If you’re working out for the sake of looking good (and what guy isn’t?), you’re probably chasing that signature V-taper—a big, broad back that makes you look powerful, athletic, and dominant.
To build that deep “V,” you need to focus on the key muscles of your back:
Lats (width and taper)
Delts and upper back (frame and posture)
Obliques and core (tight midsection and stability)
But your back isn’t just for show. Strong back muscles:
Reinforce your spine and neck for better posture
Help injury-proof your body
Improve core strength for everyday functional fitness
Modern life, however, works against you. Too much sitting tightens the hips, shortens the hamstrings, weakens the posterior chain, and creates a chain reaction of dysfunction that leads straight to back pain.
That’s why a smart back plan has to do two things:
Build muscle across every region of the back (for width, density, and power)
Improve strength, mobility, and stability to prevent injury and restore alignment
This guide does both. You’ll get:
A simple framework for understanding your back
A balanced workout template
A set of bodyweight “pre-hab” moves for health and longevity
A full library of the 30 best back exercises of all time to plug into your routine
Understanding the Four Key Back Regions
Your back is a system of interconnected muscle groups. Each one responds best to specific movement patterns.
Region
Primary Goal
Best Training Style
Upper & Outer Lats
V-taper width
Wide-grip vertical pulling + wide-grip rowing
Lower Lats
Back depth and taper
Underhand pulling + straight-arm activation
Middle Back
Thickness and posture
Horizontal rowing with strong scapular retraction
Lower Back
Stability and injury prevention
Back extensions + hip hinge strengthening (deadlift patterns)
Master them all — build a complete back.
Area 1: Upper/Outer Lats
Use moves in which you utilize a wide grip, typically outside your shoulders, which develop the area that makes up your V-taper. You’ll usually pull from an angle above your head or perpendicular to your body.
Best exercises: Pullup (wide grip), Bentover Barbell Row (wide grip)
Grasp the bar with an overhand grip. Fully extend your arms and relax your shoulders to stretch your lats in the bottom position.
As you pull up, visualize keeping your elbows out to your sides and pulling them down to raise yourself while contracting your lats.
Pull yourself up as high as possible to fully stimulate your lats.
If you can’t make it all the way up, consider enlisting the help of a spotter or use an assisted pullup machine.
Target tip: To really stress the upper/outer lats and teres major in the bottom position, squeeze your shoulder blades together as you hang with your arms fully extended.
Bentover Barbell Row (wide grip)
Don’t stand on a flat bench or platform to increase your range of motion; you’re more likely to round your low back at the bottom. If you do need greater range of motion, use smaller plates to allow you to clear the floor rather than trying to balance yourself on a flat bench.
Using a wider-than-shoulder-width grip allows you to keep your elbows out to your sides and pull them back as high as possible for a full contraction.
Keep your knees bent and remain in the bent-over position throughout. It’s easy to rise from this position when using heavy weights, but that recruits other muscle groups to assist in the move.
Target tip: To target those outer lats and teres major, pull the bar high toward your upper abs.
Per Bernal
Per Bernal
Area 2: Lower Lats
Use reverse-grip moves and close-grip pullups/pulldowns to more strongly emphasize the lower lat area. One of the few single-joint lat moves, the straight-arm pulldown, does this as well.
Best exercises: Reverse-Grip Pulldown, Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
Reverse-Grip Pulldown
Take an underhand, shoulder-width grip. This allows you to pull your elbows back as far as possible, maximally stimulating the back muscles.
Keep your torso upright and a slight arch in your back as you fully extend your arms at the top. Keep your chest out and flexed throughout the move; this helps concentrate more stress on the back muscles.
Pull your elbows down and back as far as you can until the bar approaches your upper pecs. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the point of peak contraction.
Target tip: To focus in on those lower-lat fibers, keep your chest high and your back arched. As you pull the bar down, bring it toward your lower chest for a better contraction.
Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
Grasp an overhead lat bar and stand far enough back from the station to keep your arms nearly straight (with just a slight bend in your elbows) throughout the movement.
Pull the bar down in an arc with straight arms until it touches your upper thighs. Concentrate on feeling the movement in your lats; your arms should act only as levers.
Movement should take place at only the shoulder joints.
Target tip: For optimal stimulation of the lower lats, don’t just stop when the bar touches your thighs at the bottom—actually push the bar back into your thighs and squeeze your lats as hard as you can.
Ian Logan
Ian Logan
Area 3: Middle Back
Use close- and medium-grip rowing moves in which you pull the bar, dumbbell, or handle into your midsection or sides to best build back thickness.
Lean forward at the waist and place your right knee and right hand on a flat bench.
Keep your left foot flat on the floor and hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Let the weight hang straight down and slightly forward with your arm fully extended.
Pull the dumbbell toward your hip, keeping your elbow close to your side.
Keeping your back flat and abs tight, pull your elbow as high as you can. At the top, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then lower the weight along the same path.
Repeat for reps, then switch arms.
Target tip: In the bottom position, hold the dumbbell slightly forward from your shoulder; as you go through the rep, pull it up and back.
Keep a slight bend in your knees to reduce pressure on them and maintain better balance.
Though you might think leaning forward allows a greater range of motion, keeping your torso upright hits the middle back more while also minimizing stress on the lumbar region.
Keep a slight arch in your low back at all times.
Pull your shoulders and elbows back as far as possible so the bar touches your midsection.
Target tip: Hold the peak contraction for a second or two and squeeze your shoulder blades together for optimal stimulation.
Per Bernal
Per Bernal
Area 4: Lower Back
Use moves in which you bend at the waist (not the hips, which work glutes and hams) to work the low-back muscles, a critical area to strengthen to prevent low-back pain.
Best exercises: Back Extension, Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Once you’re situated on the bench, cross your arms over your chest or behind your head (this is more difficult); alternatively, you can hold a weight plate close to your chest to increase the intensity.
Slowly bend at the waist as far as you can, rounding your back as you go.
Contract your low-back muscles to raise your torso until you reach the starting position. Don’t use a ballistic motion, and avoid going too high; contrary to what some people call this move, hyperextending your back isn’t a good idea.
Target tip: Set up the back extension bench so that your hips are fully supported. This prevents movement at the hips and focuses the force on the lower-back muscles.
The bar comes closer to the floor in the stiff-legged version than the romanian deadlift, a range of motion that works the lower back more.
As you bend at the waist, push your glutes back and allow the bar to hang freely straight down from your shoulders. Your legs should be straight.
Keep your lower-back muscles contracted throughout as you resist the weight’s descent.
Push your hips forward as you rise. Stand straight up without leaning backward at the top. The bar should rest across the top of your thighs.
Concentrate on pulling with your back and hip muscles, not your arms, when raising your torso.
Target tip: As opposed to the Romanian deadlift, allow your lower back to round slightly in the bottom position.
Dustin Snipes / Pavel Ythjall / M+F Magazine
Dustin Snipes / Pavel Ythjall
Building Your Back Workout
Include one exercise that targets each area of your back in your routine.
To train for mass, after your warm-up sets, do 2-3 sets in the 8-12-rep range.
For strength, go heavy with low-rep sets (4-7 reps).
For muscle definition and endurance, go lighter and do high-rep sets (15-25 reps).
A mass workout that focuses on building outer lat width but still hits all areas of the back would look something like the chart below (not including warm-up sets). Rest 1-2 minutes between each set.
These moves correct posture, open the hips, protect your spine, and are perfect as a warm-up or standalone “maintenance” session.
Cat/Cow
Why: This familiar two-part yoga move improves flexibility to the lumbar and cervical spine. It’s also an effective warmup before any back routine.
How: Start on all fours with hands beneath your shoulders and knees on the ground. Inhale, dropping your chest as you push your hips and shoulder blades back into cow position. Lift your chin and chest, and gaze forward. For cat, exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling like a cat.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 of each move with 30 seconds rest between sets.
90/90 Stretch
Why: This stretches the muscles of your middle and upper back, and counteracts the effects of sitting.
How: Lie on the ground on your left side with legs tucked into the torso at a 90° angle. Keep both arms straight, parallel to your knees. Keeping the knees together and on the ground, rotate your chest and right arm to the right, putting your back on the ground. Hold for two seconds and return to starting position.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps to each side with 30 seconds rest between sets.
Hand Walk
Why: Although this is a full-body move that lengthens your hamstrings and calves while stabilizing the shoulders, hand walks are also effective at lengthening your lower back muscles.
How: Stand with legs straight and hands on the floor. Walk your hands out. Keeping your legs straight, walk your feet back to your hands using short steps from your ankles.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets.
Backward Lunge With Twist
Why: This move provides all of the benefits of a lunge while also giving you a great back stretch.
How: With feet together, step back with your right leg into a lunge. Twist your torso over your left (front) leg while reaching your right hand to the sky. Push out of that position into the next lunge, and repeat the move on the other side.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets.
