Back Exercises

146 exercises, from popular compound lifts to isolation work. Each one has step-by-step technique, a muscle map and alternatives.

Equipment

All Dumbbell Barbell Bodyweight Kettlebell Resistance Band Cable Machine Smith Machine Exercise Ball

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

Lower backGluteus maximusBiceps femoris

Seated Cable Rows

Cable

Middle back

Bent Over Barbell Row

Barbell

Middle backLower lats

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

Hyperextensions (Back Extensions)

Other

Lower back

Band Assisted Pull-Up

Lower latsUpper latsBiceps short head

Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown

One-Arm Kettlebell Row

Kettlebell

Middle back

T-Bar Row with Handle

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Alternating Kettlebell Row

Kettlebell

Middle back

Alternating Renegade Row

Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row

Barbell

Middle back

Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row

Barbell

Middle back

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In

Dumbbell

Middle back

Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover

Catch and Overhead Throw

Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown

Cable

Upper lats

Gironda Sternum Chins

Biceps femorisLower back

Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench

Inverted Row with Straps

Kettlebell Sumo High Pull

Kettlebell

Upper trapsGluteus maximus

Kipping Muscle Up

Other

Upper lats

Kneeling High Pulley Row

Cable

Upper lats

Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row

Lying Cambered Barbell Row

Pelvic Tilt Into Bridge

Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows

Barbell

Middle back

Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns

Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows

Smith Machine Bent Over Row

Smith machine

Middle back

Smith Machine Upright Row

Standing Dumbbell Upright Row

Dumbbell

Upper traps

Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows

Two-Arm Kettlebell Row

Kettlebell

Middle back

Underhand Cable Pulldowns

Upright Row - With Bands

Weighted Ball Hyperextension

Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck

Cable

Upper lats

Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up

Barbell Shrug Behind The Back

Barbell

Upper traps

Cable Incline Pushdown

Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug

Machine

Upper traps

Chair Lower Back Stretch

Bodyweight

Upper lats

Crossover Reverse Lunge

Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

Side-Lying Floor Stretch

Bodyweight

Upper lats

Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug

Back Extension on Exercise Ball

Barbell Incline Bench Row

Barbell

Middle back

Cable Rope Lat Pulldown

Cable

Lats

Exercise Ball Back Extension with Rotation

Exercise ball

Lower back

Feet-Elevated Inverted Row

Hyperextension on Flat Bench

Machine-Assisted Chin-Up

Machine

Lower lats

Machine-Assisted Pull-Up

Machine

Lats

Medicine Ball Overhead Throw

Medicine ball

Lats

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

One-Arm Machine High Row

Machine

Upper lats

One-Arm Standing Cable Row

Reverse-Grip Incline Dumbbell Row

Dumbbell

Lower lats

Reverse-Grip Machine Lat Pulldown

Machine

Lower lats

Seated Cable High Row (V-Bar)

Cable

Upper lats

Smith Machine Narrow-Grip Row

Smith machine

Middle back

Standing Cable V-Bar Row

Incline Dumbbell Shrug

Programs with these exercises

5-Day Body Part Split

Five sessions a week: chest, back, shoulders, legs, arms. Lots of volume for one muscle per session, then a week to recover.

Advanced · 5 times a week · Gym 4-Day Bodybuilding Split

Four days: chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs, shoulders and abs. More exercises per muscle than a 3-day split.

Intermediate · 4 times a week · Gym Back Workout at the Gym

Width and thickness: pull-ups, barbell rows, lat pulldowns, cable rows and back extensions.

Intermediate · once a week · Gym Pull-Up Progression: From Zero to Your First Pull-Up

Three times a week: scapular pull-ups, band-assisted pull-ups, inverted rows and max attempts — your first clean reps in 6–8 weeks.

Beginner · 3 times a week · Home