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The Best Back Exercises, Ranked

Eight back exercises across vertical pulls, rows and hinges, in the order worth trying them, plus every other back exercise in the library.

8 ranked picks71 exercises

By Jobri Fitness

The short answer

Train your back with one vertical pull and one row: a pull up or lat pulldown for your lats, and a row such as the bent-over or cable row for your upper back. A hinge like the deadlift or a back extension covers the lower back.

The 8 best back exercises

  1. Pull Up

    Bodyweight

    The classic lat builder. If you can't do one yet, the assisted pull up or a lat pulldown gets you there.

    How to do it: Pull Up

    Bodyweight only

  2. Lat Pulldown

    Cable

    The adjustable version of the pull up: you pick the weight, so you can take sets close to failure at any strength level.

    How to do it: Lat Pulldown

    Also with: Machine

  3. Bent-Over Row

    Barbell

    A heavy row for the whole upper back that's easy to load. Keep your torso still so your back, not your hips, moves the weight.

    How to do it: Bent-Over Row

    Also with: Dumbbell, Smith machine

  4. Row

    Cable

    The seated cable row keeps tension on through the whole pull and takes your lower back out of it, so you can focus on squeezing your shoulder blades.

    How to do it: Row

    Also with: Machine

  5. One-Arm Row

    Dumbbell

    One side at a time with a hand on the bench for support. Easy to set up in any gym and useful for evening out sides.

    How to do it: One-Arm Row

    Also with: Cable, Kettlebell

  6. Chin Up

    Bodyweight

    An underhand pull up: more biceps help, and most people manage a few more reps than with an overhand grip.

    How to do it: Chin Up

    Bodyweight only

  7. Deadlift

    Barbell

    Trains the whole back of your body, lower back included. It's technical, so learn it with light weight first.

    How to do it: Deadlift

    Also with: Dumbbell, Smith machine, Kettlebell

  8. Back Extension

    Bodyweight

    A simple way to train your lower back and glutes directly, and easy to make harder by holding a plate.

    How to do it: Back Extension

    Also with: Machine, Other weights

How these are ranked

The order favors exercises that are easy to set up, easy to load and easy to track, and it alternates vertical pulls and rows so the top picks already cover the whole back. Pull ups lead because they need only a bar, and pulldowns follow for anyone who can't do enough of them yet. If a lower pick suits your gym or your elbows better, use it.

How much back work you need

The number of hard sets you do each week matters more than which exercise you pick. How many sets per week to build muscle covers the numbers. The training volume calculator counts your weekly sets per muscle, and the workout plan generator builds a week around them.

All 71 back exercises

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Log every set, see what you lifted last time, and follow your estimated one-rep max on the free progress chart.

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