Barbell Deadlift
Lower Back·Barbell·Advanced·Compound
Best Back Exercises
40 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.
40 exercises
Barbell Rack Pull
Lower Back·Power Rack·Intermediate·Compound
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Hamstrings·Barbell·Advanced·Compound
Barbell Row
Lats·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Barbell Shrug
Traps·Barbell·Beginner·Compound
Barbell Sumo Deadlift
Glutes·Barbell·Intermediate
Bird Dog
Abs·Beginner
Cable Face Pull
Rear Delts·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Cable Lat Pullover
Lats·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Cable Pullover
Lats·Cable Machine·Beginner·Compound
Cable Shrug
Traps·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Cable Row
Lats·Cable Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Lats·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Close-Grip Pulldown
Lats·Cable Machine·Intermediate
Dumbbell Back Extension
Back·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Dumbbell Deadlift
Lower Back·Dumbbells·Beginner·Compound
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Hamstrings·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Dumbbell Row
Lats·Dumbbells·Advanced·Compound
Dumbbell Shrug
Traps·Dumbbells·Beginner·Compound
Dumbbell Superman
Erectors·Dumbbells·Advanced·Compound
Incline Dumbbell Row
Lats·Dumbbells·Advanced
Lat Pulldown
Lats·Lat Pull Down·Intermediate·Compound
Machine Back Extension
Erectors·Back Machine·Advanced·Compound
Machine Reverse Fly
Rear Delts·Reverse Fly Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Parallel-Bar Pull Up
Lats·Advanced·Compound
Pull Up
Lats·Intermediate·Compound
Seated Cable Row
Lats·Cable Machine·Beginner·Compound
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
Rear Delts·Dumbbells·Advanced
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Lats·Dumbbells·Intermediate·Compound
Single-Arm Seated Cable Row
Lats·Cable Machine·Advanced·Compound
Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
Lats·Smith Machine·Intermediate·Compound
Smith Machine Shrug
Traps·Smith Machine·Beginner·Compound
Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover
Lats·Flat Bench·Intermediate·Compound
Superman Hold
Erectors·Beginner·Compound
Superman Stretch
Erectors·Intermediate·Compound
Underhand-Grip Barbell Row
Lats·Barbell·Advanced
Underhand-Grip Pull Up
Lats·Pull Up Bar·Advanced·Compound
Wide-Grip Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Lats·Barbell·Intermediate·Compound
Wide-Grip Pull Up
Lats·Pull Up Bar·Advanced·Compound
Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row
Lats·Cable Machine·Advanced·Compound
