Top 3 Month Muscle Building Workout

Not sure which exercises to select on back day? Check out our list of the 7 best back builders and get ready to grow!

When you crack your exercise toolkit open each week on back day, you've got a seemingly endless array of movements available. Knowing which tools are best suited for building a wide, thick back will help you get the job done faster, which is why we've assembled our list of top 7 mass-building back exercises.

While head-to-head exercise comparison research is a bit limited in this area, we selected the following 7 exercises based on factors such as available literature, how difficult each movement is, how much muscle each stimulates, and how unique each exercise is compared to others. This list will also help you figure out where to place each exercise in your workout.

If you get bowled over by the sheer number of rows you can do on back day, or even draw a total blank when thinking of new exercises to try.

1- Bent over barbell rows

  
For a thick, muscular, strong back perform bent over barbell rows. These are great at developing the upper back. They will engorge you traps, lats and all the support muscles with blood, producing an intense pump.


2- Barbell Deadlift 

 

 This is technically more than a back exercise—it hits the entire posterior chain from your calves to your upper traps—but it's the absolute best for overall backside development. Technique is uber-important with the deadlift, but once you nail it, you can progress to lifting monster weights that will recruit maximum muscle, release muscle-building hormones, and help you get big.

There are also numerous deadlift progression programs you can follow to help you reach new personal bests. Physiologists love to prescribe the deadlift when programming for strength and conditioning because the exercise hammers your musculature and is one of the best choices to strengthen your bone structure.

 

3- Chin Ups

Chin ups are one of the best exercises if not the best exercise for building a huge back. They are hard, but the pain will be worth it. They are great at developing the lats, the muscle that greats a wide v taper look. They also indirectly workout you biceps and forearms, for the grip. 

   4- Lat Pulldowns

While you can't beat the chinup as a back exercise, the lat pulldown is also great for increasing muscle. In fact, bodybuilders swear by it. Get the most out of the move by performing the exercise at a slow, controlled tempo. You should "feel" your lats working each rep. Do 8 to 12 reps like this, making sure your upper body remains in nearly the same position from start to finish.

DO THIS: Sit down at a lat pulldown station and grab the bar with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width. Without moving your torso, pull your shoulders back and down, and bring the bar down to your chest. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

   5- Standing T-Bar Row

 

 

 

 We selected the T-bar row over a chest-supported version because you can pile on much more weight here, even though that typically translates into a bit of cheating through the knees and hips. For some, maintaining a flat back can be challenging, in which case the supported version is a better choice.

These aren't squats, so keep your legs locked in a bent angle throughout. You also typically have a choice of hand positions and width. A wider grip will put more emphasis on the lats, while a neutral grip will better target the middle back (rhomboids, teres, and traps). This exercise is probably one of the easier rows to spot.
In your workout: Do this toward the front half of your workout. Rather than slinging weight around with this movement, really focus on the stretch and contraction of the back. If you're an experienced lifter, load up with 25s instead of the 45s, and further increase range of motion by allowing a slight protraction of the scapula at the bottom of every rep. If you do this, be sure to "reset" with a flat back before initiating the next pull!

 

 6- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

 This is a great unilateral exercise—each side works independently—that allows you to move a lot of weight. You'll get greater range of motion when training unilaterally, and you won't be restrained if your weaker side fails first. You may also be better able to support your lower back—which may have taken plenty of punishment by now—when placing one hand on a bench. Allowing a slight degree of rotation of the trunk may engage a greater degree of "core" musculature, as well.2
In your workout: Unless you intentionally flare your elbow out wide, this exercise focuses more on your lower lats. Do it anywhere from the middle to the end of your workout for sets of 10-12.

 7- Decline-Bench Dumbbell Pull-Over

  Pull-overs for back? Absolutely! This one mimics the straight-arm cable pull-down you're probably familiar with. Yes, this is a single-joint move, but it allows you to really target and torch your lats. The decline version puts your lats under tension for a longer range of motion than when using a flat bench. Just make sure the dumbbell clears your head, and drop it on the floor behind you when you're done.
In your workout: In almost all cases, single-joint movements should be done last in your body-part routine. Keep the reps on the higher end for a nice finishing pump, around 12-15 per set.

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