Muscle group

Training your back at the gym

Your back helps you pull, stand tall and stabilize your upper body. You can train it with pull-ups, pulldowns, cable rows, barbell rows, dumbbells and machines. Whether you prefer guided machines or free weights, you’ll find something that fits what you like and what’s in your gym.

14 machines · 29 exercises

Front

Back

Coach tips

Think "pull with your back", not your hands: grip the bar or handle firmly, but focus on driving your elbows back toward your body.
Keep your chest up and your core lightly braced to ease stress on your lower back, especially on bent-over rows and landmine rows.
Control the lowering phase for about 2–3 seconds instead of letting the weight drop. That makes your back work harder and helps protect your shoulders.
Rotate grips over time (wide, close, neutral, underhand, overhand) to hit your back from different angles and find what feels good for you.

Machines

Exercises

These also work this muscle

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Common questions

How do I choose between pulldowns and rows for my back?

Vertical pulls like lat pulldowns and pull-ups move the weight from above you down. Rows move the weight from in front of you toward your body. Both train your back, and many people use some of each across the week for more complete back work.

I can’t do a pull-up yet, what should I do?

Use the assisted pull-up machine, lat pulldowns, and seated rows. Set the weight so you can keep good form, then slowly adjust the load over time to move closer to unassisted pull-ups.

I don’t really feel my back working, is that normal?

It’s common at first. Slow the reps down, use a weight you can control, and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull. Chest-supported machines and single-arm rows can also make it easier to feel each side working.

I feel pain in my lower back during back exercises, what should I do?

Stop the set when you feel pain and talk to a healthcare professional before continuing. For now you can favour chest-supported machines and seated cable work, which usually require less lower-back support.