The ultimate exercises to improve back muscles

The Back. The muscle group that will give you the superhuman physique or leave you with a snapped spine. Here I will expose every secret that science knows about training it.

(As always, TLDR at the end, but you will miss out on a lot of interesting information.)

To understand how to train your back, we must understand what it is made of. Firstly, there are 77 back muscles, but the main ones are the lats, the traps, the spinal erectors, and the infraspinatus.

Let’s start with everyone’s favourite – the lats.

Most studies suggest that the lats are an even 50/50 split of fast and slow twitch fibers. (Johnson et al. 1973; Baker & Hardy, 1989; Hards et al. 1990; Srinivasan et al. 2007)

However, Paoli et al. 2010, (a lead researcher in muscle hypertrophy) used a new method of measuring fiber distribution and found that the lats are 70% fast-twitch dominant. This would mean you should do about 70% of training with heavy weights (1–6 reps, Fry 2004.) However, I suggest taking new evidence with a grain of salt, and trying it for yourself.

So what’s the most effective way to train the lats?

(Notice the direction of the fibers and remember it.)

We have a good understanding that mechanical tension is the only way to build muscle through exercise (not microtears and pumps)

We know that mechanical tension can be achieved through contraction or stretch. (Schoenfeld 2010) And EMG (electromyography) is a way of quantifying activation, which is similar to tension.

We also know that compound exercises (more than 1 joint) are more efficient than their sum of single-joint exercises (as in 2+2=5) (Paoli et al. 2017).

So, that information is enough to decipher what most people consider the best lat exercise:

The pull-up.

Bret Contreras 2010 compared over 40 back exercises and found the weighted pull up to elicit the highest EMG activation. However, Doma et al. 2013 found it to be relatively similar to the pull down, and Contreras and Lehman 2004 found the pull down to be inferior to the row. But according Contreras the row is inferior to the pull up. Do you see what I’m getting at here?..

I would get hundreds of upvotes if I cherrypicked the contradictory data and claimed that there is 1 exercise that is better than any other. I would get upvotes if I claimed that rows are strictly worse than pull downs, and that close chain exercises are better than open chain exercises. But that just isn’t true, and the answer is rather boring, but incredibly important.

Now that I’ve mentioned open-chain exercises, what does that mean? Well, there is some information floating around that closed chain exercises (when you move your own body, like a pull up) are better than open chain exercises (when you move the weight, like a pull down). What is the proof? A 2014 Calatayud et al. study that found that push ups are as effective as the bench press (with equal weight) in terms of EMG, hypertrophy, and strength carryover to the bench press.

If you are as confused as I was, you are correct: there is no proof. What this study showed is that the two exercises are very similar (And why in the world would they not be? You are performing the same movement, the only reason bench press is popular is because it’s difficult to balance 200 pounds on your back!!). And the subjects had no experience training with less than 6 reps.

So, it seems to me that pull ups are very similar to pull downs. A great way to test if that’s true for you is to check your carryover from one exercise to the other. See my answer here for more details.

Also, performing a pull up like this:

will give you a full 160–170 degrees range of motion. However, it doesn’t make much sense anatomically, because:

1. There is little tension on the lats in the “up” position. Meaning it’s very easy to hang like that. And we know tension is key. (Not time under tension, which is irrelevant for hylertrophy)
2. Remember I asked you to keep the fiber direction in mind? Well, compare the contraction and the stretch in the first pull up picture and this one. Empirically, it clearly looks like both are more intense in the first picture. And both are indicative of mechanical tension.

These are also the reasons rows aren’t as bad as Menno Henselmans says they are. The stretch is intense, and the contraction should go beyond your torso (what he erroneously calls “hyperextension”). That’s a good 110 degrees of range of motion, about the same as the first pull up example.

That all that science says about the lats. If you want to trust EMG, here are the exercises which have the highest lat activation: (according to the most prominent EMG researcher Bret Contreras):

1. Weighted Pronated Wide-Grip Pull-up
2. Rack Pull (about 30 degrees lat range of motion, by the way)
3. Underhand-Grip Feet Elevated Inverted Row

And the highest EMG activation trap exercises (mid and low traps):

1. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
2. Dumbbell Elbows Out Chest-Supported Row
3. Prone trap raise

As you can see, the row is an incredible exercises, as there are more muscles to your back than the lats:)

For the upper traps, have a look at the direction of the fibers in the second picture. It’s horizontal, isn’t it? So shrugs might be suboptimal for the traps, as the contraction is vertical. Funnily enough, the Hercules hold might be a great exercise, but if you know what it is.. let’s just say there are problems setting it up:)

I personally do wide cable shrugs, which somewhat imitate the Hercules hold, and it’s my own invention as far as I know. But of course, we have no studies, so I remain very skeptical and unsensational. (Although I could write an answer on how that’s the best unknown trap exercise.)

Other back muscles:

For infraspinatus (which is a big visible back muscle) watch Athlean X here. EMG is good and all, but if it contradicts your anatomy, I choose healthy shoulders every time. For injury prevention and exercises for health, refer to him.

And finally, the spinal erectors extend and stabilize the spine. Since muscle hypertrophy isn’t the primary objective when training them, you should do what feels great for your lower back. Back hyperextensions on the one hand, and deadlifts with squats on the other, all strengthen the spinal erectors. Maybe good mornings, if you feel your lower back working without pain. But it’s incredibly important to train them for your health.

1. Focus on contraction and stretch
2. Try doing more heavy work, but light work is necessary for slow-twitch fiber hypertrophy. But there is no magic 8–12 rep range, see my answer here in the respective section
3. Do exercises which are in line with the direction of the fibers
4. Do both vertical and horizontal pulls, close and open chain exercises
5. Train smaller but vitally important muscles
6. Finally, I’ve said it once, I’ll say it 1000 times:

• Don’t take anything for granted. If you disagree, analyze the evidence or carry out your own research. Try things for yourself in the gym. That’s how science was born in the first place: a few curious people noticed something, didn’t take the others’ word for it, and discovered the truth.