoid wide handled attachments. It can also be best to use an attachment that has the palms facing slightly upwards as this angle can engage the lats even further.
To perform:
- With a narrow grip attachment, grab it with both hands and set yourself for the movement
- Lean slightly forward, this will isolate the lats over the other back muscles and think about rowing with the lats
- The handle should be rowed towards your sternum, just below your lower chest
- Hold the contraction at the peak before releasing the resistance to complete a repetition.
High Row – Upper Back
The high row will also utilize the horizontal cable pulley machine. This time, however, a wider grip attachment will be used so it targets them upper back muscles more effectively. This movement is similar to the barbell row and will be hitting the same muscles but due to it being on a cable pulley machine, this limits the use of momentum as the tension is constant. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at peak contraction during the concentric portion of the movement.
To perform:
- Using a wide grip handle, grab it with both hands and set yourself for the movement
- Row the handle towards your middle chest and lean slightly backwards as you row
- Squeeze the contraction at the peak and release the resistance the complete a repetition.
Face Pull – Rear delts/rotator cuff muscles
The face pull targets often neglected muscles. The rear delts are muscles that are in the shoulder muscle group, but are often utilized during pulling movement in a back workout. The rotator cuff muscles are stabilization muscles found in the shoulder joint and if not developed correctly, can cause issues with injury in the future. It’s important to not overlook muscles like these.
The face pull is performed using a cable pulley machine with a rope attachment. It involves the motion of rowing the cable towards your face while also pivoting at your elbows to bring your forearm up to a vertical position. This rotation is where the rotator cuff muscles come into play. Developing these muscles will also give you strength on other lifts, like push exercises such as the bench press.
To perform:
- Set the cable pulley so it’s at head level or just under
- Hold a rope attachment with both hands and pull the resistance towards your face and rotate at your elbows until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor
- Slowly release the resistance back to the pulley machine to complete a repetition.
Hints and Tips
- When going through the exercises, alternate between each muscle of the muscle group to allow for rest in between each movement. For example, go between the upper back and lats and then move to the smaller muscles like rear delts and rotator cuffs at the end of the workout.
- For the bigger lifts, like the pullup and barbell row, allow for a larger rest period between sets. Don’t worry if you need a rest period of 3 minutes or more, it’s important you are well rested before performing the next set. It can be dangerous if you are too fatigued when handling heavy weights
- If you are newer to working out, ensure you focus on the form of the exercises before going heavier in the weight. Getting the form on the movements right will serve you a lot better in the long run than increasing the weight too quickly
- Also, if you are newer to working out, don’t feel as though you have to complete all seven exercises in this article. Start off with one for each muscle of the back and progress from there. Your muscles are unlikely to be conditioned for such stress placed on them and you will be best working up the volume of your workouts over time.
Conclusion
This wraps up our full back workout utilizing gym equipment. Hopefully you have learnt some new exercises and will use these as a whole for a back workout or at least incorporate some into your gym sessions.