Back · Barbell · 16 exercises

Back workouts with a barbell

A barbell back workout: deadlifts, bent-over and Pendlay rows, and shrugs — the heavy lifts that build a thick back.

Your back has two jobs to train: vertical pulls (pull-ups and pulldowns) build the lats and the width of the back, and horizontal pulls (rows) build the thickness of the mid and upper back. A complete back workout includes both, plus some direct rear-shoulder work.

A barbell lets you lift the most weight and add it in small, measurable jumps, which makes it the easiest tool for getting stronger over time. Most of these lifts need a rack, and pressing needs a bench and, ideally, safety pins.

Barbell back workout

Heavy and simple. Add weight to the deadlift and rows in small jumps.

Barbell Deadlift
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
3 min
Barbell Bent Over Row
Sets
4
Reps
6–8
Rest
2 min
Barbell Pendlay RowEach rep starts from the floor.
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
2 min
Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
Sets
3
Reps
8–10
Rest
90 s
Barbell Shrug
Sets
3
Reps
10–12
Rest
60 s

Can’t do one of these?

Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.

Tips

Lead each pull with your elbows, not your hands. Think of your hands as hooks; it keeps the biceps from taking over.
Pause for a beat with the weight pulled in. If you can’t hold the squeeze, the load is too heavy to train the back well.
Let your shoulder blades move. Reaching forward at the start of a row and up at the top of a pulldown gives the lats a full stretch.
Use the plate calculator and add the smallest jump your gym allows. Small, regular increases beat big jumps you can’t hold.

Run this workout in SPLYT

Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.

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16 back exercises with a barbell

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

Lats

All lats exercises →

Upper back

All upper back exercises →

All barbell exercises →

Questions

How many back exercises can you do with barbell?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 16 back exercises you can do with barbell, including Barbell Pullover, Barbell Bent Arm Pullover and Barbell Pullover To Press. Each one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration.

What is the best exercise for back width?

Pull-ups and lat pulldowns, which train the lats through a vertical pull. Rows add thickness to the middle of the back more than width.

Should I use straps on back day?

For heavy rows and deadlifts, straps let your back keep working after your grip gives out. Train your grip separately so it still improves.

Do I need a squat rack for barbell workouts?

For squats and pressing, yes: a rack with safety pins lets you train close to failure safely. Deadlifts, rows, curls and Romanian deadlifts start from the floor and don’t need one.