Here are 5 of my favorite back strengthening exercises. These exercises will help you build a strong mid and upper back. Feel strong and amazing, AND get shredded if this is a goal!
#1) Single Arm Bent-Over Rows + Single Arm ISO Hold From ISO RDL
This exercise strengthens the mid and upper back, and the posterior chain and core muscles, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold weights in either hand.
- Get into a hip hinge/RDL position. Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position. Gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Perform a single arm row on one side and hold in the top position of the row for all reps.
- Before each rep (of each row), take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Perform a single arm row and row up and back towards your hips versus pulling straight up, and do not use momentum.
- During the row (on both the moving and non-moving sides), think about drawing your shoulder blades in towards your spine (retract).
- In the top position (on both the moving and non-moving sides), do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Lower the weight to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blade should perform the reverse movement (protract) as it did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blade away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep it pinned.
- In the starting/bottom position, your elbow should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position, and you should remain in an RDL. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain muscles contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps per side.
#2) Feet Elevated Inverted Rows + Pause
This exercise strengthens the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
If you are training at home and don’t have the equipment, you might be able to do this using a very sturdy wooden kitchen table or wooden desk.
Coaching Tips:
- Elevate your feet on a stable surface. The more your body is in a decline the more challenging this will be. Your legs can be fully extended or bent (depending on your set-up).
- Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart, but figure out what hand width works and feels best for you. You may also use a neutral grip (palms facing one another), or a supinated grip (palms facing you).
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position, and knees bent.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Perform an inverted row. Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and draw your shoulder blades together and towards your spine (retract). Do not initiate the movement with your arms, and do not use momentum.
- In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. Pause in this position for 1-2 seconds.
- Return to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movement (protract) as they did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- In the starting position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps.
Easier option:
#3) Tripod Stance Single Arm Rows
This exercise strengthens the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a hip hinge/RDL position, and place one hand on a bench or other stable surface.
- Your shoulder should be roughly above your hand. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your full hand and fingers to the bench.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position, and square to the floor.
- Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position. Gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Perform a single arm row. Row up and back towards your hip versus pulling straight up, and do not use momentum. During the row, think about drawing your shoulder blade in towards your spine (retract).
- In the top position, do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- Lower the weight to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blade should perform the reverse movement (protract) as it did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blade away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep it pinned.
- In the starting position, your elbow should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- Pay attention to your supporting side. Push your body away from the bench and towards the ceiling and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
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#4) Pull-Ups
This exercise strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, lumbo-pelvic stability, and grip.
If you are performing pull-ups correctly, the muscles in your mid and upper back, not your arms, should be doing the majority of the work!
If you can’t do pull-ups yet I have you covered! This blog post I wrote will be VERY helpful!
Coaching Tips:
- Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart (or your preferred width). You may also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another, or a supinated grip where your palms are facing you.
- Set your body so it is in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (I call this a slight hollow body position). Flex your glutes and quadriceps. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, bend your knees, have your feet behind you, and flex your glutes and hamstrings.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes and quadriceps.
- Now initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards your opposite hip, and simultaneously drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.
- As you are doing this, think about pulling the bar down to you versus thinking about pulling yourself up to the bar. This will help eliminate slack and will help prevent you from “jerking” your pull.
- As you are approaching the bar and are completing the rep, continue with this same shoulder blade and arm movement, and pretend you are trying to crush oranges in your armpits. This will help you use more back!
- In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. Your body and upper arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.
- Make sure your chin passes the bar, but do not look up and reach with your chin. Gain a second of control.
- Now smoothly lower yourself to the bottom position.
- During the lowering/eccentric component, do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move, and should perform the reverse movements as they did during the ascending/concentric component and should spread apart from your spine, move around your ribcage, and away from the opposite hip.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body position described above. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 1-10+ reps (rep range is broad as individual ability will vary a lot). If you cannot yet do pull-ups, you can find many pull-up modifications in my blog, or in my Ultimate Pull-Up Program.
#5) Body Supported Rows
This exercise strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie face down on an incline bench. The weights should be roughly below your shoulders.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Perform a row. Row up and back towards your hips versus pulling straight up, and do not use momentum.
- During the row, think about drawing your shoulder blades in towards your spine (retract).
- In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Lower the weights to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements (protract) as they did during the rowing/concentric component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- In the starting position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
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