Back - Upper Exercises
Browse illustrated back - upper exercises. Every movement is shown with a picture, the muscles it works, the equipment you need, and how to perform it. Filter further by equipment or level once you find the muscle group you want to train.
Showing 48 of 69 back - upper exercises.
Barbell Bent Over Row
Hinged barbell row pulling the bar to the lower chest — the classic mass-builder for the mid-back, …
Intermediate
Barbell Hang Snatch
A snatch initiated from the hang, pulling the wide-grip bar from above the knee to overhead in one …
Advanced
Barbell Landmine Row
Hinged row pulling the end of a landmine bar to the chest — a thick mid-back builder with a friendl…
Advanced
Barbell Muscle Snatch
A snatch taken to overhead with no re-bend of the knees, building pulling power, turnover speed and…
Advanced
Barbell Rack Pull
A partial deadlift from pins set near knee height, overloading the lockout and the posterior chain …
Intermediate
Barbell Snatch Grip Deadlift
A deadlift pulled with a wide snatch grip, increasing the range and hammering the upper back, traps…
Advanced
Barbell T-Bar Row
Hinged row with one end of a barbell anchored — a brutal mid-back mass builder with a thick neutral…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Alternating Waves
The anterior and lateral deltoids pump out-of-phase waves while the forearm grip and pounding heart…
Foundation
Battle Ropes Around The World
The deltoids sweep both rope ends in a wide circle around the head while the obliques drive the rot…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Figure 8s
The deltoids trace a sideways figure-eight with both rope ends while the obliques drive the cross-b…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Inside Circles
The deltoids circle both rope ends inward toward each other while the rotator cuff and grip steer t…
Foundation
Battle Ropes Jump Slams
An explosive overhead double slam timed with a jump, firing the deltoids and lats to drive both rop…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Outside Circles
The deltoids circle both rope ends outward away from each other while the cuff and grip steer the s…
Foundation
Battle Ropes Plank Front Weaves
A plank that drags a single rope side to side in front while the deep core fights rotation and the …
Advanced
Battle Ropes Russian Twists
Seated rotation that sweeps both rope ends side to side across the body, lighting up the obliques a…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Slams
An explosive overhead double slam where the deltoids and lats rip both ropes from high overhead int…
Intermediate
Battle Ropes Snakes
The shoulders whip both ropes flat along the floor so they slither outward like snakes, a low-ampli…
Foundation
Battle Ropes Stage Coaches
A battle-rope row for the upper back, lats and biceps: alternately pull each rope end back to the h…
Foundation
Cable Lat Pulldown Narrow Grip
Cable lat pulldown with a V-bar or close grip attachment — pulls down to the upper chest, emphasizi…
Foundation
Cable Row
Seated cable row pulled to the lower chest — the foundational horizontal pull, friendly to the lowe…
Foundation
Cable Single Arm Rows
Single-arm cable row with the torso stable — adds anti-rotation demand to the standard cable row an…
Intermediate
Chin Ups
Underhand-grip pull-up — pulls the chin over a bar with the biceps doing more work and the lats les…
Beginner
Dumbbell High Pulls
Hip-driven dumbbell pull to chest height with elbows leading — builds the second-pull pattern witho…
Intermediate
Dumbbell Incline Rows
Chest-supported dumbbell row from an incline bench — removes the lower back from the work, isolatin…
Foundation
Dumbbell Pullover
Cross-bench dumbbell pullover — classic combined chest-and-back stretch and contraction movement.
Foundation
Dumbbell Rows
Single-arm dumbbell row with a bench supporting hand and knee — the classic mass builder for the la…
Foundation
Dumbbell Shadow Boxing
Throwing controlled boxing combinations with light dumbbells to build shoulder endurance, coordinat…
Beginner
Dumbbell Single Arm High Pulls
Single-arm dumbbell high pull — hip-driven pull to chest height with elbow leading, unilateral vers…
Intermediate
Inverted Rows
Bodyweight horizontal row from a hip-height bar — fundamental pulling pattern, accessible and scala…
Foundation
Kettlebell Bent Over Rows
Bent-over kettlebell row pulling both bells to the ribcage — classic mid-back builder, kettlebell v…
Intermediate
Kettlebell Front Circles
Circling a kettlebell in front of the body to build shoulder mobility, grip and rotational core con…
Foundation
Kettlebell Pullover
Lying kettlebell pullover — combined chest-and-back stretch movement with the kettlebell's offset w…
Intermediate
Kettlebell Single Arm Row
Single-arm kettlebell row with bench support — classic mass builder for the lats and mid-back, kett…
Intermediate
Mace 10 to 2
The deltoids and rotator cuff control a steel mace as it tilts behind the shoulders and is pulled b…
Intermediate
Mace 360
The shoulders, upper back and grip drive a steel mace in a full circle around the head, deceleratin…
Intermediate
Mace Berserker
The shoulders and triceps press a steel mace overhead while the core resists rotation as the offset…
Advanced
Mace Grave Digger
The upper back and obliques drive a diagonal cross-body pull of a steel mace low to one side, mimic…
Intermediate
Mace Splitting Wood
The abs and obliques drive an explosive overhead-to-down chop of a steel mace, mimicking splitting …
Intermediate
Mace Whirlwind
The shoulders, grip and core flow a steel mace through continuous circles around the body, demandin…
Advanced
Machine Cable Row
Machine cable row — seated horizontal pull through a fixed path, accessible and easy to load.
Foundation
Machine Lat Pulldowns
Machine lat pulldown — fixed-path vertical pull, the standard machine for lat development.
Foundation
Machine Straight Arm Pulldowns
Cable straight-arm pulldown — direct lat isolation through pure shoulder extension.
Foundation
Muscle Up
Bar or ring muscle-up — pull-and-press transition from below to above the bar, the apex bodyweight …
Elite
Plate Bent Over Rows
A bent-over row gripping a weight plate, building the mid-back and lats while the hinged position t…
Foundation
Plate Bridge Pullovers
A plate pullover held in a glute bridge, stretching and working the lats and chest while the glutes…
Intermediate
Pull Ups
Overhand-grip pull-up — fundamental vertical pull, the bodyweight benchmark for upper-body strength.
Beginner
RAM High Pulls
An explosive pull driving the RAM from the hips to chest height, building the upper back, traps and…
Intermediate
RAM Row
A bent-over row pulling the RAM to the torso, building the upper back, lats and biceps.
Foundation