Back workout at the gym and at home: exercises for width and thickness

A strong back needs a vertical pull for width (pull-ups or lat pulldown), a horizontal pull for thickness (rows), and a hinge for the lower back (Romanian deadlift), for about 10 to 20 hard sets a week. At home, rows with a backpack or towel and band pulls do the job.

Your back is a big group of muscles, and training it well improves your posture, your strength in every lift and how broad you look.

Two kinds of back exercises

• Vertical pulls (for width): pull-ups, chin-ups and lat pulldowns train the lats, the wide muscles that give the V shape.
• Horizontal pulls (for thickness): barbell, dumbbell, cable and machine rows train the mid-back and traps.
• Hinges (for the lower back): Romanian deadlifts and back extensions strengthen the lower back and glutes.

A good back plan uses all three.

Back workout at the gym

1. Lat pulldown or pull-ups: 4 sets of 6 to 10
2. Barbell or chest-supported row: 3 sets of 8 to 10
3. Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10 to 12
4. Single-arm dumbbell row: 2 sets of 10 to 12 per side
5. Face pulls (rear shoulders, upper back): 3 sets of 12 to 15
6. Back extension or Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 10

Back workout at home

1. Doorway or table rows (lying under a sturdy table, pulling your chest up): 4 sets of 8 to 12
2. Backpack rows (fill a backpack with books or water bottles): 4 sets of 10 to 12
3. Towel rows on a door (only on a strong door, closed toward you): 3 sets of 10 to 12
4. Superman holds: 3 holds of 20 to 30 seconds
5. Resistance band pull-aparts: 3 sets of 15 to 20

Feeling your back, not just your arms

• Start each pull by bringing your shoulder blades down and back.
• Think of pulling with your elbows, not your hands.
• Pause for a second when the weight is closest to you.
• Use a weight you can control; swinging moves the work away from the back.
• Lifting straps can help on heavy rows if your grip gives out first.

If your biceps are always more tired than your back, the weight is too heavy or you are pulling with your hands.

How much a week?

About 10 to 20 hard sets a week for the back, split over two sessions, works for most people. Many lifters do too little back compared with chest; try to keep pulling at least equal to pushing.

The takeaway

Pull vertically, pull horizontally and hinge, about twice a week, with steady progress. Every exercise in Shulah's library is drawn and moving, with the muscles it works, so you can check your form before you start.