The 5 Best Barbell Back Exercises for a Stacked Set of Lats
As barbell back exercises go, bent over rows are certainly up there. You can load up the bar and shift enough weight to build a broad, resilient and wide back, while also challenging your glute and core muscles. A firm favourite of bodybuilders and crossfitters alike, bent over rows are the ultimate back move to pump your lats.
But, if your programming has become stale, here are some tweaks to the well known move to fill out your shirt and deliver all the functional benefits you've been looking for. Plus, a barbell workout to add some much needed intensity to your training.
Are Barbell Deadlifts a Back Exercise?
Yes, but also no. Deadlifts are a posterior chain move working the legs and back. To target your back muscles, the deadlift probably isn't the most efficient. Depending on your biomechanics and the position of your hips, the deadlift will predominantly work the legs (hamstrings and glutes in particular) as a primary mover.
As a secondary mover, the back (erector spinae, lats and traps in particular) will work isometrically during the barbell deadlift to keep the trunk locked. But, barbell deadlifts don't create enough range of motion in the back for optimal muscle growth. They still deserve a place in your programme and will support your other barbell back exercises, so this isn't excuse to skip them, but barbell deadlifts primarily belong on leg day in our books.
The Best Barbell Back Exercises
1/ Pendlay row
Why: Easily one of the best barbell back exercises available, the pendlay row is an explosive take on the bent over row. You can leave time under tension and slow negatives to one side as you focus on fast and powerful explosive reps. And with the powerful twist, you'll be able to shift a little more weight than you're used to, therefore creating more mechanical stress and reaping the benefits of further strength development.
Start by sending the hips behind the heels so your hands reach the bar with a wide grip. Your hips can be slightly higher than your torso with your head in line and a bend in the knees.
Keeping the chest proud, pull the bar powerfully towards your hips. Keep the elbows slightly below your shoulders in an arrow shape.
This exercise maximises power, the tempo can be fast with a beat between each rep.
You don't need to control the weight back down.
2/ T-bar row
Why: The t-bar row set up allows you to shift more weight in comparison to the bent-over row. This increased weight will mean you have access to bigger strength gains. Plus, the set up of the t-bar row means you can work closer to failure more safely and therefore see an increase in muscle mass. Compared to barbell rows, the t-bar row places little less stress on the lower back, making it a great option for people working around back issues.
Use a landmine attachment, rest the unloaded end of the bar on a plate or wedge it into a corner to create a sturdy ‘anchor’. Load plates onto the opposite end of the bar.
Use a set of gymnastics rings, straps, a rope or even just a towel, passing it under the barbell, behind the plates to create a set of ‘handles’.
Straddle the bar and hinge at the hips until your torso is near parallel to the ground. Grip your handles, take a deep breath and brace your core. Create tension through your entire body.
Draw your elbows up and back, keeping them close to your body, rowing the weight up as far as possible before the plates make contact with your torso. Squeeze your shoulder blades and pause at the top of each rep before slowly lowering the weight back to the ground under control.
Elevate your feet by standing on plates or blocks to increase the range of motion, alternatively you can use smaller plates on the bar for a similar effect.
3/ Meadows row
Why: Focusing your attention on one side at a time helps to iron our strength discrepancies
between limbs. The pull of the bar will also work your core anti-rotationally for additional oblique work, and holding the 'thick end' of the bar will help to build your grip.
Stand by the end of the loaded bar, hinge down and grab it with an overhand grip.
Maintain a flat back, with the hips behind the heels, head in line.
Draw your elbow up, close to your waist, raising the bar towards your hips.
Lower slowly and repeat.
4/ Close grip row
Why: By narrowing your grip a touch, you'll work your lats harder than the standard grip row. Get your money's worth by squeezing the shoulder blades together with each rep to get the rhomboids working too.
Grab a barbell with an overhand narrow grip, hands in line with your shoulders.
With your legs slightly bent, lock your core, keep your back straight and send your hips behind your heels so that your torso is almost perpendicular to the floor.
Row the weight upwards in an arc shape towards your hips.
Pause and squeeze the shoulder blades together for a beat whilst keeping the shoulders away from the ears.
Slowly reverse the rep back to the beginning position.
5/ Chest supported barbell row
Why: Chest supported rows will isolate the upper back a little more by keeping the torso fixed, no momentum allowed. They take pressure off the lower back for those who experience back pain or an achey lumbar region towards the end of sets.
Place one end of your bench on a box or racked barbell, with a loaded bar beneath. Lie so that you can reach the bar.
Gripping slightly wider than shoulder width, row the bar towards you.
Pause as it reaches the bench.
Lower under control.
Ultimate Barbell Only Back Workout
This two-part lat-swelling circuit workout from MH fitness director Andrew Tracey requires just a barbell but promises serious back gains.
How To Perform The Ultimate Barbell Only Back Workout
In part A of the workout you're going to build to the heaviest 3 reps possible for the barbell deadlift. We know we said the deadlift is primarily a lower body exercise, but here we're using the heavy weights you're going to be able to shift to fire up your nervous system, prime the muscles of your back and make the weights in the rest of the workout feel light by comparison. Take around 15 minutes to establish a heavy 3rm, giving yourself ample time for recovery between your heavy attempts.
In part B you're going to utilise a 'mechanical drop set', working three movements back-to-back with the same weight, each movement getting progressively easier to allow you to eke out more muscle building reps at the same intensity. Perform 3 rounds of part B, resting for 2-3 minutes between rounds. Use a weight that allows you to perform no more than 10 chest supported rows.
Finally, in part C, you're going to load up just one end of the bar with a weight you could meadows row for more than 10 reps, but no more than 20. Your goal: perform 50 reps on one side in as few sets as possilbe. Rest for no more than 10 deep breaths between attempts until you reach 50 total reps. Now, rest for 2 minutes and repeat on the opposite side.
A. Barbell deadlift x build to a heavy 3 reps
Feet shoulder width apart, hinge down and grip your barbell with a flat back, getting your hips low (A). Take a deep breath, create tension throughout your entire body and push the ground away with your feet, avoiding your hips shooting up too early and standing upright. (B). Your arms should be hanging straight throughout this movement, you don’t want to ‘pull’ on the bar, think of them as ‘hooks’. Avoid excessive rounding of the lower back throughout
B. Perform 3 rounds
B1. Chest supported rows x 6
Set an adjustable bench to around 45 degrees or prop a flat bench up with a box. Position yourself face down with your chest on the pad, holding a barbell set up under the bench (A). Staying tight to the bench, row the bar up towards your hips, pause (B) and slowly lower before repeating.
B2. Close grip row x 8
Hop off the bench and hold your barbell with an overhand narrow grip, hands in line with your shoulders, your torso almost perpendicular to the floor (A). Row the weight upwards in an arc towards your hips. Pause and squeeze the shoulder blades together for a beat (B) Slowly reverse the rep back to the beginning position.
B3. Pendlay row x 10
Finally, widen your grip and finish with 10 explosive pendlay rows, using a little bit of 'body language' to help you finish the final set (A). Keeping your torso parallel to the ground, explosively row the bar up and into your hips (B), squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower to the ground before repeating.
C. Meadows row x 50 reps in as few sets as possible (each side)
Setup your barbell in a landmine configuration. Stand sideways on in staggered stance at the loaded end of your bar. Hinge down with a flat back and grip the bar with one hand (A). Keeping your core tight and torso as steady as possible, draw your elbow back, behind your body, pulling the bar towards your hips. Pause here (B), then slowly lower the weight to the floor before repeating.
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