Back Exercises

Your back is several muscles doing different jobs. The lats pull the upper arm down and back, so vertical pulls — pull-ups, chin-ups and pulldowns — hit them hardest. Horizontal rows load the mid-back: rhomboids, mid-traps and rear delts, the muscles that hold the shoulder blades in place. The traps shrug the shoulders upward, and the erectors along the spine resist rounding under load in back extensions and deadlift variations.

Because the work is spread out, one exercise is never enough. A solid week covers one vertical pull, one horizontal row and something for the traps and rear delts — 10–20 sets in total across two sessions. Pull with your elbows rather than your hands and let the shoulder blade travel, opening at the stretch and drawing back at the finish. Stop adding weight the moment your lower back starts doing the rowing, and use straps once your grip fails before your back does.