Back Exercises: The Best Moves for a Wider, Thicker Back

A good back workout has two parts: vertical pulls that build width and rows that build thickness. Below are the 7 best back exercises, what each one does best, a back workout for the gym and options with dumbbells at home. Tap any exercise to see it from every angle.

The lats are the large muscles on the sides of your back. They pull your arms down and back, and they give the back its width. The traps run from your neck to the middle of your back, and the rhomboids sit between your shoulder blades. Both pull the shoulder blades together and build thickness. The lower back muscles keep your spine straight when you bend and lift. Your biceps and rear delts help in almost every pulling exercise.

Start with one vertical pull for width, then row for thickness. Four or five exercises cover everything. Train back once or twice a week with about 10 to 20 hard sets in total. Stop each set with one or two good reps left.

Width comes from the lats. Train them with vertical pulls, where your arms move from above your head down to your sides. Think about driving your elbows down toward your hips. A full stretch at the top of each rep matters more than the weight. This is the main answer to the V-shaped back: wider lats plus a smaller waist from your overall diet and training.

• Lat pulldown: 3 sets of 8 to 12
• Pull-up: 3 sets of as many clean reps as you can, up to about 12

Thickness comes from the middle of the back: the traps, rhomboids and the lower part of the lats. Train them with rows, where you pull toward your stomach and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end. Heavy hinges like the deadlift add thickness to the lower back and traps. Keep your torso still. If you have to swing to move the weight, it is too heavy.

• Barbell row: 3 sets of 6 to 10
• Dumbbell row: 3 sets of 8 to 12 per arm
• Deadlift: 3 sets of 3 to 6

With a pair of dumbbells and a sturdy chair or bench, you can train your back well at home. The one arm dumbbell row is the main move. You can also do a two arm bent over row with dumbbells, and a dumbbell Romanian deadlift for the lower back and hamstrings. If you have a door frame pull-up bar, add pull-ups. Without one, it is hard to train the lats from above at home, so add more rows and sets instead.

• Dumbbell row: 4 sets of 10 to 12 per arm
• Two arm bent over dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10 to 12
• Dumbbell Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 10 to 12

There is no single best one. For width, choose the pull-up or lat pulldown. For thickness, choose the barbell row or dumbbell row. One of each covers the back well.

Build wider lats with pull-ups and pulldowns, train your shoulders, and keep your waist lean through diet. The shape comes from the ratio between shoulders, lats and waist.

Three to five. Pick at least one vertical pull and one row, then add a second row or a hinge if you have time.

A stronger upper back can make it easier to sit and stand tall, but posture depends on many things, including habits and how long you sit. If you have back pain, see a doctor or physical therapist before training.

Both train the lats well. Pull-ups are harder and need no machine. The lat pulldown lets you pick the exact weight, which helps beginners and makes it easy to add load step by step. Many people do both.