You can’t be a strong lifter without a strong upper back. Unfortunately most people spend way to much time working on the muscles they see in the mirror, and almost completely neglect their backs. In this article I will cover my 9 best upper back strength exercises for muscle growth and strength. I will also be covering some excellent research on the topic as well. Keep reading for more.
There are many reasons why you’d want to build a strong back. First, it ensures you don’t have muscle imbalances, and allows you to bench press heavy weight safely. Secondly, it is incredibly predictive of tactical performance in tasks like ruck marching and climbing.
Even for those that only care about performance in the gym, it supports your spine which is the primary load bearing structure for most heavy lifts. Having a strong back is an absolute must if you want to squat or deadlift heavy weights. It also helps improve poor posture. Before we get any further into this article, here is the list of the 9 best upper back strength exercises for muscle growth and strength.
The 9 Best Upper Back Exercises
- Pull Ups
- Inverted Row
- Lat Pulldowns
- Bent Over Barbell Row
- Seated Cable Row
- Face Pull
- Bench Supported Dumbbell Row
- T-Bar Row
- Farmers Walk
It’s important to point out that the 9 exercises on this list are specific to the upper back, with some cary over to other parts of the body. I encourage you to stick around towards the end of the article, where we will discuss how much volume (sets and reps) you should be doing for these exercises.
I want to point out that there certainly are other good upper back exercises, but these offer the most bang for your buck. This isn’t just my opinion as a coach and athlete of many years, it’s also backed up by research. In this next section we’ll take a quick review of the research on these exercises, so we can determine where we should be focusing our effort.
Upper Back Strength Exercises Research
Surprisingly there isn’t a lot of research on this topic. It appears that scientists also neglect the back! I bet they don’t even have good posture. However, I was able to find some interesting studies that help narrow down our search for the best back exercises. In this section we’ll review three studies that have a practical impact on our back training. Here is the first study.
Upper Back Rowing Exercises Research
In this research study the scientists compared the electrical activity, in the upper back muscles, between three different exercises: inverted row, single arm cable row, and standing bent-over row. You will be surprised which back exercise actually worked the muscles the hardest.
The inverted row elicited the highest activation of the latissimus dorsi muscles, upper back, and hip extensor muscles. The lower activation of the lumbar erector spinae muscles during the inverted row corresponded to the lower-spine load measured. The standing bent-over row produced large activation symmetrically across the back but produced the largest lumbar spine load. The 1-armed cable row challenged the torsional capabilities of the trunk musculature.
Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness
It doesn’t matter what kind of gym I’m in, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another athlete doing an inverted row. This is a real shame, because these researchers were able to demonstrate that it had the largest muscle activation in the lats, and upper back muscles.
They also showed that bent over rowing produced large muscle activations across the upper and lower back. It definitely increased spinal loading as well. Lastly, the one arm cable row was challenging to back muscle, as well as the core torsional muscles.
From a common sense perspective, if you really want to hammer the lats and upper back muscles, then you should be doing some inverted rows. If your sport has a lot of spinal loading, then you should use the bent over row as a good exercise. If you need to resist torsional rotation, like grapplers, and combat athletes do, then a one arm cable row can be a great movement.
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Chin Ups Vs. Lat Pull Downs Research
Both of these movement are incredibly popular for building the lats, biceps, and smaller muscles of the upper back. Naturally, this leads us to question which one is better? Well don’t hold your breath! Check out this excerpt below.
Normalized EMG of BB and ES and kinematics of shoulder and C7 for chin-ups were greater than lat-pull down exercises during the concentric phase (p < 0.05). For the eccentric phase, RA during lat-pull down exercises was greater than chin-ups and the kinematics of C7 during chin-ups was greater than lat-pull down exercises (p < 0.05). For chin-ups, BB, LD, and ES were greater than PM during the concentric phase, whereas BB and LD were greater than TB, and LD was greater than RA during the eccentric phase (p < 0.05). For lat-pull down exercise, BB and LD were greater than PM, TB, and ES during the concentric phase, whereas LD was greater than PM, TB, and BB during the eccentric phase (p < 0.05). Subsequently, chin-ups appears to be a more functional exercise.
Kinematic and electromyographic comparisons between chin-ups and lat-pull down exercises
Don’t worry about all the acronyms on this research study. The big take away is the final line. The researchers measured more muscle activation with the chin up exercise versus the lat-pull down. So that’s it, no more lat pull downs right? Wrong!
The chin up, and the pull up exercises, are more challenging and require more muscle mass to coordinate during this movement. That doesn’t mean they are always better. In fact, if you do any of my bodybuilding programs, you’ll find that I often include both movements.
The lat pull down is an excellent movement for those that can’t do chin / pull ups, or can’t do enough to get a meaningful amount of volume. It’s also a great movement later on in a back workout, when you’ve already fatigued your musculature. Now, let’s move on to our final study.
Single Joint vs. Multi Joint Movement Research
This is a common question I get as a coach. The correct answer is yes, both are good, but we need to determine when to use each type of lift, for the best upper back development. Wouldn’t you know it, that just what this research study examined.
Single-joint BC exercise resulted in higher hypertrophy of elbow flexors (11.06%) than the DR (5.16%) multijoint exercise after 8 weeks of RT (p = 0.009). The 10RM improvement was higher for DR in DR-trained arm, whereas 10RM for BC was higher in BC-trained arm. The single-joint exercise resulted in higher hypertrophy of the elbow flexors than multijoint exercise after 8 weeks of RT, whereas strength improvements were greater in accordance with specificity of RT exercise. Therefore, in RT prescription for elbow flexors hypertrophy, single-joint exercises such as BC should be emphasized.
Single-Joint Exercise Results in Higher Hypertrophy of Elbow Flexors Than Multijoint Exercise
While I think many of us could have predicted the outcome of this research study, it’s important to actually have this data. The scientists determined that a dumbbell row (DR) worked better at developing strength in the upper back than a biceps curl (BC), in the upper arms.
However, the biceps curl did increase the size of the biceps muscle more than the dumbbell row did, even though the row still uses the biceps. The key point here is that if you want hypertrophy, or muscle growth, in a very specific area, it’s a good idea to do movements for that area. If you need strength in a region of the body, then a compound, multi-joint movement, for that body region is best.
Now that we’ve reviewed some pertinent research, let’s move into the specifics of each movement. I’ll include some details on how I like to program them in each section. If you want to learn much more about programming, then check out my ebook, where I cover that topic in tremendous detail.
If you want to try my most popular functional bodybuilding program, then this is for you.
The 9 Best Upper Back Exercises for Strength
I’m going to cover these movements in order, but don’t make the mistake of believing that just because one is higher, that it’s better. Every athlete is different, and has different needs. This might make one exercise perfect for you, but terrible for me. Without further ado, here are the best exercises.
Pull Up
If I had to choose just one upper back exercise I would go with the pull up. It’s great at developing the lats, biceps, and forearms, as well smaller muscle groups around your shoulder blades. Unfortunately, it does have a rather high barrier to entry. You must have a certain level of strength before you can do one rep. Still, it should be a staple in anyones strength program.
As a coach, I think strict pull ups are ideal for strength development, however, with appropriate coaching there is nothing wrong with a kipping pull up. It shouldn’t be done by beginners, but it can develop tremendous upper back muscular endurance, and build muscle.
Pull ups require smart programming. If you have less than 5 strict pull ups, I recommend shooting for a rep goal for each session. Aim for something like 20 strict pull ups, but don’t limit yourself to certain sets and reps. Just knock out a few reps, rest, and then repeat until you reach your goal. Next, we’ll talk about the inverted row.
Inverted Row
As we saw in the research above, the inverted row forces you to use a lot of muscle mass, and really hammers the lats, which is one of the largest upper body muscle groups. I really like to substitute this for ring rows, because all you need is a bar at bench press height for this exercise.
In the video above you can see the demo is done with a slightly bent leg. This makes it a little easier. You can also adjust your starting position by straightening, or elevating the legs onto a bench, to make this movement more difficult. If you’re a real back strength monster, you can use bands, or weight vests to really build muscle and strength.
Because this movement allows easier and harder versions, you can treat it like a heavy lifting movement. I normally shoot for sets of 3 to 4, and a rep range of 8+. This movement is a great way to build a good pump. Now let’s talk about the lat pull down.
If you want a very challenging bodybuilding program, then you should check this out.
Lat Pull Down
This is an interesting movement because it’s great for athletes who aren’t strong enough for pull ups, and it’s great for athletes that are very strong, and need more resistance than just their body weight. Granted, it can be difficult to anchor your knees under the pad at those weights !
The other benefit of this movement is that you can use a variety of attachments. I don’t recommend going super wide with your overhand grip, or underhand grip, as this is going to artificially lower the weight you can use. Maintain a medium, to medium wide grip, with whatever attachment you choose.
I like to program rep schemes between 6-15 reps, using 3-4 sets at a time. This movement is flexible. You can use heavier weights for strength training, or lighter for endurance work. Next, let’s talk about the bent over barbell row.
Bent Over Barbell Row
I have sort of a love hate relationship with this movement. It can be a great movement when done with appropriate loads. It can also be a total waste of time if you let your ego get involved (i.e failing to use good form). The trick is finding the right back angle and amount of upper body movement that is best for you, without using your lower back to move all the weight.
Check this video out, as it covers the most common mistakes I see. It’ll keep you from wasting your time with this movement. Interestingly enough, I find that my best athletes can do a fairly strict barbell row, with about the same weight they use on the bench press. If that isn’t you, then it’s a good goal to aim for.
I recommend using this for sets of 6-10 reps. I think of this movement as a strength builder, and I find that bigger sets will cause more cheating on each rep. Use 3-4 sets on the row. Next on the list of best upper back strength exercises is the seated cable row.
Seated Cable Row
This is another excellent back exercise, due to its flexibility. There are a variety of attachments that change your hand position, and grip width. I find it best to use a grip style different from the majority of your back training. If you favor overhand wide grip movements, use this movement to work narrower, with a neutral position, or under handed grip.
It’s important to mitigate the assistance your lower back offers. A little bit of torso movement is ok, but don’t turn it into a cable deadlift! As always, you should aim for full range of motion, flexing the back muscle to start the movement.
I recommend using higher rep sets here. I often prescribe 8-15+ reps, with between 3-4 sets, depending on set size. If you have larger sets, then I would go with 3 sets versus 4. Next, let’s review a popular powerlifting accessory movement.
Face Pull
This is an excellent movement for improving the top of the upper back. It really works the traps, rear deltoids, and smaller muscles around the shoulder blades. It’s often done with very high reps to develop a pump. I prefer to do this in my warm up prior to a lot of pressing.
There are two methods of doing face pulls. You can use a cable and rope attachment, as demonstrated in this video, or you can use an elastic resistance band attached to a rig. Either way, this should be a very strict movement. Don’t jerk the weight towards your face.
I recommend using 3-4 sets, with 10+ reps per set. I like this as a great exercise to warm up for heavy pressing days, as these upper back muscles have to support the force going towards your spine. Now, we’ll talk about one of the absolute best upper back strength exercises, the bench supported dumbbell row.
Bench Supported Dumbbell Row
I really enjoy single-arm dumbbell rows for strength and muscle mass. It’s also a must do movement for anyone trying to get their first strict pull ups, as you’ll see from this program. I also recommend throwing in some lifting straps on the very heaviest sets, as your grip can often limit your back development.
This is a movement that should be relatively heavy. Avoid pulling in a straight line, and focus on pulling towards your hip. If you’re always stopping your sets far short of failure, then up the weight. As we saw from the research studies, this is a lat exercises primarily, even though it does involve the biceps.
I think of this movement as more targeted towards upper back strength, and as such, I stick to 6-12 reps, with 3-4 sets. I’ve even done more sets, at the lower end of the rep range, if I really want to build strength. Next on our list of best upper back strength exercises is the T-bar row.
T-Bar Row
The T-Bar row is a good choice for upper back development, because it forces you to be strict with your movement. I commonly see athletes fail to use full range of motion, which will limit the back development. Make sure to let the bar extend all the way, pulling it as high as practical.
The version done in this video does not have the chest pad, which is ok, it’s still a valuable movement either way. No matter which variant you’re doing you shouldn’t use your lower back to provide any assistance. Let those lats and traps work!
This movement is somewhat limiting on weight, as you’ll shorten the range of movement if you go too heavy. I recommend a standard 8-12 rep range, with 3-4 sets. This should keep you from doing half reps that really won’t help your back development. Last on our list of the best upper back strength exercises is the farmers walk.
Farmers Walk
Some of you knocked your protein shakers over, and are getting ready to type some angry comments. I know this isn’t, strictly speaking, an upper back strength exercise. However, it is one of the most functional trapezius muscles (upper traps) workouts you can do. It has the added bonus of really hammering your grip as well.
This movement is best done with heavy dumbbells or kettlebells, as most gyms don’t have the specific farmers walk handles. I prefer to throw this in as a finisher for an upper body workout.
As far as programming, I recommend finding an area in the gym where you can walk for 10-20m. Treat each circuit as one rep, and stick with a certain number of reps for distance. Try something like 100m in total length with a challenging weight. Now that you have some great back exercises, let’s find the right program for your needs.
Finding Your Perfect Program
I’ve been writing programs and workout plans for many years, and I have something for just about everyone. In this section I’ve put together a quick list of my most popular muscle building programs. If you want to see which order I recommend following for each of the programs, then check this article out.
- The 8 Week Functional Bodybuilding Hybrid Program
- 6 Weeks of Muscular Growth for Functional Fitness Athletes Program
- 12 Week Free Bodybuilding Program
- 10 Week Functional Power Building Program
- The 11 Week High Intensity Bodybuilding Program
Some of these programs are designed for functional fitness athletes who want to build muscle, and maintain their conditioning. However, other programs like the 12 Week Free Bodybuilding Program, and 11 Week High Intensity Program are pure muscle building programs. You won’t find a WOD or metcon in sight! Now let’s wrap this best upper back strength exercises article up.
Final Thoughts
The most important piece of advice I can offer you is to try these movement and make your own decision about which you find useful. You will also find that movements that are dissimilar from the what you’re currently doing will provide a more potent stimulus for building strength, provided you use proper form.
Your body can rapidly adapt to any training stress, so you have to change movements, sets, and reps, to keep growing and getting stronger. If you have any questions, put them in the comments section below, and I’ll get you an answer. Now get out there and get training.
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