Back Exercises
Your back is several large muscle groups working together. The lats run from your lower back to your upper arms and pull your arms down and back. The traps and rhomboids between your shoulder blades pull them together, and the spinal erectors along your spine hold your torso upright.
8 exercises, each animated in 3D. Drag to see them from any angle and watch which muscles do the work.
Pull-Up
The classic bodyweight back exercise. Hanging from a bar with an overhand grip, you pull your chin up over the bar and lower yourself back down.
View in 3D →Barbell Bent-Over Row
A heavy compound pull for the whole upper back. Hinged forward with a flat back, you row a barbell from arm's length up to your lower ribs.
View in 3D →One-Arm Dumbbell Row
A single-arm back exercise braced on a bench. With your torso flat, you row a dumbbell from arm's length up beside your waist.
View in 3D →Inverted Row
A bodyweight row under a bar set at about waist height. Holding your body straight like a plank, you pull your chest up to the bar.
View in 3D →Lat Pulldown
A cable machine pull that trains the same muscles as a pull-up. Seated with your thighs braced, you pull a wide bar down to your upper chest.
View in 3D →Seated Cable Row
A seated cable pull for the middle of the back. With your feet braced and torso tall, you row a close-grip handle to your stomach.
View in 3D →Also works your back
These exercises are filed under another body part but train your back as a main mover.
Barbell Deadlift
The classic full-body pull. With a flat back and the bar against your shins, you stand up with a loaded barbell from the floor, driving through your legs and hips.
View in 3D →Resistance Band Pull-Apart
A simple upper-back and rear-shoulder exercise. Holding a band at arm's length, you pull it apart until it touches your chest.
View in 3D →How to train your back
Back exercises pull in two directions: vertical pulls bring your arms down from overhead, and rows pull them back toward your torso. Doing both trains the whole back. Many programs pair each pressing exercise with a pull, so the front and back of the shoulders get similar work.
Start each rep by drawing your shoulder blades back and down, and finish with your elbows by your sides instead of shrugging toward your ears. On bent-over rows, keep your back flat from hips to head.
The animations show general technique, not advice for your body. If you have an injury or are new to lifting, check your form with a qualified coach. See the Disclaimer.
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