There are a lot of benefits to having strong back muscles. Not only will you improve your posture and reduce your risk of injury, but you’ll also be stronger for performing big lifts in the gym.
A stronger back will make your shoulders more stable, which will allow you to lift heavier weights in chest and upper body exercises. Plus, most back exercises require your arms or legs too, so you’ll get an extra training effect without even noticing.
In this article, we’ll explain exactly why barbell exercises are so great to build a bigger and stronger back.
We will identify the training variables you need to employ, and then we will show you how to perform 10 of the best compound barbell exercises, so you can develop a broad, thick, V-shaped back.
Back Muscles: Anatomy of Upper, Middle & Lower Back
These best Barbell back exercises help to strengthen the Back and improve the back strength. But first, you need to understand back muscle anatomy and functionality.
Your back consists of a series of muscles, that are responsible for all of the pulling your body does, as well as keeping your spine stable.
The back consists of several layers of muscle, stacked like a sandwich. The muscles of the back subdivide into three categories.
- The upper back is made up of a large triangular-shaped muscle called the trapezius.
- The middle back consists of the latissimus dorsi.
- The lower back is made up of the erector spine muscles.
Barbell Back Exercises Benefits
Barbell back exercises benefits can be very impressive! When performed correctly and consistently over time, the compound barbell workout can allow you to achieve large strength gains. Some barbell exercises benefits include,
- Strengthen the Core: The barbell exercises are executed whilst standing. During the movement, the core has to work hard to keep the body stable and balanced.
- Minimal Equipment Required — All you need is a barbell and perhaps several weight plates. You may also use a band to provide additional resistance. While having a landmine attachment is great, but it is not mandatory.
- Posterior Chain strength: The barbell back exercises is a very effective upper posterior chain exercise as it increased muscular strength of all the back muscles.
- Variations: We love variety in a workout, so any exercise that has a ton of variations is right up our street.
- Versatile: Barbell exercises provide versatility, can help you strengthen virtually every muscle in the body with a wider range of resistance.
10 Best Barbell Back Exercises
Below, we outline 10 best compound barbells back exercises that you can work into your program for more muscle, improve strength, and some training variety.
We have divided the barbell exercises into groups, such as this:
- Trap Exercises
- Upper and Middle back Exercises
- Lower Back Exercises
Trap Workout With Barbell
1. Barbell Shrug
Barbell shrug is one of the best exercises to build bigger, stronger trapezius muscles. This exercise can be done extremely heavily to thicken the traps, which really helps you in doing back poses.
It is one of the best isolation exercises for trapezius muscle. The shrug is one of the simplest and easiest exercises to perform. You need to add this barbell back exercises to strengthen your upper back and trap muscles.
Execution Technique
- Stand with feet placed shoulder-width apart, knee slightly bent, and core stable.
- Grip the barbell with your hands facing downwards, in a pronated grip.
- Raise your shoulders without bending the elbows as far as possible, getting them closer to your ears.
- Hold the contraction and squeeze for a brief second, In a controlled and stable manner, lower the weight back down to the starting position.
Tips
- Go as high as possible, but limit momentum and excessive jerking or bouncing of the weight.
- Go full range. Move only shoulders and keep rest of body steady.
2. Barbell Upright Row
Upright Row is an excellent exercise to build huge Trapezius muscles and create that delto-pectoral separation. Shrugs and upright rows are two great exercises for building massive traps.
Barbell upright row exercise challenges your trapezius (traps), a large muscle in the upper back that helps you shrug your shoulders, as well as the rhomboids, and even the biceps — making it a great addition to a back workout.
Execution Technique
- Hold a bar with a narrow overhand grip and let it hang in front of you.
- Lift the bar and get it as close as possible to the chin, using your arms and elevating your shoulders to squeeze your trapezius muscles.
- Now lower the bar under controlled motion until it comes back to its starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps.
Tips
- Focus on keeping your elbows higher than your forearms
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
Upper and Middle Workout With Barbell
3. Bent Over Barbell Rows
If you are looking to strengthen the upper back and add massive muscle to the upper back region, then bent over barbell rows is the best barbell upper back exercise.
Spacing your hands shoulder-width apart or closer targets the central inner section of the lats, whereas a wider grip targets the outer back muscles.
- A narrow grip keeps the elbows close to the body, which makes it harder to extend the shoulders and pull them away from the body. This forces the lat muscles to work harder, which makes them stronger.
- The wide grip encouraged by the flared elbows helps reduce lat involvement, allowing you to target the rhomboids, traps and rear delt.
Execution Technique
- Stand with a narrow stance and grab a bar with overhand grip.
- Bend your torso forward at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor with the knees slightly, and let the bar hang in front of you.
- Now use the back and raise the bar until it touches the abdominal region and not the chest region, as it reduces back muscle contraction.
- Slowly lower the bar under control to starting position.
Tips
- Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
4. Landmine Row
The Landmine row is the classic landmine exercise. It is going to do an absolutely stellar job of targeting your lats, traps, posterior delts and rhomboids. This is one of the best exercises you can do for pure back thickness.
T bar rows are a tough exercise, but building a strong back is a must to develop a quality physique, stay injury-free, and back pain-free for life.
Execution Technique
- With the barbell loaded, stand over the bar with a wide stance. Get into a bent over position with your spine straight and chest up.
- Bend at the hips and keep your back arched throughout the movement.
- Lift the bar until the bar touches your chest, keeping the back straight.
- Now slowly lower the bar until it nearly touches the ground.
Tips
- Avoid hunchback bending as it leads to Injury.
- Go Complete range of motion.
5. Standing Barbell Rear Delt Row
Standing barbell rear delts row is a free weight exercise that primarily targets the rear deltoid and middle back, and to a lesser degree, it also targets the biceps, shoulders, and traps.
If you haven’t tried this exercise before, load the barbell with a reasonable amount of weight, prioritizing an amount that allows you to stick to proper form rather than trying to lift heavy.
Execution Technique
- Stand up straight while holding a barbell using a wide (higher than shoulder width) and overhand (palms facing your body) grip.
- With slightly bent knees, bend over at the waist so that your chest is parallel with the floor.
- While keeping the upper arms perpendicular to the torso, pull the barbell up towards your upper chest as you squeeze the rear delt.
- Slowly go back to the initial position as you breathe in. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Tips
- Refrain from using your biceps to do the work. Focus on targeting the rear delts, the arms should only act as hooks.
- Maintaining the right posture while working out is extremely important.
6. Barbell Chest Supported Rear Delt Row
A chest supported barbell row is an effective variation. As the name suggests, it’s a row where your chest is supported.
By leaning into a bench with your upper torso, you’re removing the need for your back to stabilize the movement. This barbell back exercises will help you build your middle back strength.
Execution Technique
- Lie down on an incline bench with a barbell and hand extended out in front of you.
- Slowly pull the barbell up until your elbows are just above your shoulders.
- Once you reach the final position, hold for a count and squeeze your muscles.
- Return to the starting position and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
Tips
- Remember to exhale while you exert.
- Don’t just swing your arms. Keep controlled motion throughout the exercise.
7. Landmine Single Arm Bent Over Row
If you’re looking to strengthen the back and add mass to the upper back region, then the Landmine Single Arm Bent Over Row is the best upper back exercise.
The one arm bent over the row works your rear delt, rhomboids, middle traps, lats, and biceps.
This is a great exercise for adding volume to your upper back without adding extra volume to your lower back.
Execution Technique
- Stand parallel to the bar with the end of the barbell at your left side.
- Your feet should be hip width apart. Get into a bent over position by shooting your hip back (hinge), bending at your knees slightly, and leaning your torso forward. Your spine should be straight.
- Grab the collar of the barbell with an overhand grip. Perform a row, bringing your elbow up as high as you can. Your elbow should come to full flexion.
- Squeeze at the top, really feeling the tension in your rear delts and upper back. Slowly lower the bar back down to full elbow extension, then repeat.
Tips
- Do not use more weight than you can handle. This fatigues your spinal erectors and say goodbye to form.
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
Barbell Lower Back Workout
8. Deadlift
The deadlift is the King of all exercises. This power exercise designed to build an overall physique that uses more muscles than any other exercise.
The deadlift is the best exercise for posterior chain muscle strengthening. It works your whole body including the Lower back, upper back, arms, legs, and buttocks.
Execution Technique
- Place a barbell loaded with weights in front of you. Grab the barbell using an underhand grip with one hand and overhand grip with the other hand. Remember to keep your back as straight as possible and contract your back and hamstrings.
- Now raise the bar from the ground using your hamstrings and glutes. You should keep your legs slightly bent, back straight and head looking up.
- Raise it to the point where your body is erect. Do not hyperextend your body as the weight shifts to the lumbar spine. Hold the bar for a moment at the top of the lift and remember to lockouts.
- Now lower the bar slowly at a steady slow pace by bending at the hips first and then at the knees and let the weight touch the ground for a moment before you begin the next rep
Tips
- Lower back muscles take along to recuperate and hence once a week heavy deadlifts will do the job.
- Go full range of motion and keep form correct. Avoid jerky movements and keep them controlled.
9. Landmine Deadlift
It is the biggest muscle builder, recruiting more muscle motor units than any other exercise. This exercise can be performed using either a barbell.
You can go real heavy on a Landmine deadlift, but do this exercise with caution and technique.
Execution Technique
- Stand in front of the barbell landmine with your feet about hip width apart. Remember to keep your back as straight as possible and contract your back and hamstrings.
- Now raise the bar from the ground using your hamstrings and glutes. You should keep your legs slightly bent, back straight and head looking up.
- Raise it to the point where your body is erect. Do not hyperextend your body as the weight shifts to the lumbar spine. Complete the lift and do not go only halfway through.
- Now lower the bar slowly at a steady slow pace by bending at the hips first and then at the knees and let the weight touch the ground for a moment before you begin the next rep
Tips
- Lower back muscles take along to recuperate and hence once a week heavy deadlifts will do the job.
- Go full range of motion and keep form correct. Avoid jerky movements and keep them controlled.
10. Barbell Good Morning
It is known as a good morning because of the movement in the erector spinae which resembles the rise out of bed to stretch. The erectors are just like any other muscle, growing best when shortened and lengthened. Good morning exercise do just that.
The erector spinae muscles of the lower back work isometrically to keep the spine in an extended position, while the hamstrings and gluteus maximus work isotonically to perform hip extension.
Execution Technique
- Stand holding a barbell on the back of your shoulders, grasping the Stick at each side. Can also perform the exercise as in the bodyweight version.
- Keeping your knees slightly flexed and your back and neck neutral, inhale as you flex your hips to lower your torso until it is close to, or fully, horizontal.
- Exhale as you raise your torso back up to the starting position by extending your hips.
Tips
- Keep your back and neck neutral throughout the exercise.
- It is recommended that the lifter avoid rounding (flexing), or rotation (twisting) at any point during the movement.
- Keep the movement slow, the form strict, and the weight light.
Training Volume (Sets and Reps)
Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:
- Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
- Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
- Advanced: ~20 sets per week.
When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress.
Reps
The best rep ranges and loads to work with.
- 6-8 reps with heavy load
- 8-15 reps with moderate load
- 15-20+ with light load
The load should bring you to or near failure within the given rep ranges to be effective.
Note: The heavier and more challenging the weight, the fewer reps you need to perform and vice versa.
Complete Back Workout With Barbell
Effective back training should incorporate a variety of exercises and target all the majors back muscles.
For a complete back workout and to build balanced strength, you’ll need to make sure you’re doing a variety of back exercises to specifically target your trapezius, upper, middle and lower back muscles.
Shrugs and upright rows are great exercises for building trapezius muscles.
Upper and middle barbell back exercises target the rear deltoid, rhomboids, and lats. When choosing exercises for your upper back, you should include a variety of row exercises, such as barbell rows and rear delt row.
The lower back can be targeted with exercises like deadlift and good morning exercises
This barbell training routine for the back is designed to increase strength and muscle mass. However, the gains will be increased with the use of primary lifts like deadlift, Bent-Over Row.
Barbell back exercises Workout Samples
Barbell Workout #1:
- Barbell Shrug: 4 sets of 10-15 reps.
- Bent Over Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 10-15 reps.
- Good Morning Exercise: 3 sets of 15-10 reps.
Workout #2:
- Barbell Upright Row: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Landmine Row : 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
- Standing Barbell Rear Delt Row: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Landmine Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Workout #3:
- Barbell Shrug: 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Barbell Chest Supported Rear Delt Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Landmine Single Arm Bent Over Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Deadlift: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
FAQ About Barbell Training & Back Workouts
What barbell exercises work the back?
In order to build a thick, wide, and muscular back, you need a variety of movements from a variety of angles. The barbell is an excellent tool for that purpose.
There are many barbell exercises that can be used to train the back muscles. Add the above mentioned exercises to your back workout regime as per your fitness level.
Is train back with barbell is effective
Barbell back workouts strengthen your back muscles from your traps to your spine.
The movements target your erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, serratus, and trapezius muscles, all of which are involved in achieving your back goals.”
Conclusion:
Barbell back exercises are a great way to build a strong foundation and can be useful for anyone, from beginners to bodybuilders.
Be smart: don’t limit yourself to barbell exercises. Get the benefits they offer and use other back exercises to supplement them when needed.
Barbells can be easily incorporated into any training program and can be particularly effective when used alongside dumbbells, machines, and cables to build the biggest, strongest back possible.
Know More About Back Training
Video illustration On 10 Best Barbell Back Exercises For Mass And Stronger (Science-Based Workout)
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