When maintaining a strong and healthy body, we often focus on the usual suspects like our chest and abs. However, one important area that is commonly overlooked is the middle of your back. Neglecting the muscles in your middle back causes poor posture, muscle imbalances, and even chronic pain. The back muscles provide a strong foundation for the upper body, facilitating movement and providing stability. This is why practising the right set of barbell back workouts is necessary.
Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle of sitting at desks for long periods and hunching over electronic devices has taken a toll on our back health. Barbell rows, also called bent-over rows, are a type of strength exercise that trains the back muscles.
So, let’s discuss 15 targeted barbell back exercises, including steps to perform them, their essential benefits, and a series of significant exercises to strengthen and tone your mid-back muscles.
Table Of Contents
1.
2. Can You Train Your Back With Barbell?
3. How To Hit The Middle Back With Barbell?
4. Are 4 Exercises Enough For The Back?
5. Expert’s Advice
6. The Final Say
7. FAQs
8. References
Top 15 Barbell Back Workouts
Let’s explore these 15 best barbell back workouts for all fitness levels:
1. Barbell Row
Barbell rows mainly target the upper back muscles, including the lats, rhomboids, traps, rear deltoids, and biceps. This exercise helps improve overall back strength and stability, promotes better posture, and enhances pulling strength for other compound movement exercises like deadlifts and pull-ups.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder and width distance, knees slightly bent.
2. Bend at the hips to lean forward, keeping your back straight.
3. Grasp the barbell properly with an overhand grip completely wider than the shoulder and width apart.
4. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
5. Pause briefly at the top, then lower the barbell back down under control.
2. Pendlay Row
Pendlay rows are excellent for developing upper back strength, particularly the traps, rhomboids, and rear delts. They also improve overall pulling power and posture by targeting the muscles responsible for further scapular retraction and stabilisation.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Begin with the weighted barbell on the surface in front of you.
2. Stand with your feet at a hip-width distance and bend at the hips to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
3. Keep your back straight and chest up, then pull the barbell up to your lower chest.
4. Lower the weighted barbell back to the surface under control after each repetition.
Also Read: 15 Trendy Barbell Exercises For Back To Help You Get That Dreamy, Defined Physique Easily!
3. Seal Row
Seal rows isolate the back muscles more effectively than traditional rows by reducing lower back involvement. They help strengthen the upper and middle back muscles while improving posture and scapular stability.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Lie face down on a bench, with your chest just off the edge and feet flat on the floor.
2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest while keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. Lower the barbell back down slowly to complete one repetition.
4. Barbell Rear Delt Row
This exercise specifically targets the rear deltoids, helping to improve shoulder stability and posture. It also engages the upper back muscles, enhancing overall back strength and muscular balance.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand with your feet and hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Bend at the hips to lean forward, keeping your back straight.
3. Grasp the barbell with a proper overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
4. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
5. Lower the barbell back down under control.
5. Barbell Shrug
Barbell shrugs primarily target the upper trapezius muscles, helping to develop the required strength and size in the upper back and shoulders. They improve shoulder stability and can enhance grip strength.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand with your feet and shoulder width distance, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold the barbell with a proper overhand grip, hands and shoulder width apart.
3. Keeping your arms straight, shrug your shoulders upwards towards your ears.
4. Hold the contraction briefly, then lower your shoulders back down.
6. Deadlift
Deadlifts are a compound exercise that targets significant muscle groups, including the back, essential glutes, hamstrings, and core. They are excellent for overall strength development, improving posture, and increasing required functional strength for daily activities.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand with your feet and hip-width apart, toes under the barbell.
2. Bend your hips properly and knees to grip the barbell with hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your back flat and chest up, and drive through your heels properly to lift the barbell.
4. Stand tall with the barbell, then lower it back down by bending at the hips and knees.
7. Romanian Deadlift
Romanian deadlifts primarily target the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles. They improve hip hinge mechanics, strengthen the posterior chain, and enhance overall hip and hamstring flexibility.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand with your feet and hip-width distance, knees slightly bent, and hold the barbell in front of your thighs properly with an overhand grip.
2. Keeping your back flat, hinge at your hips to lower the barbell down along your legs.
3. Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, maintaining a slight bend in your knees.
4. Drive through your heels properly to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top.
8. Deficit Deadlift
These deadlifts involve standing on a platform or deficit to increase the range of motion. This enhances muscle activation in the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, improving overall strength and lifting mechanics. It also helps address weaknesses in the initial pull-off of the floor.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Stand on a raised platform (e.g., plates) with the barbell on the floor in front of you.
2. Assume a hip-width stance with toes under the barbell, bending at the hips and knees to grip the barbell with hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Maintain a flat back and engage your core as you lift the barbell, driving through your heels.
4. Stand tall with the barbell, then lower it back down under control, maintaining proper form throughout.
9. Meadows Row
Meadows rows are a unilateral exercise that targets the lats, rhomboids, and rear deltoids. They help improve muscle imbalances, enhance grip strength, and promote better posture and stability through the upper back.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Place one end of a barbell in a corner or landmine attachment.
2. Stand perpendicular to the barbell, with one foot forward and one foot back.
3. Grasp the barbell with one hand using an overhand grip, keeping your back plain and chest up.
4. Pull the barbell towards your hip, squeezing your shoulder blade towards your spine.
5. Lower the barbell back down under control and repeat on the other side.
10. Good Morning
Good mornings primarily target the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. They improve hip hinge mechanics, strengthen the posterior chain, and enhance core stability and flexibility.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Start with the barbell resting on your upper back, across your traps.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
3. Hinge at your hips, pushing your hips back properly while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.
4. Lower your torso until it is parallel to the surface, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Return to the starting position by driving through your hips and squeezing your glutes.
Also Read: 5 Best Kettlebell Exercises For Weight Loss! | ToneOpFit
11. Chest Supported Row
Chest-supported rows isolate the back muscles by eliminating lower back involvement, focusing on the upper and middle back. They improve scapular retraction and stability, helping to correct posture and prevent shoulder injuries.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Lie face down properly on an incline bench set to a comfortable angle.
2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
4. Lower the barbell back down under control, maintaining tension in your back muscles throughout.
12. Clean
The clean is a full-body exercise that primarily targets the upper back, traps, and shoulders. It improves explosive power, coordination, and overall athleticism.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Start with the weighted barbell on the floor, standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your hips properly and knees to grip the weighted barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than the shoulder distance apart.
3. Explosively extend your hips properly, knees, and ankles to lift the barbell up to shoulder height.
4. Catch the barbell in a front rack position, bending your knees to absorb the weight.
5. Stand tall with the barbell, then lower it back down under control.
13. The Snatch
The snatch is a complex, explosive movement that targets the entire back, shoulders, and lower body. It enhances power, speed, flexibility, and coordination.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Start with the weighted barbell on the floor, standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Grip the barbell with a wide overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Explosively lift the barbell from the floor to overhead in one fluid motion, using your legs, hips, and shoulders.
4. Lock out your arms overhead and stabilise the barbell.
5. Lower the barbell back down under control.
14. Wide Grip Pulldowns
Wide-grip pulldowns primarily target the upper back, lats, and shoulders. They help improve the width and thickness of the back muscles, enhancing overall back strength and posture.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Sit at a lat pulldown machine properly with your knees secured under the pads.
2. Grasp the bar with a wide overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Pull the bar down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
4. Slowly return the bar to the starting position, maintaining muscle tension in your back muscles.
15. Hyperextension
Hyperextensions strengthen the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings while improving spinal stability and posture. They are effective for preventing lower back pain and improving overall core strength.
Steps To Perform This Barbell Back Workout:
1. Position yourself on a hyperextension bench with your ankles secured under the pads.
2. Cross your arms properly over your chest or hold a weight plate properly against your chest.
3. Lower your upper body towards the surface, keeping your back straight.
4. Raise your torso back up until your body is in a straight line, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Also Read: 10 Kettlebell Exercises and Their Amazing Benefits! | ToneOpFit
Can You Train Your Back With Barbell?
Consider these general sets of compound and functional barbell exercises for reference to train your back:
Exercise | Action Step | Plan |
Deadlifts | A compound exercise that adequately targets the entire back, glutes, and hamstrings. | Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 6-8 reps. Rest: 2-3 minutes between sets. |
Bent Over Rows | Focuses on the upper back and lats. | Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Pendlay Rows | A strict rowing movement that emphasises the upper back. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
T-Bar Rows | Targets the middle back and lats, allowing for heavier weights. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Barbell Shrugs | Focuses on the traps and upper back. | Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 12-15 reps. Rest: 1 minute between sets. |
Rack Pulls | A partial deadlift that emphasises the upper back and traps. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 5-7 reps. Rest: 2-3 minutes between sets. |
Good Mornings | Strengthens the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Barbell Pullover | A compound exercise that works the lats, chest, and triceps. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Inverted Rows (using barbell) | A bodyweight exercise using a barbell set in a rack at hip height. | Sets/Reps: 4 sets to failure. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Reverse Grip Bent Over Rows | Targets the lower lats and biceps. | Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest: 1-2 minutes between sets. |
Also Read: 8 Best Pullover Back Exercises To Prevent Pain & Strengthen Performance!
How To Hit Middle Back With Barbell?
Explore these ways to strengthen your mid back that can benefit your health and fitness. Simply add these exercises to your regular exercise routine to improve your posture, athletic performance, and even back discomfort.
1. Bent-over Barbell Row
Bent-over rows are an effective exercise that helps you burn calories every day, which may help you lose weight over time. It primarily targets the mid back muscles, especially the rhomboids, lats, and back delts. Performing this exercise with proper form ensures optimal muscle engagement and minimises the risk of injury.
2. Cable Face Pull
This is another effective exercise that trains your mid-back muscles as well as your upper back and shoulder muscles. It doesn't specifically target side fat or guarantee a flat stomach, but it may help increase your metabolic rate. Cable face pulls also contribute to better shoulder health and posture by focusing on the rear deltoids and traps.
3. T-Bar Row
The T-bar row is a significant, powerful exercise that strengthens your mid-back muscles and provides a challenging workout. This compound movement engages multiple muscle groups, including the lats, rhomboids, and traps, making it an excellent choice for building a stronger and more defined back.
4. Unilateral Band Row
Unilateral band rows are a great way to focus on your mid-back muscles and improve unilateral strength and stability. This exercise allows you to address muscle imbalances and enhance coordination, which is crucial for overall functional strength and injury prevention.
5. Prone Cobra
The prone cobra exercise is a great way to strengthen your mid-back muscles and improve your posture. By targeting the lower traps and erector spinae, this exercise helps counteract the required effects of prolonged sitting and promotes a more upright and healthy posture.
Also Read: The Perfect Deadlift Form & Its 3 Key Benefits | ToneOpFit
Are 4 Exercises Enough For The Back?
If you're wondering if four workouts a day in a gym setting is enough or most beneficial for you, the answer depends. Three to four exercises per workout is usually a reasonable goal, but for those new to fitness, two exercises are a great place to start. Similarly, most avid athletes can do more.
Level | Inclusion | Notes |
Beginner | Aerobic exercise and strength training are two basic forms of exercise. Start with two exercises per workout. | Start small with a total of 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, like timed jogging, or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic targeted activity per week. With each workout (at least twice a week), combine this cardio with 12-15 reps of one or two strength exercises. |
Intermediate | Three to four exercises per workout, focusing on a mix of compound and isolation movements. | Achieve an ideal ratio of 80:20 compound vs isolation exercises, and aim for at least 15 repetitions of each exercise. Ensure each muscle group is practised at least twice a week for balanced development and strength gains. |
Advanced | More than four exercises can be included, but it depends on individual energy levels and workout goals. | Attempting more than four exercises in one workout can cause the workout to drag on, depleting focus and energy levels. However, depending on your routine and energy for the day, five or more exercises may be perfectly fine. Make sure to do two exercises per muscle group and enough sets per week to work each muscle group twice a week. |
Expert’s Advice
Adding these exercises to your workout routine will help the middle part of your back support the spine better. These simple yet effective exercises are beneficial in increasing mobility and decreasing muscle imbalances, resulting in a stronger base for everyday tasks.
Regularity matters; hence, keep these exercises and stretches, which are crucial for dealing with middle back pain, regular for long-lasting advantages. Also, observe your posture throughout the day, especially during sedentary activities.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Ultimately, the stronger your back, the more stable your shoulders will be – meaning you'll be able to lift more weight when working your chest and upper body. Prioritising mid-back strength and flexibility through targeted mid-back exercises and stretches is a proactive step in promoting overall well-being. The significant benefits go beyond aesthetics. These include improving posture, reducing discomfort and improving spinal health.
FAQs
1. How effective is the back barbell row exercise?
Barbell rows are highly effective for developing upper back strength and size. When performed correctly, they target muscles like the lats, traps, and rhomboids, improving overall back stability and posture.
2. What are the essentials of a barbell back workout?
Essentials include exercises that target different areas of the back, such as rows (barbell, Pendlay, seal), deadlift variations (conventional, deficit), and pulls (cleans, snatches). These exercises promote balanced muscle development and functional strength.
3. What is the barbell back extension?
The barbell back extension involves using a barbell across the upper back while performing hyperextensions. It adds resistance to strengthen the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, enhancing spinal stability and posture.
4. How to modify a back workout with barbell rows?
You can modify it by adjusting grip width and stance or using different row variations (Pendlay, seal) to target specific areas of the back. Adjusting weight and volume allows for progression as strength increases.
5. How to use a barbell for a back workout?
Use a barbell for exercises like rows, deadlifts, cleans, and snatches. Maintain proper form from teh start, begin with lighter weights to focus on required technique, and gradually increase weight as strength improves.
6. How often should barbell back workouts for mass be performed?
Aim for 2-3 back workout sessions per week with required rest days in between to allow for recovery and muscle growth. Consistency and progressive overload are key for building mass.
7. Can a beginner perform these back exercises using a barbell?
Absolutely! Beginners can perform barbell back exercises with proper instruction and lighter weights. Start with basic movements like barbell rows and deadlifts, focusing on technique before increasing intensity or weight.
References
- https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-do-barbell-row
- https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/back-exercises/7-best-barbell-moves-building-big-back-2/
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/10-best-muscle-building-back-exercises.html
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