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The back makes up a large proportion of upper body musculature and we can split it up into its Different muscle groups
Traps-The large muscles in the centre of the upper back. The main function is to move the shoulder blades up, together, or down
Lats-The largest back muscle. Developing this muscle is key for creating width of the upper body. The function of the lats is to bring upper arm from above you down to your side
Rear Delts-Although this is actually part of the shoulder, it is involved in many back exercises which is why I have included it here instead.
There is also the lower back, but this rarely needs training directly as it is involved as a stabiliser in a lot of compound exercises
Best Exercises
-Exercises for the back commonly fall into 2 movement patterns
The Row -Also known as 'Horizontal Pull' movements as It involves pulling something towards your torso at a perpendicular angle. These exercises work the whole back musculature.
The Pull-This involves pulling something toward you usually at an upright vertical angle. These exercises also work most of the back muscles but they emphasise the lats more than the traps
My recommendation is to do a mix of both in a workout to build the entire back evenly
Best row exercises
Cable row
Chest supported row
Dumbbell row
Barbell row
Cable row
a beginner friendly version of the row that requires little set up. Most gyms have one of these. You can attach different grip handles which will all hit the back in a slightly different way. Pick the handle that is the most comfortable. This will target the whole back
-A narrow grip handle with elbows tucked in to your side will bias the Lats
-a wider grip handle with flared elbows will bias the upper back
Ideal rep range 8-15
Chest supported row
-this involves rowing but with your chest resting on a bench or pad to support your body for extra stability. Allows you to get maximum output from your back as your core doesnt have to stabilise your body. This also makes it safer. You can do this with a machine or using dumbbells whilst leaning against an incline bench
Ideal rep range 8-15
Dumbbell Row
-this is best when you perform it one arm at a time as your other arm can rest on a bench to support you. The benefit of dumbbells is you have freedom to move your arm in different planes. You can flare your elbows or tuck them to your sides as you row to emphasise different sections of the back.
Ideal rep range 8-15
Barbell Row
-One of my personal favourites but slightly less forgiving for beginners as you need some good core stability and it takes a bit of practice. Its a great simple movement that needs little set up. You can change your grip width to change which part of the back is emphasised
(If you get lower back pain when doing this you can reset the weight to the floor after each rep instead of holding the bar above the ground for the entire set)
Ideal rep range 8-12
Best Vertical Pull exercises
Lat pulldown
pull up
Machine Pulldown
Lat pulldown
-this is a cable machine that mimics the movement of a pull up. It provides more stability and is much more beginner friendly than a pull up. you can use different handles but I would recommend the standard bar attachment with a 1-1.5x shoulder width grip
Ideal rep range 10-15
Pull up
A great exercise that only requires your body weight. If you can do pull ups I highly recommend them. However many beginners cannot perform many pull ups which is why Lat pulldown is #1. Many gyms have an assisted pull up machine that you can use to progress to bodyweight pull ups
Ideal rep range 8-12
Machine Pulldown
There are different versions of this machine that all in all do the same thing with some minor variation.
They usually are not quite as good as a pulldown machine but worth giving a try to see if it suits you.
Ideal rep range 10-15
Other exercises
Trap Shrugs
Face Pulls
Rear Delt Fly
Trap Shrugs
-this doesnt really fit into the row or Pull category but it is a very important exercise for building the upper traps. Its performed by simply holding weight and shrugging your shoulders up and down. You can use a barbell or dumbbells or a smith machine.
Ideal Rep Range 8-15
Face Pulls
This exercise directly targets the rear delts, the posterior part of the shoulder. It involves using the rope attachment on a cable and pulling the rope to your face. It will also work the traps and upper back
Ideal rep range 10-15
Rear Delt Fly
This is the exact opposite movement of the chest fly. It can be done with cables or a fly machine. Start with your arms out in front of you and pull the weight in an arcing motion trying to bring your arms behind your body
Ideal rep range 12-20
Biceps
Biceps are an easy muscle group to train. This is because the bicep only has one main function which is to flex the arm.
Pretty much all good bicep exercises are variations of a curl (as the weight moves in a curl shape as you lift it)
Best Exercises
Barbell or Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Cable curl
Incline dumbbell curl
Preacher curl
Barbell or dumbbell curl
This is a tried and tested exercise that is very basic and easy to perform. Try both and choose whichever you prefer, or do both if you want. Try to avoid using excess momentum to swing the weight up, a bit of swing is ok but you should be able to lift and lower the weight with control.
Ideal Rep Range 8-15
Cable curl
Not much different from the previous exercise. There is no particular benefit over a barbell or dumbbell but it is a good variation nonetheless that is worth trying
Ideal rep range 8-15
Incline Dumbbell Curl
This exercise involves lying on an incline bench at bout 45 degree angle and curling dumbbells at your sides.
The benefit of this variation is it places your arms behind your torso allowing an extra stretch on the bicep at the bottom of the movement.
Ideal rep range 10-15
Preacher curl
This exercise involves having your arms rest on a bench as you curl the weight. This minimises cheating and keeps the tension on the biceps. You can perform this exercise with a barbell and a preacher bench or a machine
Ideal rep range 10-15
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