Back workouts with machines
A back workout using machines only: assisted pull-ups, pulldowns, a T-bar row and a seated row.
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.
Machines guide the weight along a fixed path, so you can push close to failure without balancing the load or needing a spotter. That makes them quick to learn, easy to progress, and a good fit for the later exercises in a workout.
Machine back workout
Machine rows and pulldowns let you train the back hard without the lower-back fatigue of free-weight rows.
Assisted Pull-up- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8–10
- Rest
- 2 min
Lever Front Pulldown- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10–12
- Rest
- 90 s
Lever Seated Row- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 8–12
- Rest
- 90 s
Lever T Bar Row- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8–10
- Rest
- 2 min
Lever Pullover- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 12–15
- 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.
- Adjust the seat so the joint you are moving lines up with the machine’s pivot; most machines mark it with a coloured dot.
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.
27 back exercises with machines
Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.
Questions
How many back exercises can you do with machines?
SPLYT’s exercise library has 27 back exercises you can do with machines, including Lever Pullover, Assisted Pull-up and Lever Front Pulldown. 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.
Are machines good for building muscle?
Yes. Muscles respond to hard sets, not to whether the weight is free. Machines also make it safe to take sets close to failure.