219 Best Back Exercises, With Photos and Muscle Maps

Posterior torso, from the base of the neck to the hips. Pulling movements, spinal extension and posture.

Front
Back

Back highlighted on the body.

Exercises 219
Primary Target 90 movements
Stretches 38
Location Posterior torso, from the base of the neck to the hips

Back Exercises — Primary Target 90

These load the back directly. Fitnit-tracked movements first, then those with step-by-step photographs.

Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up beginner Not specified Barbell Shrug Barbell Shrug beginner Barbell Barbell Shrug Behind The Back Barbell Shrug Behind The Back beginner Barbell Bent Over Barbell Row Bent Over Barbell Row beginner Barbell Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row beginner Barbell Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row beginner Dumbbells Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In beginner Dumbbells Cable Incline Pushdown Cable Incline Pushdown beginner Cable Machine Cable Shrugs Cable Shrugs beginner Cable Machine Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug beginner Machines Catch and Overhead Throw Catch and Overhead Throw beginner Medicine Ball Chin-Up Chin-Up beginner No Equipment Clean Shrug Clean Shrug beginner Barbell Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldown beginner Cable Machine Dumbbell Incline Row Dumbbell Incline Row beginner Dumbbells Dumbbell Shrug Dumbbell Shrug beginner Dumbbells Hyperextensions (Back Extensions) Hyperextensions (Back Extensions) beginner Not specified Incline Bench Pull Incline Bench Pull beginner Barbell Inverted Row Inverted Row beginner Not specified Inverted Row with Straps Inverted Row with Straps beginner Not specified Kneeling High Pulley Row Kneeling High Pulley Row beginner Cable Machine Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row beginner Cable Machine Leverage High Row Leverage High Row beginner Machines Leverage Iso Row Leverage Iso Row beginner Machines Leverage Shrug Leverage Shrug beginner Machines Lying Cambered Barbell Row Lying Cambered Barbell Row beginner Barbell One Arm Lat Pulldown One Arm Lat Pulldown beginner Cable Machine One-Arm Dumbbell Row One-Arm Dumbbell Row beginner Dumbbells One-Arm Long Bar Row One-Arm Long Bar Row beginner Barbell Overhead Slam Overhead Slam beginner Medicine Ball Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown beginner Cable Machine Scapular Pull-Up Scapular Pull-Up beginner Not specified Seated Cable Rows Seated Cable Rows beginner Cable Machine Shotgun Row Shotgun Row beginner Cable Machine Sled Row Sled Row beginner Not specified Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug beginner Machines Smith Machine Bent Over Row Smith Machine Bent Over Row beginner Machines Smith Machine Upright Row Smith Machine Upright Row beginner Machines Standing Dumbbell Upright Row Standing Dumbbell Upright Row beginner Dumbbells Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning Stiff Leg Barbell Good Morning beginner Barbell Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows beginner Barbell Straight-Arm Pulldown Straight-Arm Pulldown beginner Cable Machine Suspended Row Suspended Row beginner Not specified T-Bar Row with Handle T-Bar Row with Handle beginner Barbell Underhand Cable Pulldowns Underhand Cable Pulldowns beginner Cable Machine Upright Row - With Bands Upright Row - With Bands beginner Resistance Bands V-Bar Pullup V-Bar Pullup beginner No Equipment Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown beginner Cable Machine Alternating Kettlebell Row Alternating Kettlebell Row intermediate Kettlebell Atlas Stone Trainer Atlas Stone Trainer intermediate Not specified Axle Deadlift Axle Deadlift intermediate Not specified Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row intermediate Barbell Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover intermediate Barbell Bodyweight Mid Row Bodyweight Mid Row intermediate Not specified Deficit Deadlift Deficit Deadlift intermediate Barbell Elevated Cable Rows Elevated Cable Rows intermediate Cable Machine Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown intermediate Cable Machine Gironda Sternum Chins Gironda Sternum Chins intermediate Not specified Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench Hyperextensions With No Hyperextension Bench intermediate No Equipment Keg Load Keg Load intermediate Not specified Kettlebell Sumo High Pull Kettlebell Sumo High Pull intermediate Kettlebell Kipping Muscle Up Kipping Muscle Up intermediate Not specified London Bridges London Bridges intermediate Not specified Lying T-Bar Row Lying T-Bar Row intermediate Machines Middle Back Shrug Middle Back Shrug intermediate Dumbbells Muscle Up Muscle Up intermediate Not specified One-Arm Kettlebell Row One-Arm Kettlebell Row intermediate Kettlebell Rack Pull with Bands Rack Pull with Bands intermediate Barbell Rack Pulls Rack Pulls intermediate Barbell Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows intermediate Barbell Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns intermediate Not specified Rope Climb Rope Climb intermediate Not specified Seated Good Mornings Seated Good Mornings intermediate Barbell Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows intermediate Cable Machine Side To Side Chins Side To Side Chins intermediate Not specified Snatch Shrug Snatch Shrug intermediate Barbell Two-Arm Kettlebell Row Two-Arm Kettlebell Row intermediate Kettlebell Upright Cable Row Upright Cable Row intermediate Cable Machine V-Bar Pulldown V-Bar Pulldown intermediate Cable Machine Weighted Ball Hyperextension Weighted Ball Hyperextension intermediate Exercise Ball Weighted Pull Ups Weighted Pull Ups intermediate Not specified Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neck intermediate Cable Machine Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Up intermediate No Equipment Alternating Renegade Row Alternating Renegade Row advanced Kettlebell Atlas Stones Atlas Stones advanced Not specified Deadlift with Bands Deadlift with Bands advanced Barbell Deadlift with Chains Deadlift with Chains advanced Barbell Mixed Grip Chin Mixed Grip Chin advanced Not specified One Arm Chin-Up One Arm Chin-Up advanced Not specified Reverse Band Deadlift Reverse Band Deadlift advanced Barbell

Exercises That Also Work the Back 129

The back assists rather than leads in these — useful for volume without repeating the same movement.

Anti-Gravity Press Anti-Gravity Press beginner Barbell Back Flyes - With Bands Back Flyes - With Bands beginner Resistance Bands Backward Drag Backward Drag beginner Not specified Band Good Morning Band Good Morning beginner Resistance Bands Band Good Morning (Pull Through) Band Good Morning (Pull Through) beginner Resistance Bands Band Pull Apart Band Pull Apart beginner Resistance Bands Barbell Rear Delt Row Barbell Rear Delt Row beginner Barbell Barbell Side Bend Barbell Side Bend beginner Barbell Barbell Side Split Squat Barbell Side Split Squat beginner Barbell Barbell Squat Barbell Squat beginner Barbell Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral beginner Cable Machine Cable Deadlifts Cable Deadlifts beginner Cable Machine Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows beginner Cable Machine Cable Seated Lateral Raise Cable Seated Lateral Raise beginner Cable Machine Clean Deadlift Clean Deadlift beginner Barbell Dumbbell Scaption Dumbbell Scaption beginner Dumbbells Dumbbell Squat Dumbbell Squat beginner Dumbbells Front Raise And Pullover Front Raise And Pullover beginner Barbell Landmine 180's Landmine 180's beginner Barbell Low Pulley Row To Neck Low Pulley Row To Neck beginner Cable Machine One-Arm Medicine Ball Slam One-Arm Medicine Ball Slam beginner Medicine Ball Pull Through Pull Through beginner Cable Machine Sandbag Load Sandbag Load beginner Not specified Side Laterals to Front Raise Side Laterals to Front Raise beginner Dumbbells

Showing 24 of 129. Browse the full library →

Back Stretches 38

Mobility work for the same muscles. Full stretch library →

Arm Circles Arm Circles beginner Not specified Cat Stretch Cat Stretch beginner Not specified Chair Lower Back Stretch Chair Lower Back Stretch beginner Not specified Child's Pose Child's Pose beginner Not specified Chin To Chest Stretch Chin To Chest Stretch beginner Not specified Dancer's Stretch Dancer's Stretch beginner Not specified Dynamic Back Stretch Dynamic Back Stretch beginner Not specified Dynamic Chest Stretch Dynamic Chest Stretch beginner Not specified Elbow Circles Elbow Circles beginner Not specified Hug A Ball Hug A Ball beginner Exercise Ball Hug Knees To Chest Hug Knees To Chest beginner Not specified Knee Across The Body Knee Across The Body beginner Not specified

Showing 12 of 38. All stretches →

Back Exercises by Equipment

Barbell 89 back exercises Cable Machine 25 back exercises Dumbbells 20 back exercises Kettlebell 16 back exercises Machines 12 back exercises No Equipment 7 back exercises Resistance Bands 6 back exercises Medicine Ball 6 back exercises Exercise Ball 1 back exercise

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best back exercises?

Fitnit lists 219 back exercises, 90 of which train the back as the primary muscle. The top of that list is Band Assisted Pull-Up, Barbell Shrug, Barbell Shrug Behind The Back, Bent Over Barbell Row.

Where are the back?

Posterior torso, from the base of the neck to the hips. Pulling movements, spinal extension and posture.

How do I stretch the back?

Fitnit lists 38 back stretches, including Arm Circles, Cat Stretch, Chair Lower Back Stretch. Each has photographs and instructions.

Can I train back at home with no equipment?

Yes — 7 of these need no equipment at all, including Chin-Up, V-Bar Pullup, Gorilla Chin/Crunch.

Other Muscle Groups

Chest Exercises Pressing movements and drawing the arms across the body Shoulders Exercises Raising and rotating the arm in every direction Biceps Exercises Bending the elbow and turning the palm upward Triceps Exercises Straightening the elbow Forearms Exercises Grip strength and wrist movement Core Exercises Trunk flexion, rotation and resisting movement of the spine All Muscle Groups The full body map Exercise Library Every movement Fitnit lists

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