The 6 Best Back Exercises for Building Strength and Size

A strong, well-developed back is one of the biggest competitive advantages you can build in the gym. Whether your goal is to increase your weight on heavy compound lifts or simply look wider and more defined, back training has one of the highest returns on effort.

Building a strong back isn’t as simple as doing a few rows and some pullups. The back is a large and complex muscle group made up of multiple layers, each responding differently to angles, grips, and pulling patterns. The best lifters train every major region through a mix of vertical pulls, horizontal pulls, and different grip variations.

In this guide, we’ll break down the most effective back exercises for building real strength and size. You’ll learn how to maximize your lat pulldowns, row variations, pull-ups, and trap work. We'll also cover why certain angles and setups can dramatically increase your results.

Table of Contents

• Anatomy of the Back

• How to Choose the Right Back Exercises

• The 6 Best Back Exercises for Strength & Muscle Growth

• How to Build a Balanced Back Workout

• Common Back Training Mistakes

Anatomy of the Back (Quick Overview)

To train your back effectively, you need a basic understanding of the major muscles and what they do. Strength comes from targeting each region with purpose, not just repeating the same one movement over and over.

Lats (Latissimus Dorsi)

• The largest back muscle.

• Responsible for shoulder adduction, extension, and internal rotation.

• Creates the coveted “V-taper.”

• Best hit with vertical pulls (pulldowns, pullups).

Upper Back (Rhomboids, Rear Delts, Mid Traps)

• Responsible for scapular retraction and stability.

• Key for posture, bench press stability, and the “thick” upper-back look.

• Best hit with horizontal rowing patterns, especially wide-grip or elbows-out rows.

Lower Traps

• Essential for overhead stability and proper scapular positioning.

• Often undertrained.

• Hit with chest-supported rows, prone rows, and high-angle pulls.

Spinal Erectors

• The long muscles running down your spine.

• Help maintain posture and brace during big lifts.

• In this program, they’re supported (not overloaded) thanks to chest-supported variations.

Train all these regions consistently, and your strength and aesthetics will increase quickly.

How to Choose the Right Back Exercises

Before picking up a bar or dumbbell, it’s important to understand why certain back exercises outperform others. Not all movements are created equal, and some variations dramatically increase muscle engagement, reduce cheating, and will help you make progress faster.

Balance Vertical Pulls & Horizontal Pulls

A strong back needs both:

• Vertical pulls (pullups, pulldowns): Build lat width and overhead strength.

• Horizontal pulls (rows): Build back thickness and scapular stability.

Most people overdo one and neglect the other. You need both for maximum strength.

Use Chest-Supported Movements to Eliminate Momentum

A big mistake people make with back training is using too much body movement. When your torso moves, your back works less.

Chest-supported variations like incline dumbbell rows and chest-supported machine rows force the back to do all of the work. This gives you:

• Better isolation

• More tension

• Less lower-back fatigue

• More consistent progression

Grip Matters More Than You Think

Small grip changes create huge shifts in which muscles are targeted:

• Wide grip: Upper back, teres major, rear delts

• Neutral grip: Balanced, strongest pull, typically best for hypertrophy

• Underhand grip: Lower lats, mid-back, more biceps involvement

• Close grip: Strong contraction + deeper stretch

Think Long-Term Progression

The key to building a strong back isn’t picking fancy exercises, it’s sticking to a foundation of effective movements and applying progressive overload week after week.

The 6 Best Back Exercises for Strength & Muscle Growth

These exercises weren’t chosen at random. Each one targets a specific region of your back, removes unnecessary momentum, and allows you to train the muscles with maximum tension. Together, they create a complete back-building system that builds both size and strength.

1. Lat Pulldowns

Lat pulldowns are one of the most customizable and beginner-friendly vertical pulling exercises. They allow you to build strong, wide lats without needing to perform a full pull-up. And they let more advanced lifters fine-tune specific areas of their back using grip changes.

Why Lat Pulldowns Work

• Easy to progressively overload

• Offer a stretch you can’t always achieve with pullups

• Allow strict movement without swinging

• Target different regions of the lats with simple grip adjustments

How to Perform Lat Pulldowns Correctly

1. Set your thighs firmly under the pad.

2. Lean back slightly (10–15 degrees max).

3. Pull the bar to your upper chest, not behind your neck.

4. Drive your elbows down and in; don’t pull with your hands.

5. Get a full stretch at the top every rep.

Grip Variations & What They Target

Wide Grip

• Emphasizes upper lats and teres major

• Creates more “width”

• Best for a strong stretch and full flare

Neutral Grip

• The strongest and most joint-friendly pulling position

• Balanced lat and upper back activation

• Great for both strength and hypertrophy

Underhand (Supinated) Grip

• Targets the lower lats

• Allows a deeper elbow drive

• More bicep involvement; great for pulling power

Close Grip (V-Bar or Straight Bar)

• Strongest peak contraction

• Hits both lats and mid-back efficiently

Pro tip: Don’t lean back excessively. If you’re leaning like a row, the weight is too heavy.

2. Chest Supported Machine Rows

Chest-supported machine rows are one of the most underrated back-building tools in the gym. When done correctly, they provide more consistent tension than cable rows, dumbbell rows, and many unsupported rowing variations.

Why They’re Better Than Regular Cable Rows

• Zero cheating: Chest pad removes your torso from the equation.

• No lower back fatigue: You can isolate your back without taxing your spinal erectors.

• Great for mind–muscle connection: You can actually feel the back doing the work.

• Safer progression: Stable and easy to load heavy.

How to Perform Them Correctly

1. Keep your chest glued to the pad.

2. Pull your shoulders down and back before initiating the row.

3. Drive elbows back until they pass your torso.

4. Squeeze hard at the contraction.

5. Control the stretch; don’t let the weight yank you forward.

Grip Variations

Wide Grip

• Focuses on upper back, rear delts, and mid traps

• Best for building a rounded upper back

Neutral Grip

• Strongest pulling position

• Balanced lat and upper back recruitment

Underhand Grip

• Shifts emphasis to lower lats and mid-back

• Increases ROM for deeper elbow drive

Pro tip: Add a 1–2 second pause at the contraction to increase upper-back thickness.

3. Shrugs (Dropset Method)

Shrugs directly target the upper trapezius, which plays a huge role in neck stability, posture, and upper-back aesthetics. While basic shrugs work well, traps respond even better to high-rep, fatigue-driven training, which makes dropsets a perfect fit.

Why Shrugs Work So Well

• Traps are fatigue-resistant so they respond best to high volume

• Short range of motion allows for heavy loads

• Support all major compound lifts (deadlift, bench, overhead press)

Your Dropset Protocol

This is a brutal, but extremely effective trap exercise:

1. Grab 45 lb plates (one in each hand).

2. Perform controlled shrugs to failure.

3. Immediately switch to 25 lb plates.

4. Continue to failure again.

This double-burnout creates deep metabolic stress and full trap fiber recruitment.

Coaching Cues

• Lean forward slightly to create more upper-trap tension.

• Shrug up and back, not in circles.

• Pause at the top for 1 second.

• Control the descent to avoid bouncing.

Pro tip: Think about bringing your shoulders to your ears while driving your elbows slightly backward.

4. Incline Dumbbell Rows

Incline dumbbell rows provide all the benefits of traditional bent-over rows without the lower back pressure or momentum. They’re one of the best lat-focused row variations you can do with free weights.

Why They’re Better Than Bent-Over Rows

• Chest support prevents cheating

• Eliminates lower-back fatigue

• Guarantees consistent angles and tension

How to Do Them

1. Set a bench to 30–45 degrees.

2. Lie chest-down with arms hanging straight.

3. Row dumbbells up by driving elbows toward your hips.

4. Squeeze the lats and pause briefly.

5. Lower with a slow, controlled stretch.

Benefits

• Strong lat activation while maintaining strict form

• Great for beginners and advanced lifters

• Extremely safe even under fatigue

Pro tip: Think about pulling your elbows down into your back pockets to maximize lat engagement.

5. Barbell Prone Rows

Barbell prone rows are another chest-supported row variation, but with the added advantage of heavy bilateral loading.

What Are Barbell Prone Rows?

You're lying chest-down on a high incline or flat bench, pulling a barbell from the floor or rack.

This setup forces your back to work almost perfectly in isolation.

Why They’re Excellent

• Extremely strict movement pattern

• Heavy progressive overload potential

• Great for mid traps, rhomboids, and upper lats

• Removes all torso movement

Grip Options

Overhand Grip

• More upper-back emphasis

• Hits rear delts and mid traps

• Allows for a powerful squeeze at the top

Underhand Grip

• Slightly more lower-lat involvement

• Enables a deeper pull and ROM

Pro tip: Don’t let the bar crash into the bench, rather touch it in a controlled manner.

6. Weighted Pull-Ups

Weighted pull-ups are a great exercise for developing a thicker upper-back and a strong foundation for all other pulling movements.

Why They’re a Top-Tier Strength Builder

• Very high lat recruitment

• Scalable with weight plates, dumbbells, or vests

• Builds functional strength you can feel in every other lift

How to Progress

Start wherever you are:

• Bodyweight only

• Add 5–10 lbs

• Add 25 lbs

• Eventually work toward 45 lb plates or more

Technique Tips

• Start from a full dead hang for maximum stretch.

• Pull until your chin clears the bar.

• Keep ribs down to avoid excessive arching.

• Think “drive elbows to ribs” to cue lat engagement.

Ideal Rep Ranges

• Strength: 3–6 reps with added weight

• Hypertrophy: 6–10 controlled reps

• Endurance/Technique: 10–15 bodyweight

Pro tip: Add a 2-second hang stretch at the bottom of each rep to unlock new levels of lat growth.

How to Build a Balanced Back Workout

A great back day isn’t about doing every variation you’ve ever seen on social media. It’s about balancing movement patterns so you develop width, thickness, strength, and stability without overtraining certain areas while neglecting others.

Here’s how to structure a back workout like someone who actually understands back anatomy and strength programming.

Start With a Heavy Vertical Pull or Row

Begin with one of your strongest lifts:

• Weighted Pull-Ups, or

• Barbell Prone Rows

Starting with a heavy compound movement gives you:

• Stronger contractions for the rest of the workout

• Early fatigue in the areas that need the most stimulation

Follow With a Chest-Supported Row

Next, shift to a variation that eliminates momentum:

• Chest Supported Machine Rows

• Incline Dumbbell Rows

This guarantees:

• High-quality, strict back training

• Zero cheating

• Safety when fatigue builds

Add a Vertical Pulldown Variation

Now that your horizontal pulls are hit, move back to a lat-centric exercise:

• Lat Pulldowns

Choose your grip based on the region you want to emphasize:

• Width: Wide grip

• Lower lats: Underhand or close grip

• Balanced: Neutral grip

Finish With Isolation and Burnout Work

End your session with traps or an accessory movement:

• Shrug Dropset

• High-rep incline rows

• Pulldown stretch holds

These pump blood into the muscles you've already fatigued and force them to finish strong. One or two final sets to failure are extremely effective.

Sample Back Workout (Using the Exercises in This Blog)

1. Barbell Prone Rows — 3 × 6–8

2. Chest Supported Machine Rows (neutral grip) — 3 × 8–12

3. Lat Pulldowns (underhand or close grip) — 3 × 8–12

4. Incline Dumbbell Rows — 3 × 6-8

5. Shrug Dropset — 1–2 rounds

Common Back Training Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Back training is a very commonly butchered area in the gym. People either use too much momentum and pull with their arms, or select exercises that make their lower back do more work than their actual back muscles.

Here are the mistakes holding most people back and how to correct them.

Using Too Much Momentum

One of the worst mistakes you can make is turning every back exercise into a hip hinge. Swinging your torso steals tension from the back and shifts it to the hips and lower back.

Fix: Prioritize chest-supported variations (incline rows, machine rows, prone rows). Slow down the tempo and use a weight you can control better.

Letting the Biceps Take Over

If you feel your arms more than your lats during pulls, you’re not pulling with your elbows.

Fix:

• Think “drive elbows down,” not “pull the bar with your hands.”

• Use grips that feel more natural (neutral or close grip).

Not Using Full Range of Motion

A massive stretch at the top of a pulldown or the bottom of a row is one of the biggest keys to back growth. Cutting ROM means cutting gains.

Fix:

• Let your arms fully extend.

• Allow your shoulder blades to spread before squeezing them back.

Neglecting Lower-Lat Training

Most people only train the upper lats and upper back. Lower lats give your back depth and that “V” from the waist.

Fix: Use more underhand pulldown variations.

Not Progressively Overloading

You won’t grow if the weights, reps, or effort stay the same.

Fix:

• Add 2.5–5 lbs each week (or every two weeks).

• Add 1–2 reps per set.

• Add 1 extra set when progress stalls.

Conclusion

A strong back does more than improve your physique, it makes you more powerful, stable, and capable in every major lift you perform. By choosing smart, effective exercises that target different regions of the back, you ensure balanced development and steady progress.

Remember:

• Use chest-supported variations to eliminate cheating.

• Mix vertical pulls and horizontal pulls for full development.

• Progressively overload your heaviest movements.

• End with high-rep burnouts to fully exhaust the muscle.

Commit to these principles, stay consistent, and you’ll build a strong, thick, aesthetic back that stands out from every angle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many times per week should I train back?

For most people, 2 times per week is optimal. One heavy day and one higher-volume day works extremely well.

Should I do pull-ups or pulldowns?

Do both.

• Pull-ups build maximal vertical pulling strength.

• Pulldowns allow more control, variations, and better isolation.

If you can’t do pull-ups yet, use pulldowns to build strength.

Are chest-supported rows better than bent-over rows?

Yes, for hypertrophy. Chest-supported rows eliminate momentum and remove lower-back strain, allowing your actual back muscles to do more work. But bent-over rows still have great strength carryover to deadlifts.

What grip is best for lat pulldowns?

It depends on your goal:

• Wide grip: Upper lats, width

• Neutral grip: Balanced + strongest position

• Underhand grip: Lower lats

• Close grip: Deep stretch + strong contraction

Switch grips weekly or monthly for full development.

Should I train traps on back day or shoulder day?

Either works, but pairing traps with back is more natural since shrugs complement other heavy pulling movements.

Do I need deadlifts to build a big back?

No, deadlifts build total body strength, but they’re not required for muscle growth in the lats or upper back. Rows and pulldowns do that job better.

How long should a back workout take?

A solid session lasts 60–75 minutes, including warmups. If you’re going longer, you’re likely doing too many filler exercises.