5 Essential Exercises You Need For a Bigger Back

Want to know which exercises the experts use to build a muscular back? Read on to discover the essential exercises you need to do.

Building a big, strong, physically imposing back doesn’t have to take years of hard work. It’s actually much easier than you’d think, you’ve just got to know what exercises to include in your routine.

Portrait Of A Physically Fit Young Man In Modern Fitness Center

Unfortunately, not enough people know what exercises they should be doing, which means they’re stuck repeating the same old movements time and time again, without getting any real results or seeing any progress from their efforts.

If that sounds familiar, you can rest easy, because in this article we’re going to reveal the essential exercises that you must do if you want to build a bigger back.

Anatomy of the Back

The back is made up of some pretty big muscles, all of which should receive some level of attention, so before we get into which exercises are the best, let’s take a closer look at the main muscles in the back that you’ll be targeting.

Latissimus Dorsi (lats) are the muscles most people have heard of and are often the most popular to train. They span the length of your back and are responsible for the ‘V-Taper’ look (big shoulders and wide back with a slim waist) that so many people desire.
Trapezius (traps) are a huge muscle group that help to lift and move the shoulder blade, they also make you look bigger and more physically imposing (think of the wrestlers Goldberg, or Batista) which is what most people want from their gym efforts.
Rhomboids are important for helping you to pull your shoulder blades together, and when trained properly, will help you to become stronger in your other lifts. They also look great when flexed.
Erector Spinae is important for developing a strong, stable spine as it helps your spinal joints to extend and rotate which is essential for both athletic performance and everyday movement.
Teres Major and minor are muscles that look great and as such, they’re an easy muscle to train to help you complete your physique.

Essential Back Exercises

In no particular order, here is our list of the top exercises you should be doing if you’re serious about building a bigger back.

1. Deadlift

Deadlifts are one of the best exercises you can do and as they work the entire posterior chain, making them a fantastic move for building a strong, thick back.

Lifting heavy weight in the deadlift will drastically improve your strength while helping you to build the muscles that.

How to:

1
Approach the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart, leaving around 2 inches between your shins and the bar.
2
With an overhand grip and your arms by your side, hinge at the hips and lower yourself down to grab hold of the bar.
3
Your knees should be bent, but not as much as when you squat. Keep your back straight, chest up and core tight through the move.
4
Drive the hips forward as you pull the bar up to your body. Stand tall, bringing the shoulders back and the hips forward (not excessively). Hold for 2 seconds then reverse back down to the ground.

2. Pull-ups

Pull-ups are one of the best exercises you can do for your lats and even better, they only require a bar. They allow you to lift your entire body weight while engaging every major muscle in your back, making them a fantastic exercise for building a bigger, stronger back.

How to:

1
Approach the bar and raise your hands straight up, just outside shoulder width, with an overhand grip to grab the bar.
2
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and drive your elbows towards your hips as you pull yourself up, bringing your chin over the bar.
3
Control yourself back down to a dead hang and repeat the exercise.

3. Barbell Rows

Barbell rows are a fantastic exercise that target the lats, trapezius, rhomboids, and more all in one move. They’re perfect for helping you to build a strong, muscular back, and a great way to pack on some serious muscle. They also have the added benefit of working your biceps too.

How to:

1
Approach the barbell with your feet at shoulder width and your hands just a little wider, grab the bar with an overhand grip.
2
Slightly bend the knees and lower your chest until it is facing the floor. Keep your back straight and your core tight.
3
Pull the bar up, towards your ribcage, squeezing your lats as you do, before returning the weight to its starting position.
4
Repeat

4. Single Arm Row

This exercise is effective because it targets one side of your back at a time, which is great for improving balance, stability, and core strength, in addition to being a great way of targeting your lats so that you can build a bigger, stronger back.

How to:

1
Place your left knee and left hand on a bench to support your body then grab a weight in your right hand.
2
Keep your back straight and your neck and head in a neutral position.
3
Drive the elbow back, pulling the weight towards your body and squeezing the lats as you do.
4
Hold at the top for 1-2 seconds then control the weight back down.
5
Repeat on the other arm

5. Straight Arm Pulldown

This exercise is a great way of isolating the lats and focusing on this one muscle group without other muscles taking over.

It’s done on the cable machine and we like to use the rope attachment as it gives you a greater range of motion.

How to:

1
Stand at the cable machine, holding the rope, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2
Pull from the shoulder joint with your arms straight; squeeze your lats as you do.
3
Bring the rope down to your hips and squeeze at the bottom before slowly returning to the top.

Final Thoughts

The next time you go to the gym you can skip the lat pulldown machine and instead focus on building a more powerful, muscular back by using the exercises above. We’ve given you a guide on how to do the exercise, so just ensure your form is strict when you’re working out.

If you’re new to lifting weights, start slowly and use a weight that you find comfortable. But once you’ve got the hang of things, you can expect to see huge improvements in strength and size in no time.