Do you dream of adding some serious mass to your back, but are unsure of the best route to achieve this goal? Well look no further, as we provide you with some of the most effective exercises that should be a staple of any truly great back workout. A big back is something to be proud of, so here are our chosen five back exercises to help you along the way.
#1 The Deadlift
If you’re serious about your training program, and your goal is to gain impressive amounts of muscle, you’ll definitely want to include deadlifts in your routine. Although this exercise can be daunting to first timers, if performed correctly, the deadlift is one of the greatest back exercises available.
Not only does the deadlift target the back muscles, it also directly trains the lower body too. In fact, this wonderful exercise works the hamstrings, thighs, core, lower back, upper back and traps, so you’ll be utilising a huge amount of muscle stimulation in one simple exercise!
#2 Bent Over Barbell Rows
This fantastic exercise is another that provides you with a great deal of muscle stimulation over a large area. Not only will bent over barbell rows target your upper back, they’ll also work your lats, traps, lower back and hamstrings. A further advantage of the bent over barbell row is that it requires little in terms of equipment, keeping you away from those pesky machines. Ensure that the weight you use is heavy enough to fully stimulate your muscles, but also allows for correct form and full range of motion.
#3 T-Bar Rows
Continuing with our theme of exercises requiring little in terms of equipment, we present the T-Bar row. Commonly found within the routine of old school bodybuilders, this lift is both functional and effective. The T-Bar row should be included within your training program to add thickness to your lats, whilst also adding mass to your upper back, traps, rhomboids and deltoids. As with all free weight exercises, ensure that the weight you add to the bar is heavy enough to stimulate your back without limiting your range of movement.
#4 Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
The single arm dumbbell row is a great addition to any program, providing stimulation to the middle and upper back, whilst also targeting the lats, shoulders, traps and biceps. Unlike the barbell row, the single arm dumbbell row allows for isolation of each side of the back, which is useful as back training covers such a large area of muscle. To really get the most out of single arm dumbbell rows, remember to focus on pulling the weight with your back muscles, not the biceps.
#5 Pull Ups and Chin Ups
For the most part, we believe that the most useful back exercises involve free weights. When choosing our top five back exercises, however, it was an easy decision to include pull ups and chin ups. Both of these exercises are highly effective within back training programs, and again require very little equipment. Beginners should first attempt to perform chin ups, with the palms facing towards the body, as they utilize more of the bicep than the pull up, making the exercise a little easier to perform. Once the chin up and pull up have been mastered, resistance can also be added in the form of a weight belt to increase the difficulty of the exercise.
