15 BEST Back Exercises For Growth (And How To Use Them)
The lats are responsible for adding more width to the back. The lats are best targeted during exercises where the elbows can pull as close to the torso as possible. The next 5 exercises are your best bet for growing a wider back during your workout at the gym. The first is the lat-focused barbell row. Next up, we have the lats-focused seated row. Then, back to one of my personal favorites, the chest-supported row. Fourth exercise: similar to the meadows row for the upper back, to prevent imbalances from developing we can do single dumbbell lat rows. Our last exercise will be a pulldown (the one-arm lat pulldown), but one that actually targets the lats.
Alright so we’ve covered the big muscles and their respective exercises you should do during your back workout for mass (both thickness and width). Now we need to balance this out by working the lower traps by matching our arm angle to a 90 to 120 degree angle. First, the prone Y raise. Another great exercise is the standing cable Y-raise to provide constant tension throughout each rep.
And now, the last area, the lower back. These muscles are already highly activated whenever we do compound lifts like rows, squats, and deadlifts. Still, isolation work for the lower back can be beneficial if you don’t do many of these lifts or if your lower back seems to be a weak link limiting your strength in these compound lifts. Back extensions will be our isolation move of choice.
Now is the most important part; putting together everything you’ve learned into a balanced back routine that works for you. Here’s what I’d recommend: pick two exercises from the upper back category, two from the lats category, and 1 exercise from the lower traps category. Depending on your existing lower back training volume, you can choose to add in some back extensions as well.
Sample Gym Routine:
Upper Back:
Exercise 1: Upper Back Focused Barbell Rows
Exercise 2: Lat Pulldowns
Lats:
Exercise 1: Chest Supported Dumbbell Lat Rows
Exercise 2: One-arm Cable Lat Pulldown
Lower Traps:
Exercise 1: Standing Cable Y-raise
Sample Dumbbells Routine:
Upper back
Exercise 1: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Upper Back Rows
Exercise 2: Overhand Grip Pull ups
Lats
Exercise 1: Single Arm Dumbbell Lat Rows
Exercise 2: Chest Supported Dumbbell Lat Rows
Lower Traps:
Exercise 1: Prone Y-raise
Hopefully, you were able to see that there’s a lot of thought that goes into picking the right exercises, plus putting them together properly. Within my Built With Science programs, I take care of all the guesswork for you by showing you exactly how to train and eat week after week based on your specific goal. To start today just take my free 30 second quiz and I’ll let you know which of my step by step programs will best help you transform your body:
https://builtwithscience.com/your-pot...
Subscribe to my channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/jeremyethier/...
The lats are responsible for adding more width to the back. The lats are best targeted during exercises where the elbows can pull as close to the torso as possible. The next 5 exercises are your best bet for growing a wider back during your workout at the gym. The first is the lat-focused barbell row. Next up, we have the lats-focused seated row. Then, back to one of my personal favorites, the chest-supported row. Fourth exercise: similar to the meadows row for the upper back, to prevent imbalances from developing we can do single dumbbell lat rows. Our last exercise will be a pulldown (the one-arm lat pulldown), but one that actually targets the lats.
Alright so we’ve covered the big muscles and their respective exercises you should do during your back workout for mass (both thickness and width). Now we need to balance this out by working the lower traps by matching our arm angle to a 90 to 120 degree angle. First, the prone Y raise. Another great exercise is the standing cable Y-raise to provide constant tension throughout each rep.
And now, the last area, the lower back. These muscles are already highly activated whenever we do compound lifts like rows, squats, and deadlifts. Still, isolation work for the lower back can be beneficial if you don’t do many of these lifts or if your lower back seems to be a weak link limiting your strength in these compound lifts. Back extensions will be our isolation move of choice.
Now is the most important part; putting together everything you’ve learned into a balanced back routine that works for you. Here’s what I’d recommend: pick two exercises from the upper back category, two from the lats category, and 1 exercise from the lower traps category. Depending on your existing lower back training volume, you can choose to add in some back extensions as well.
Sample Gym Routine:
Upper Back:
Exercise 1: Upper Back Focused Barbell Rows
Exercise 2: Lat Pulldowns
Lats:
Exercise 1: Chest Supported Dumbbell Lat Rows
Exercise 2: One-arm Cable Lat Pulldown
Lower Traps:
Exercise 1: Standing Cable Y-raise
Sample Dumbbells Routine:
Upper back
Exercise 1: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Upper Back Rows
Exercise 2: Overhand Grip Pull ups
Lats
Exercise 1: Single Arm Dumbbell Lat Rows
Exercise 2: Chest Supported Dumbbell Lat Rows
Lower Traps:
Exercise 1: Prone Y-raise
Hopefully, you were able to see that there’s a lot of thought that goes into picking the right exercises, plus putting them together properly. Within my Built With Science programs, I take care of all the guesswork for you by showing you exactly how to train and eat week after week based on your specific goal. To start today just take my free 30 second quiz and I’ll let you know which of my step by step programs will best help you transform your body:
https://builtwithscience.com/your-pot...
Subscribe to my channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/jeremyethier/...
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