Barbell Deadlift
Back·Barbell·Advanced·Compound
Best Back Exercises
41 back exercises across 3 difficulty levels. Step-by-step instructions, targeted muscle groups, and the equipment you need, pulled from Sculpt's training catalog.
Overview
About back training
The back is composed of several large muscle groups: the latissimus dorsi (lats), trapezius, rhomboids, teres major, and the erector spinae. The lats are the primary driver of vertical pulling (pull-ups) and contribute to horizontal rowing. The traps and rhomboids handle scapular retraction and elevation. A complete back training program includes both vertical and horizontal pulling patterns with varied grip widths and orientations.
Training tips
How to train effectively
- Pull with your elbows, not your hands. Thinking about driving your elbows back or down improves lat engagement.
- Mix grip orientations. Overhand grip targets the upper back and rear delts, underhand grip shifts emphasis to the lats and biceps, neutral grip balances the load.
- Include a hip hinge movement (deadlift or Romanian deadlift) for the erector spinae and posterior chain.
- Pause at peak contraction for one second on rows. This forces you to use a weight you can actually control.
Common mistakes
What to avoid
- Using momentum to complete rows. Swinging the torso turns a back exercise into a lower-back endurance test.
- Shrugging during pull-ups. Depress your shoulders before initiating the pull to engage the lats instead of the upper traps.
- Skipping unilateral work. Single-arm rows expose and correct left-right imbalances that bilateral movements mask.
41 exercises
Barbell Rack Pull
Back·Power Rack·Intermediate·Compound
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Back·Barbell·Advanced·Compound
Barbell Row
Back·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Barbell Shrug
Back·Barbell·Beginner·Compound
Barbell Sumo Deadlift
Back·Barbell·Intermediate
Bird Dog
Back·Beginner
Cable Face Pull
Back·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Cable Lat Pullover
Serratus·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Cable Pullover
Serratus·Cable Machine·Beginner·Compound
Cable Shoulder External Rotation
Back·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Cable Shrug
Back·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Cable Row
Back·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Back·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Pulldown
Back·Cable Machine·Intermediate
Dumbbell Back Extension
Back·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Dumbbell Deadlift
Back·Dumbbells·Beginner·Compound
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Back·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Dumbbell Row
Back·Dumbbells·Advanced·Compound
Dumbbell Shrug
Back·Dumbbells·Beginner·Compound
Dumbbell Superman
Back·Dumbbells·Advanced·Compound
Incline Dumbbell Row
Back·Dumbbells·Advanced
Lat Pulldown
Back·Lat Pull Down·Intermediate·Compound
Machine Back Extension
Back·Back Machine·Advanced·Compound
Machine Reverse Fly
Back·Reverse Fly Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Parallel-Bar Pull Up
Back·Advanced·Compound
Pull Up
Serratus·Intermediate·Compound
Seated Cable Row
Back·Cable Machine·Beginner·Compound
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
Back·Dumbbells·Advanced
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Back·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Single-Arm Seated Cable Row
Back·Cable Machine·Advanced·Compound
Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
Back·Smith Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Smith Machine Shrug
Back·Smith Machine·Beginner·Compound
Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
Serratus·Flat Bench·Intermediate·Compound
Superman Hold
Back·Beginner·Compound
Superman Stretch
Back·Intermediate·Compound
Underhand-Grip Barbell Row
Back·Barbell·Advanced
Underhand-Grip Pull Up
Back·Pull Up Bar·Advanced·Compound
Wide-Grip Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Back·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Wide-Grip Pull Up
Back·Pull Up Bar·Advanced·Compound
Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row
Back·Cable Machine·Advanced·Compound
