A strong back is more than a good look from behind. It holds your posture upright after a day at a desk, protects your spine when you lift, and provides the pulling power behind everything from deadlifts to Muay Thai clinch work. These five back exercises, programmed for us by trainer Saige, cover every region of the back: the lats that create width, the rhomboids and traps that build thickness, and the lower back that ties it all together. Here is how to do each one properly, plus a complete workout to run on the Hammer’s Gym floor.
Why train your back?
Most people press far more than they pull, which rounds the shoulders forward and sets up shoulder and neck problems. Balancing that with regular back work improves posture, stabilises the shoulder joint, boosts your bench and overhead press, and gives you the V-shape that makes your waist look smaller. Aim for at least as many pulling sets as pushing sets each week.
1. T-bar row (3 sets of 8–10)
A chest-supported row that lets you load the mid-back heavily without your lower back fatiguing first.
- Set up on the chest-supported T-bar row machine and load an appropriate weight.
- Take the handles with an overhand grip, chest against the pad, back flat.
- Pull the handles toward your torso, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower under control until your arms are fully extended. That is one rep.
Targets: rhomboids, mid traps, lats. Hammer’s has a dedicated T-bar row; read about it in our T-bar row post.
2. Pull-ups (3 sets of 6–12)
The king of upper-body pulling and the best exercise for lat width.
- Grip the bar with palms facing away, hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Hang with arms fully extended and shoulders pulled down away from your ears.
- Drive your elbows down and pull until your chin clears the bar.
- Lower with control to a full hang.
Can’t do one yet? Use the assisted pull-up machine or a band, or start with slow negatives. Daily dead hangs build the grip and shoulder strength that get you there.
3. Bent-over barbell row (3 sets of 8–10)
A heavy compound pull that builds the whole back and teaches you to brace your core under load.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a barbell with an overhand grip.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is roughly 45 degrees, knees slightly bent, back flat.
- Pull the bar to your lower chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Lower with control without letting your torso rise.
Targets: lats, rhomboids, rear delts, lower back and core.
4. Seated cable row (3 sets of 10–12)
Constant cable tension makes this ideal for building mind-muscle connection and mid-back thickness.
- Sit at the cable row with feet on the footrests and knees slightly bent.
- Take the handle with an overhand or neutral grip and sit tall with a straight back.
- Pull the handle to your torso while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Release slowly to full extension, letting your shoulder blades protract.
Targets: rhomboids, mid traps, lats. See more cable machine exercises.
5. Single-arm dumbbell row (3 sets of 8–10 per side)
A unilateral row that exposes and fixes strength imbalances between sides.
- Place one knee and the same-side hand on a bench, torso parallel to the floor.
- Pick up a dumbbell with your free hand.
- Pull the dumbbell toward your hip, keeping your elbow close and your torso still.
- Lower with control to a full stretch.
Targets: lats, rhomboids, rear delts, with a big grip and core component.
The complete back workout
- Warm-up: 5 minutes of rowing, then 2 sets of 15 band pull-aparts and 10 scapular pull-ups.
- Pull-ups: 3 sets of 6–12.
- Bent-over barbell row: 3 sets of 8–10.
- T-bar row: 3 sets of 8–10.
- Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10–12.
- Single-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 8–10 per side.
- Finish with 2 sets of 15 rear-delt flyes and a 60-second dead hang.
Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and run it once or twice a week. Add a small amount of weight or a rep each week (see progressive overload explained simply) and slot it into a plan using our balanced gym program guide.
Form tips that make the difference
- Initiate every row by pulling the shoulder blades back, not by yanking with the arms.
- Keep a neutral spine on every exercise; if your lower back rounds, drop the weight.
- Control the lowering phase. The stretch at the bottom is where much of the growth stimulus comes from.
- Start with a weight you can move with perfect form and build from there.
Build your back at Hammer’s Gym
Every piece of equipment for this workout is on the Hammer’s Gym floor in Nunawading, including a chest-supported T-bar row, multiple cable stations and pull-up rigs. If you are new to these movements or want your form checked, book a session with one of our personal trainers. Not a member yet? Claim a free one-day trial. We are minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster.